How to fit a barrel (specific issue to my frame)

[Bayou Stalker]

I have a stainless .444 ultra that I need to adjust my barrel/frame fit.  I was going to send it off the H&R, but since they do not have any replacement barrels, I figured I would do it myself with some input from the experienced guys here.

Situation: My barrel was apparently fitted with some gunk on the barrel face that resembled dried thread locker.  I removed the gunk during a normal cleaning with some solvent and bam, instant loose barrel.  It moves and shakes even with the forearm attached.  I shimmed the barrel with a slice of beer can and it locked up tight, but the barrel was way off of center.  I had a missfire with a deer in my scope that could have been coincidence, but I lost trust in the current configuration.

My assumption/suspicion:  The barrel lug is not machined square to the lug pin, thus skewing the barrel face off center.

What needs to happen:  I need the barrel to lockup tight, and centered in the frame.

How to fix:  My guess is I need to file the lug half that is opposite of the side that is too close to the frame, then shim for the correct lockup tightness.  My other (less risky) idea was the shim the lug bar to center the barrel in the frame, then shim the lug for tightness.

Please, any input here is greatly appreciated.

Kendall

[quickdtoo]

Read the barrel fitting instructions in the FAQs, start to finish, it's all in there. 

Tim

[Bayou Stalker]

I went through it a couple times, but did not see any information about the barrel not centering in the frame.  I'll read them again when I get home.

[quickdtoo]

If the underlug isn't centered under the barrel, there's not much you can do except maybe bed the underlug in the frame, Fred's info covers that. Off center pin strikes are common, I wouldn't worry about that, I have several H&Rs that do that, they all shoot very well out of the box.

Tim

[AtlLaw]

Off center pin strikes are common,

Heck Tim! that pin strike is dead center compared to my 45-120!   

[paul63]

The pin strike on my 444 looks just like Tim's. Never had a miss fire.

[Bayou Stalker]

FYI, after 3 hammer snaps on the Hornady round and a nanny staring at me 40 yards away, I was able to reload and fill up the ice chest. 

[Bayou Stalker]

For those following this saga, The issue has been fixed!  Not wanting to chance H&R saying my barrel was unsafe and having to choose either a blued .444 or a stainless 45/70, I brought it to a friend with more skills and tools.  After tinkering with it for a while and taking a lot of measurements, it was determined that the underlug was not quite centered under the barrel.  Taking our time, we removed about .016 off of the left side of the underlug allowing the barrel to fit centered in the frame.  It now locks up tight and centered.

[PHATINJUN]

I like happy endings to love stories Kurt