Gentlemen, I am in the proceww of installing a barrel band sling swivel on my .375 H&H. In order to install the band, I need to remove the band front sight on my CZ550. My buddy recnetly had the barrel shortened on his CZ and sent me the barrel stub with fron sight band intact. A propane torch did not provide wnough heat to soften the silver solder for removal of the band. This morning I tried the oxy acetylene torch. I had to bring the band and ramp to a black red in order to remove the sight band. Based on other posts I am concerned about the efect of this high temperature on the barrel. Is there any tips you can pass on for protecting the rifled bore? I can turn down a rod to act as a heat sink, and use insulating cement to protect the bore. Option two would be to cut off the barrel behind the ramp and install a scerw on ramp and sight, recrown the barrel etc. I would like to maintain the current barrel lenght and reuse the banded front sight if possible. Note that on the re-install, I would plan to use soft solder or epoxy to monnt the sight and swivel bands, your advice with thee CZ front band would be appreciated!

As long as you don't quench the barrel when it's hot you won't have any problems; just let it cool on it's own. Protect the bore from scaling with heat-stop paste or similar. Gunsmiths have used silver solders for a long time.

Te reinstall consider a silver-tin solder which melts at much lower temps...the one I use melts at 460F.

I would maybe contact CZ direct for advice on this. The alternative, as you have another band, would be to cut off the ramp on your barrel and turn the remaining band off in a lathe.

However I am sure I have seen ONE PIECE very springy barrel bands (like on the No4 Lee Enfield). They act like a metal Pac Man and "open and shut" like a Pac Man mouth. That can be prised wide enough apart to go over the barrel then be fixed in place with no need to remove the front sight at all.

I just did one on a 416 rigby that had the front band ramp already on and I did not want to remove it. What I did was take a Talley band swivel base and cut the top 40% off, reshaped it and soldered it on with Brownell's Force 44 solder.

John is correct, high temp silver solder has been used successfully on guns for many years. The key is to protect the bore from scale. In the old days smiths used a mixture of sperm oil and lamp black smeared on the bore. Now the same thing can be accomplished with heat paste or simply putting a hardwood dowel of appropriate diameter in the bore, the resulting smoke prevents oxygen from reaching the bore's surface thus preventing scale.

After saying all that, I think Jim Kobe's method is the most practical in your situation. And if Jim did it you can be assured it looks good.

cz front sights aint clamped down JUST to solder.. they are DANG TIGHT .. i think they go on nearly red hot and the barrel is tinned ..

Tom taught me to use a chunk of mesquite and tap it along...

however, while you are there, consider shortening and recrowning at 23"

Gentlemen,
Thanks for all the good ideas! I appreciate the sugestions and will sleep on the advice. I`ll advise you as to how this project turns out!
It`s great to have this forum as a resurce to keep an amature like me out of trouble!
Thanks again.

quote:

Originally posted by Craftsman:
John is correct, high temp silver solder has been used successfully on guns for many years. The key is to protect the bore from scale. In the old days smiths used a mixture of sperm oil and lamp black smeared on the bore. Now the same thing can be accomplished with heat paste or simply putting a hardwood dowel of appropriate diameter in the bore, the resulting smoke prevents oxygen from reaching the bore's surface thus preventing scale.

After saying all that, I think Jim Kobe's method is the most practical in your situation. And if Jim did it you can be assured it looks good.

There is another trick worth mentioning; due to the high heat necessary for the silver solder to flow, it will cause the bore to corrode somewhat. To prevent that, when using the silver solder, flood the bore with an inert gas like Argon. Plug one end and flood the bore with your tig torch. The argon is heavier than the oxygen that causes the scale and will force that out.

What effect does the silver solder work have on the bluing??