Hi Guys:

Well Frenchy is starting to give me fits. Naturally I have been playing around with the DR. And no I havent even shot her yet.

Since this is my first DR I didn't know what to expect. Like If I held the rifle barrels almost level and opened the breech, the ejectors wouldn't eject becuase the shells come forward a bit. Duh....

What I thought was just stiff opening lever isn't getting any better. If I snap the breech closed, I can almost not FORCE the lever to open. And with repeated openings and closings my thumb is actually very sore to the touch. This can't be right.

The good thing about Cabelas is that they will either send the rifle back to get fixed, get me another Chapuis of my choice, refund my money, or give me another make double.

The fit and balance with Frenchy is pretty good, not perfect but just a hair long. I probably would replace that funky colord recoil pad and cut about 1/4 in off the stock anyway.

The barrels are defintely feel heavier than the Merkel and Kreighoff, this should tame the recoil a bit. The wood & engraving is very nice.

What do you suggest I do, get it fixed, get another Frenchy, or bag it and go with another DR.

Jim P.

Not that it has anything to do with your problem, but it is a characteristic of the big bore Chapuis of having a rather small tab or whatever it's called on the lever. It ain't going to help your thumb much.

It was the first thing I noticed when I first saw a Chapuis 470. It is too damn little for hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
Not that it has anything to do with your problem, but it is a characteristic of the big bore Chapuis of having a rather small tab or whatever it's called on the lever. It ain't going to help your thumb much.

It was the first thing I noticed when I first saw a Chapuis 470. It is too damn little for hunting.

Jim, Will is correct about his assessment with the size of the lever they run small I know some guys that have an extension welded on, there are some gunsmiths that will do that and you cannot tell it's been done it's not that expensive to do. As far as tightness goes shoot it 25-50 times and that should start to resolve itself, it needs broke-in. Excuse me if I'm being presumptuous but I wouldn't be wacking length off the stock yet. Some guys have the same LOP with their bolts as they do their DR's, most guys DR LOP is longer than their bolt guns. For instance, my bolt LOP is 14.25 inches and my DR LOP is 15.25 inches. You need to get with some DR folk in your neck of the woods before you make the cut.

Dirk

Are you using snap caps? Empty cases? Live ammo?!!!

You can't judge a rifle until you shoot it. You can't judge some rifles until you shoot them a good bit. Chapuis fall into both categories.


You're wrestling with a gun and finding it doesn't behave in a very genteel manner. This is typical of Chapuis. They are a beast of a different nature. You will always be fighting spring tension when you are closing the action, even in a ready condition, with both the action and the kickers cocked. I don't think that there is another design like this extant. I've had 2 and no longer own one, nor will I ever own another.

All this said, rifles often act finicky with snap caps.

PAHunter

Have you lubed your Chapuis in the proper places? New doubles are many times fairly stiff.

Get a good gun grease [not oil].
A product called Tetra Gun Grease is pretty "slick" but any good grease will work.

Lube the following areas.

On the barrel, the two hooks, [where the barrel pivots], the extractor/ejectors between the bbls in front of the lumps.
The locking surfaces of the lumps.

On the reciever lube the pin [where the bbl hooks go], the top of the locking bar.
Then install the bbl on the reciever.

Lube the front of the reciever where the foreend iron touches.

Work the action open and closed and take it shooting. It should loosen up fine.

My 9,3 Chapuis was stiff when I first got it.

PAHunter

Let me also add that I have not found the slightly smaller size of the Chapuis top lever to cause me any problems when hunting.

Even when reloading in a herd of elephants after shooting one at 5 yards.

PA, DRs have closer tolerances and lock up tighter than SxS shotguns.(needed for the higher pressuers) So they will take a bit more effort to open. Especially new ones.

Keith

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
PAHunter

Let me also add that I have not found the slightly smaller size of the Chapuis top lever to cause me any problems when hunting.

Even when reloading in a herd of elephants after shooting one at 5 yards.

I may be full of it as I don't have the Chapuis 9.3 anymore, but isn't that lever bigger than on the big bore version? On the 9.3 it didn't seem too little.

quote:

Originally posted by dirklawyer:

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
Not that it has anything to do with your problem, but it is a characteristic of the big bore Chapuis of having a rather small tab or whatever it's called on the lever. It ain't going to help your thumb much.

It was the first thing I noticed when I first saw a Chapuis 470. It is too damn little for hunting.

Jim, Will is correct about his assessment with the size of the lever they run small I know some guys that have an extension welded on, there are some gunsmiths that will do that and you cannot tell it's been done it's not that expensive to do. As far as tightness goes shoot it 25-50 times and that should start to resolve itself, it needs broke-in. Excuse me if I'm being presumptuous but I wouldn't be wacking length off the stock yet. Some guys have the same LOP with their bolts as they do their DR's, most guys DR LOP is longer than their bolt guns. For instance, my bolt LOP is 14.25 inches and my DR LOP is 15.25 inches. You need to get with some DR folk in your neck of the woods before you make the cut.

Dirk

On the LOP issue, I also shoot a double rifle (and shotgun) with a longer LOP than a bolt rifle. For me the difference is 3/8". That doesn't sound like much, but its a big change when your talking LOP. I can shoot a too short bolt rifle, but a too short double rifle or shotgun gives me fits. So I second the idea of holding off cutting the stock until you are more familiar with the rifle.

JPK

Chapuis double rifles sure need a little break in and then let you enjoy years of faithful service. I have had a Merkel then one day I shouldered and fired a Chapuis in 7x65 R. the week after, the Merkel was gone.

Jim - Tony is right. You need to lube (with grease) the pivot points and the locking lug. It should loosen up with a few firings.

The top lever tab is certainly on both the small and short side. I've had several Chapuis top levers welded up to make a larger surface area, and it's a very dramatic improvement.

The top lever is cast, and it's not easy to weld. I had JJ do one (he told me not to send him another one and that he could have made a new one in the time it took him to fill all the pits from welding the cast part), and I've had Turnbull do them also. Turnbull does a good job, but you should expect to have some pin-hole pits in the finished product. Turnbull also has the ability to re-harden it in-house, and that can save you some time.

Here is a photo of a finished one with the larger tab.

As a matter of fact, this one shown is an extra that I have if anyone is interested in buying it.

I'll third that vote. Tetra Grease goes a long way to loosen up a double anything.

It is meant to be difficult to open! It is designed to "wear in" as it gets used. Just as a new Purdey, or Holland or Etc., etc. double shot gun will arrive with a top lever that goes not go all the way across when the thing is closed but will "bed in" as it is used.

My solution would be to open and shut the thing for fifty times a day or more for a week.

Hi Guys:

Thanks for all the answers and help as usual. First let me say I really like my Chapuis, even if the lever is sticking a bit. It was good to know that Cabelas gave me all those options if I wanted to pursue them.

I never intended to shorten the stock a bit until I put at least 50 rounds or so through it to find out how it really feels under recoil. And that I was not going to return the rifle because of malfunctions. It still fits me the best of all the double rifles I tried. It also feels the most natural, I do like the beavertail forearm, pluss it has beautiful wood. The triggers have absolutely no creep, but are a tad on heavy side as far as pull is concerned.

That being said, I didn't have any tetra greese, and I did try some gun oil the other day, but not on the hooks attached to the barrels. I gave everything a good shot with Brake Free and that helped alot with the stiff lever. I do believe it will loosen more when I start shooting it.

As always, thanks for the help. I need to shoot this puppy.

Regards... Jim P.

PAHunter

Break Free is one of my favorite lubes.
In a pinch on a double it is better than nothing, but doubles really need grease in all the right places.
Even when hunting in dusty conditions.

I just change it daily if necessary.

HI Ne450 No2:

Ok you da man, where do I get Tetra grease, please let me know.

Does Gander or Cabelas sell it with the gun oils?

Thanks for all your help.

Regards... Jim P.

Midwayusa.com has tetra grease.

I am unsure if Cabelas has Tetra Gun, but they usually do have Shooters Choice Synthentic High Tech Gun Grease, I use that 'stuff" and it is very good as well.

As stated above me the Chapuis will loosen after a few rounds, after that you will be hooked and start hunting for more doubles in European calibers.

I see a 9.3x74R in your future. :P

Edit: I believe Midway sells Tetra gun grease.

Edit2: Click me

Any good high temp, high pressure grease will do. Many auto parts stores or good hardware stores will have a grease rated for temp and pressure which will do. My favorite, because it stays where its put even in very hot climates, is a grease sold by Glock. Its a gold colored grease and marketed for their pistols. Works well on doubles. (But I really like Tetra too.)

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by JPK:
(But I really like Tetra too.)
JPK

+1

F2F:

Thanks for the link, I ordered the Tetra grease from Midway, along with two boxes of Woodleigh bullets, one hard, one soft.

I was going to order a RCBS trim die in 470 NE, they want $169 just for the fricken die. I ordered a new Forster "Classic" case trimmer instead, with correct collet for $108.00. This way I can spin my 50 caliber S&W brass on it also. By the time I ordered the parts needed to retro fit my original Forster, it would of cost something like $95.00..... Yeah well, that's the cost doing business with Big Bores.

Regards.. JimP.