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Thread: Chiappa barrel fit issue

  1. #1
    melnic is offline
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    Chiappa barrel fit issue

    OK,
    So I thought I was chasing a minie ball issue this past few weeks but I think I found something that is having an effect on my groups.
    This week, I took my first shot and it was centered up horizontally perfect. Then shots were all over the place. After a cease fire, The next shot looked pretty good horizontally then went all over the place again.
    Well, when putting the barrel back together after cleaning, I normally would tighten the tang screw up AFTER the barrel bands were put on. Last night, I tightened up the tang and noticed the muzzle rise up.
    This is a Kit I build (traditions kit) and I think the barrel fit at the breach is not correct.
    Just see what was going on, I stuck a piece of brass sheet past the tang to keep the barrel from rising up when tightening up the tang. 2 pics before the shim and 1 after.
    How do I mark the high spot in the breech area to sand down? any tricks?
    Also, are there any prefered methods to getting the barrel fit into the stock decent?
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  2. #2
    John Holland is offline Moderator
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    Personally, I think the best solution is to glass bed the entire barrel.
    Last edited by John Holland; 04-09-2019 at 07:58 PM.

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    Charlie Hahn is offline
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    Here is what to look for before you do anything. The barrel should be down on the bolster, and be laying down in the barrel channel. As it is right now determine if the bands are equally tight or one is tighter than the other. I would expect the barrel touches the area between the bands and has a gap under the breech. You can check this by putting a small ball of clay in the stock and press the barrel down until the bolster seats in the lock and the rear band can be slid on. Carefully remove the barrel and see how thick the clay is. This will let you know the barrel channel is too large in the breech area, and verify this is the issue. Once this is confirmed you should prepare the barrel channel so there is bare wood, and then glass the unit from tang to muzzle.

    Charlie Hahn

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    melnic is offline
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    Quote Originally Posted by Charlie Hahn View Post
    Here is what to look for before you do anything. The barrel should be down on the bolster, and be laying down in the barrel channel. As it is right now determine if the bands are equally tight or one is tighter than the other. I would expect the barrel touches the area between the bands and has a gap under the breech. You can check this by putting a small ball of clay in the stock and press the barrel down until the bolster seats in the lock and the rear band can be slid on. Carefully remove the barrel and see how thick the clay is. This will let you know the barrel channel is too large in the breech area, and verify this is the issue. Once this is confirmed you should prepare the barrel channel so there is bare wood, and then glass the unit from tang to muzzle.

    Charlie Hahn
    Thx for the advice.
    What do you mean by "the barrel should be down on the bolster"?

  5. #5
    Charlie Hahn is offline
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    sorry, the bolster should be down in the lock.

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    melnic is offline
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    Quote Originally Posted by Charlie Hahn View Post
    sorry, the bolster should be down in the lock.

    I read an article today by Bill Curtis referenced by many others where is says the bolster should NOT touch the lock.

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    John Holland is offline Moderator
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    The lock provides the physical support for the bolster. Imagine having no support under the bolster as the hammer hits the nipple with quite a few pounds of force! That condition will eventually cause the barrel to "cant" to the right as the consistent hammer blows force the bolster downwards.

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    melnic is offline
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    I think I see my first bedding project is in my future.
    While getting enough shim to make it so that the barrel does not rise up, the center of the barrel is making so little contact with the stock that I can bounce it about a mm or more.

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    John Bly is offline
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    We use a spotting agent when inletting a barrel or parts. There is a commercial carbon black product available from Brownells or Track of the Wolf. You can also use Prussian blue or some of your wife's lipstick that she no longer uses. Mix it with oil and brush a thin coating on the barrel. Set the barrel in the stock by hand and remove it to see the spots of contact. Remove the high spots and try again. I takes multiple tries to get a good fit. Be sure to remove the spotting agent after bedding the barrel. I would suggest glass bedding it after getting it to fit better. Clean any oil from the stock with Acetone before glass bedding. Be sure not to tighten the tang screw tight when glass bedding it or you will still have the same problem.

    There are two schools of thought on having the bolster contacting the lock. One claims no contact at all results in better accuracy. Others say it makes no difference if the barrel is bedded correctly. I tend to go with the latter

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    Quote Originally Posted by John Holland View Post
    The lock provides the physical support for the bolster. Imagine having no support under the bolster as the hammer hits the nipple with quite a few pounds of force! That condition will eventually cause the barrel to "cant" to the right as the consistent hammer blows force the bolster downwards.
    Dang this is good!

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