Keel on Double Barrel--options for replacement?

[John in WI]

Hello folks,
I was just given a 20ga side by side. It's old, and the chokes won't handle steel shot anyway, so I'm kicking around making a "cowboy action" shotgun out of it. Cut down the barrel and stock. Leater recoil pad/shell holder (if I can find one in 20 gauge).

I've seen a couple homemade cut down shotguns, and they look terrible with that gaping hole between the barrels. I've heard of people using JB Weld to fill the space. Or, I was wondering, could I remove the original keel and reinstall it on the shortened barrel? Thanks for any info

[pmer]

Is it in good shape? What make is it?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I would think that JB Weld would be just about ideal for your proposed use. It's grey, which matches the gun's finish somewhat, and I think that it can even be had in black. It's squishy when first mixed, and using something like an ice cream stick you could squish a lot of it down into the hole. Should never have to worry about that coming apart!

DG

[G W Wade]

If by "keel: your talking about the under rib between the barrels? Why remove it. It is silver soldered in place to hold the barrels tight. Just cut everything off and square it up. Fill with JB Weld and smooth it up. Test the barrels off the gun by hanging loosely and tap the barrels lightly with something metal like a screwdriver. They should ring like a bell. If they do not , the barrels are separting and should be repaired or discarded (wall hanger). Have seen double barrels set up for cowboy action by reputable smiths with nothing plugging the gap. I like mine plugged. GW

[John Taylor]

I use solder to plug the gap.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
We have cut off several doubles and JB weld works great. Easy and strong. No failures yet on our oldest cut / JB fix from 15 years ago.
Never had anyone ask why the end looks different.

[KCSO]

Plug the hole with steel wool after cleaning, just a dab to hold the solder you will put in with a pencil torch, and finish out with a soldering iron. Or cut a steel plug and solder it in place. The trick here is CLEAN surfaces and a light touch with a pencil torch so you don't pop the ribs loose.

[2152hq]

A Keel in the muzzle end of a SxS betw the ribs and the bbls is actually a small piece of steel inserted into the opening to reinforce it.
That triangular piece (or pieces,,,one into the lower opening and another into the upper opening)) don't have to fit particularly great.

The pieces are tapered, 3 sided and you can quickly file them out of most any scrap soft steel. Sometimes you can hammer them to shape first and then clean them up with a file.
Taper them so they drop into the opening(s),,but leave them large enough so they are kept from dropping down below the surface of the muzzle.
You don't need much of any protruding out past the muzzle, just so there is some there.

Before soldering everthing together,,scrape the inside to the cavity on the bbls and ribs clean with a sharp thin knife blade.
The keel(s) should be clean from filing them to shape.

Tin the keels with soft solder. An electric soldering gun works the best here. No flame to over heat the metal and the solder flows easily onto the keels.
If you left them a bit long, they are easier to work with.

Now flux the inside of the cleaned bbl and rib surfaces.
Stuff a small ball of steel wool that has some flux on it down into the cavity(s)
Flux the tinned keels again and drop the keels into place in the end of the muzzle.
Push the keel(s) down as far as they will go which will push the steel wool ahead of them.

To solder everything together, you can lightly clamp the bbls from rib to rib and across the sides to make sure nothing comes loose.
Easy does it here. Too much pressure is no good.
Even a couple wire wraps is better than heavy clamps.

Now solder the muzzle up.
I use the electric soldering gun again.
Yes it has plenty of heat to do the muzzle IF you have a 200w gun.
The smaller units will not.

Using a torch, go slow and heat up the surface. Don't burn the flux and watch the tinned solder on the keels.
When that flows it will run and attach itself to the bbls and ribs.
It will also solder that steel wool ball in front of the keels to a solid mass and it to the keels, bbl and ribs so the solder doesn't just drain down the rib cavity.

The keels will drop and reposition themselves a small amt as the solder on them melts and flows. At that time, remove the heat & add some wire solder to complete filling the joint .

When cooled off file the excess keel matr'l off and down to the muzzle. File and polish the muzzle making sure it's square.
The bbl's being slightly tapered are not a good place to check 'square' off of.
Give the edge of the bbls at the muzzle a very slight break to clean up any sharp edge but keep it even all the way around.

So it goes for replacing 'Keels' and re-soldering up a SxS muzzle.

Takes about as long to type it out as it does to complete.