Adding barrel furniture
I am looking to make another Mauser in 404 Jeffery. I will use a 1935 Chilean Mauser for the doner action and Blackburn bottom metal. What is the best way to add barrel furniture (bb front sight, bb sling swivel, barrel recoil lug, and rear sight)? I was told that welding/soldering could make some changes in the accuracy potential of the barrel. Soldering/welding has been done for so long on english guns. Were the gunmakers more careful with their work than we are. The reason for this inquire is I have had a bb front sight loosen and fly off on a 9.3x62 before. Most of my later guns have integral furniture. That is a big headache if it doesn't work out properly.
08 July 2006, 18:44
Jim KobeTry Brownell's "Force 44" solder and their flux. Make sure you get a good flow of the solder. To be reasonably sure, I would also screw the added recoil lug in place.
Jim
08 July 2006, 18:56
Marc_StokeldI may be old fashioned, but I solder things on barrels. I use Brownell's Hi-Force 44 like Kobe mentioned. I also use a screw if it can be hidden, such as under a sight, or for the lug that is below the woodline, in the middle of the lug. Yes, it is possible to affect accuracy, but these are hunting rifles, not benchrest rigs. The only way to know if you affected accuracy would be to shoot the rifle with nothing attached, and then shoot it with stuff soldered on. If the person doing the soldering is knows what they are doing, then it won't affect the accuracy.
They are a lot of things that deserve more worry than soldering on a barrel. It is all a matter of context. It is one of those things that looks worse on paper than it is in reality.