Author Topic: A removable shim idea. (unaltered barrel)  (Read 1509 times)

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Offline thejanitor

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A removable shim idea. (unaltered barrel)
« on: September 16, 2010, 05:00:33 PM »
This is a method for shimming with no permanant altering on a barrel. This is visible with the forearm removed the amount you see is up to you when you cut the shim.
 I tried to JB a little piece of feeler guage into the pivot point to remove the side to side play in a Handi I have owned since it was new. (but I couldn't get it to stay in the right place) I have a few Handis but all have their own reciever. This is an idea I had that many of you may find amusing, but I don't want to alter a barrel in case I want to sell it later so here is what I did. I do have pics I may try to load but will be happy to email out if you want to pm me.
I used feeler guages to find how much play there was and then took a whole feeler and made a "U" shape over the hinge pin open side toward the muzzle, put the barrel on pinning the shim it into place and checked for play. After again determining which guage fit best I took the barrel back off and cleaned the area with rubbing alcohol to remove any grease, I sanded the part of the feeler guage that was going to be touching the under barrel (about an inch sticks out from the reciever and will be siliconed to thebottom of the barrel)
I then also cleaned that... And replaced it on the hinge pin, then replaced the barrel. The barrel holds it tight in place but the feeler is narrower than the hinge so it was a temporary trial. I put a gob of silicone between the barrel and the feeler guage touching ONLY the round under barrel and the feeler (The end I placed on the top of the hinge pin was the end with the hole so the silicone made a mushroom like rivet through the hole that used to hold the feeler guage in the original guage set.)
I went and shot the gun after it set up over night, all went well, SO tonight I removed the test feeler guage and cut a piece of .004 shim stock to fit the whole width of the hinge pin and almost as long as the feeler guage, rounded the corners and poked some little holes to hold the silicone like the hole did on the test piece. I don't know how many shots it will hold up for but I bought a roll of 100" .004 shim stock so what ever happens it won't be hard to just re-shim if it doesn't last, but I figure as long as the barrel is not removed it will stay just fine. And if I ever decide to sell the barrel I just peel off the silicone and it is a unaltered barrel. It may not be THE answer for everyone but it has potential for those of us who really do not want to alter a barrel.  Now if the shelf needs stoned down that is a different story but mine didn't need that modification. But I do see where the feeler guage did touch against the plastic spacer under the forearm, so will relieve that by .008. Or remove some of the excess sticking foreward on the bottom of the "U" that is not attached to the barrel.
I know you won't all agree with it, but I do belive it will work for me.  Just another perspective.
thejanitor

Offline quickdtoo

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Re: A removable shim idea. (unaltered barrel)
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2010, 05:03:29 PM »
Thanks, I added it to the barrel fitting page.  ;)

Tim
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Offline thejanitor

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Re: A removable shim idea. (unaltered barrel)
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2010, 05:07:18 PM »
I did an edit about not getting the shim right with JB, so I may have done that after you posted, sorry. thejanitor

Offline Smokin Joe

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Re: A removable shim idea. (unaltered barrel)
« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2010, 05:41:40 PM »
"Shoe Goo" works very well, too. Let it set up overnight.





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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: A removable shim idea. (unaltered barrel)
« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2010, 06:18:08 PM »
I did an edit about not getting the shim right with JB, so I may have done that after you posted, sorry. thejanitor

I added a link, so anyone wanting to read it will be directed to this thread.

Tim


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Offline bikerbeans

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Re: A removable shim idea. (unaltered barrel)
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2010, 10:44:35 AM »
thejanitor,

Method works, I have done (3) shims on my Handis in a similiar fashion except I don't have the shim sticking out of the front of the receiver.  I have done nothing to glue the shims in place and they stay put.  Only thing is remembering which guns have these shims when you pull the barrel off so you don't lose them.  Also need to be careful when reinstalling the barrel to make sure the shim stays centered.  The one shim is 0.007" and has been in a 270 win. for couple of hundred rounds without a problem.  Also shimmed a Huntsman 50 cal and 223 Ultra this way.  I cut the shim off just above where the thickness is marked on the shim.

BB
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Offline thejanitor

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Re: A removable shim idea. (unaltered barrel)
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2010, 01:59:09 PM »
I am glad to hear it works for a long time.... Now that I have a 99 inch roll of .004 shim stock left over...  :-[
PM me if you need .004 or .005 steel shim stock.

Offline rdlange

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Re: A removable shim idea. (unaltered barrel)
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2010, 08:04:00 PM »
OK, so I got the feeler gauge from Harbor Freight.  The shims are about 3/32" narrower than the barrel lug.  Now what?  Do I need to find another gauge with wider blades?
Think as if you LIFE depends on it... IT does..!  Be Well...

Offline bikerbeans

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Re: A removable shim idea. (unaltered barrel)
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2010, 12:16:58 AM »
I haven't had a problem using the shim stock that is narrower than the lug pivot. 

BB
RIP Tom: Tom Nolan, ( bikerbeans) passed away this afternoon (02-04-2021).

Why be difficult, when with a little extra effort you can be impossible?

Wife's Handis;  300 BLKOUT

MINE:  270W, 308x444, 44 Bodeen, 410 shorty rifled slug gun, 445 SuperMag Shikari, 45 ACP shorty,  45-70 Shikari, 45 Cal Smokeless MZ, 50cal 24" SS Sidekick, 50 cal 24" Huntsman, 50 cal 26" Huntsman, 50 cal 26" Sidekick, 50-70 Govt Shikari, Tracker II 20 ga shorty, 20 ga VR Pardner, 20ga USH, 12ga VR NWTF, 12ga Tracker II shorty WITHOUT scope, 12ga USH, 10 ga  Pardner Smoothbore slug gun & 24ga Profino Custom rifled slug gun.

Offline thejanitor

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Re: A removable shim idea. (unaltered barrel)
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2010, 07:40:25 PM »
From what I found in my search there was no wide blade feeler. Standard feelers works for most every body here, I just couldn't get the piece I cut to stay in the groove quite where it was supposed to while I "C" clamped it all together. And trying to re-adjust it even after a minute the JB was setting up and I could't re-adjust it. The standard feeler may work very well for you. I just felt like I had 10 thumbs while trying to clamp it.
I don't want to change how most people have done it, I just posted so in the off chance there were others like me who after un-sticking the JB weld before it fully cured, choose not to make such a permanant fix. I did use a feeler guage for my initial test and it worked great (see the top picture in the first post), But in the stickies they cut it and turn it sideways to fit the groove width, I was worried that in time the way I had the feeler guage (the skinny way in the picture) would wear the barrel and/or action in a bad way and cause harm. It may never happen but I didn't want to find out.
thejanitor

Offline gcrank1

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Re: A removable shim idea. (unaltered barrel)
« Reply #10 on: September 19, 2010, 08:11:14 AM »
Feeler guages are hardened (thus brittle) to resist wear in their intended purpose. It would be good to anneal (soften) it before trying to clamp it in place and get it to take the bend.
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