"Bubba" Showed Up: Gun Damaged In The Shop

[Hang Fire]

I have an old Ithaca single shot 12 ga. My plan was to take the rib off the barrel and install a scope mount. I have a nice little spot for deer hunting that will never have a shot over 35/40 yards. I thought I would build a slug gun and if it didn't sling slugs accurately, I would stoke it with 3" 00 buckshot. A nice little 2x scope and we would be in business. Cheap gun, parts on hand a little shop time. What could go wrong?

Well, I got it all set up and had the depth stop set on the drill press. Somehow the stop slipped and on the second and a third hole I broke through to the chamber. Grrrrrrr.

Is it possible to plug those holes somehow and safely fire the gun again or am I totally hosed?

Bill

Just me, but I would D&T, put in a plug screw, dress it flush and shoot shot shells without a qualm.

[Hang Fire]

Have you got a fireplace to hang it over? I wouldn`t want to take the risk of firing it either. Saw a similar thing happen to a nice 870 Rem. by a "professional `smith. He was mounting a cantalever base on the barrel and drilled thru the chamber twice. Worse yet he actually mounted the mount with screws that projected into the chamber! If we had`nt seen this poor guy trying to chamber shells in that gun and then stopped him when we saw the problem - who knows what might have happened. I understand there was a spirited conversation with the gunshop owner about this, a new barrel and cash refund prevented a lawsuit.Robert

We are looking at shotgun shot shell pressures, not .308 60,000 psi rifle pressures.

10 gauge 11,000
12 gauge 11,500 (except 3-1/2 in.)
12 gauge 3 1/2 in.14,000
16 gauge 11,500
20 Gauge 12,000
28 gauge 12,500
.410 Bore 2 1/2 in. 12,500
.410 Bore 3 in. 13,500

Smokeless powder shot shells operate at considerably lower pressure than most muzzleloaders with black powder. Would bet C&B revolvers with six screw in percussion nipples looking shooter in the eye, operate at same or higher pressure than a modern shotshell generates.

So I guess everyone with a caplock muzzeloader of any sort, better hurry up real quick and throw their barrels into the garbage.

[Hang Fire]

Put in a fudge factor and say the shotgun is operating at 15,000 psi, force is caculated by diameter and the pressure operating on it.

Say the screw is a 8-32 with a diameter of 0.164", just off the top of my head, I calculate the force being exerted on the 8-32 screw is around 1,200 pounds.