What are they?

Todd E

In simple terms they are the lower extended part of the barrels that fit into a doubles action recess..

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Ray,

Then ALL SXS double rifles have chopper lump barrels then, right?

Not at all,only some high grades have and all of the middle or low price doubles have sleeved barrels. I'm not to say that the first is so much better than the latter but fact is that chopper lumps take so much more skilled handwork that they're only to be expected on top quality pieces.

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Andr�

Andre,

Can you explain the chopper lump versus sleeve process in a little greater detail please. I apologize for being so ignorant, but I really would like to learn all this.

As Ray told it "they are the lower extended part of the barrels", i.e. they start as a solid steel billet under the chambers that must be machined and handfitted to enter the ad hoc recesses in the table of the receiver. When properly done, the final "hooks" are adjusted to their mating recesses by handfiling, using the traditional lampblack method. I believe it's only fair to assume that such skilled handwork is reserved for the very best, where cost is second to excellence.

Sorry, forgot the sleeving. In this industrial method, the lumps are machined out of a steel block and bored out to receive the barrels. The lump billet is then heated so as to expand and facilitate the next operation. The barrels, previously coated with silver solder, are then slid in. Contraction of the billet + silver solder make for a permanent bond. The last method is industrial, much faster and cheaper & allows the use of mass produced barrel tubes. Both techniques meet their expected goal, as does industrial bluing compared to old fashioned rust bluing... (NB. : chopper lumps, engraving, rust blue and select walnut go hand in hand).
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Andr�

[This message has been edited by Andr� Mertens (edited 04-13-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Andr� Mertens (edited 04-13-2002).]

So chopper lumps just mean that the action lumps are forged with the barrel blank. Therefore the right hand barrel forging would have the right hand portion of the action lump and the left hadn barrel would have the left hand lump. They would then be machined and soldered together. Then hand finished to fit the action. I can see why this would be much more expensive than the sleeving method.

The barrel needs a little piece to stick out and hook into the action. That is called the lump. Chopper lump barrels start with a large diameter barrel blank and are machined so that the lump and the barrel are integral. Otherwise, the lump must be attached later. Attaching the lump later is faster and cheaper. But it doesn't seem to matter since I never heard of either type of lump breaking off.

The chopper lump underlugs are also called "demi-bloc" barrel construction.

The Merkel has chopper lumps of Krupp steel, integral to the Krupp steel barrels of course. More bang for the buck.

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RAB