Barrel to frame fit oddity

[trotterlg]

Tonight I was setting up to test fire the PD Rifle Door Prize barrel and the 32-20 barrel.  I have a setup I use with a SB1 frame bolted to a 2X4 that I set sand bags on and cover it with shot bags over the chamber area, I fire it in the basement under ground into 4X4's backed by phone books and finally a concrete block by pulling a string.  I also have another frame with a stock on it I use to fit the forearms etc.  This is the odd part now.  The PD rifle barrel locks up on the frame with the stock on it with the release lever nearly at the top of it's travel.  It is still perfectly tight, but very close to being at the top of the lever travel.  The 32-20 barrel will not lock up on this frame at all, just too long to latch any.  When I put them on the test frame bolted to the 2X4 the PD rifle barrel actucally has slightly more travel left in the release lever than the 32-20 barrel has which would tell me that the PD rifle barrel is slightly longer.  It seems to me that the length from the barrel, breach to the hinge pin, is not everything when it comes to lock up, these two barrels exhibit very different qualities depending on what frame they are on.  There must be some other dimensional differences in the Handi frames that cause the difference in lockups.  Larry

[GregP42]

Larry,

I had one that was the right length, but the latch to top of the barrel height was different. But you can just box up that troublesome 32-20 barrel and send it to me! 

Greg

[krod47nw]

Larry,
the distance between the breech and the hingepin really have nothing to do with lock up.  The latch shelf configuration is what effects the lockup.  The distance between the breech and the pin determine how much side to side movement after lockup.  If the barrel closes tight with no gap at the top and does not latch, it is not that the barrel is too long, it is the latch shelf is too high.

Kevin

[trotterlg]

It seems most of the barrel fitting has to do with the hinge pin area on the lug being filed or shimmed.  You guys must be right, there is a lot more to fit than just the hing pin.  Larry

[quickdtoo]

Then you throw in a misaligned latch pin or underlug that's not square under the barrel and things get complicated!! Hopefully the improvements being made in the new plant will solve those issues making the barrels and frames more of a one size fits all.

Tim

[Rustyinfla]

    What would really be nice would be if they would make the Handis so they could swap barrels just like a Contender. No fitting. then they'd sell like gang busters.

[quickdtoo]

I dunno if they'll ever get there, but it certainly would be nice!! 

Tim

[OSOK]

Surely an improvement in machinery would quickly pay for itself versus paying the man hours spent now in hand fitting each and every barrel. I would be much more likely to order more barrels if I didn't have to send my gun in every time.

[STUMPJMPR]

I think its probably still cheaper for the factory to fit a barrel instead of a buying new machinery.... A standard NC milling machine will probably cost 100,000 dollars or so... With those machines being built special for a specific task your looking at probably alot more money.... They pay a guy I would estimate $20 an hour and a well trained craftsman probably has the barrel fit and assembled in 15 minutes or less using appropriate fixtures.... I figure another 5miues to test fire.... With shipping included it cost the factory less than $20 to fit your barrel and you paid for the labor and shipping somewhere in the price..

[Chas.]

I have never understood why such things as the close-tolerance needle bearings for a high-reving outboard are field-replaceable, and have been for years; but single-shot barrels, which have been made for a hundred years, are not. 

Maybe these barrels are being made with machinery that's a also a hundred years old.

If it's a legal issue, a simple disclaimer would alleviate that.