Barrel replacement services update!

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by ithacaartist

Or you could drive down between the lakes and we can do it at my shop...

I doubt there is enough beer in Mecklenburg for that...

In the far past, I have done some silver-soldering, but I am 50 years out of practice and don't want to mess up a costly project, mine or someone else's. I also don't have the tools to hold a sight band in place (so it doesn't slip when the solder starts to run). Brownell's does sell such a tool, but really, I have a cabinet full of jigs, fixtures, and specialty tools that were used once or twice and never touched again.

[Olle]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

I also don't have the tools to hold a sight band in place (so it doesn't slip when the solder starts to run).

I can't see why the band would slip...? If the barrel is turned down, it will have a shoulder as a positive stop. Just heat it, solder it and tap it lightly while it's still hot to make sure that it's all the way home. If you're worried about the indexing, keep in mind that it's very easy to adjust by simply heating it again.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Olle

I can't see why the band would slip...?

You can't have it both ways...It's either a slip fit or an interference fit. And back when I did do brazing/silver-soldering, parts did move when heated & the solder/braze flowed. Sometimes parts would fall off.

I might be able to make up a 'clamp' out of a clothes pin spring, a piece of rod stuck in the bore, and another rod or strip bent to hold the band in place...Maybe even a big alligator clip...

But that's not my biggest misgiving. I did get a roll of Silvaloy, a jar of UltraFlux, and some soldering talc sticks from my last Brownell's order. I've had braze flow where I don't want it. Back in the day, I used 'Bear Snot' to keep solder from running on elevator cables, when we soldered steel ferrules on the ends (1" steel woven cable). But I don't have any anymore.

G.T. sent me a Luger barrel to practice on. I'll give it a try sometime soon. It's old and corroded, like they all are, maybe that'll help keep the solder from spreading.

[Olle]

Originally Posted by Rick W.

Hard silver solder is in the 1200F range, there are some folks that are a little touchy about using such on a barrel. High strength to be sure, but takes some skill that only comes with lots of experience. Everyone has to be at ease with what they are doing.

For us average garage guys, Brownells has a world of intermediate strength silver type solders. Some are offered in paste form, smallish coils, even thin ribbon(nice for ramps for some). Their two versions of HiForce 44 flow at much lower temperatures than hard silver solder and are quite strong.

I use Hi-Force 44, it's plenty strong enough for most applications. I would think that even regular plumbing solder will do in this particular case, capillary soldering makes a pretty strong bond. Personally, I would not even consider use hard silver solder. 1200F is when steel starts glowing red and I don't want to do that with a gun barrel. I'm sure it's ok in a professional shop where heating and cooling can be controlled, but that's not really the case in my basement...

[Olle]

Originally Posted by Rick W.

I agree the HiForce 44 product is ok. I also think that the Loctite 620 is ok in specific applications; both are just my own opinions. The 620 is certainly easy to use and clean up; but with some care, the other(44) is as well. Both so far have been good to me in my limited applications with high power rifle banded front sights and some simplistic Luger front sights.

I would feel entirely comfortable with this type of Loctite, Acraglas (which is commonly use to install barrel liners) or any high-strength adhesive. The only drawback is that once it's there, it's pretty much there forever. The solder is easy to reheat if you need to adjust.

Originally Posted by sheepherder

This part is the easy part. Getting the front sight at 12:00 o'clock is the hard part.

That's why I made that leveling block i showed in this thread: http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=30581 . I put the barrel in a receiver, then I used a level on the receiver and the block and adjusted until they were level. I had already tinned the parts so the fit was snug enough to hold the band in the right position until I got it soldered. Let me know if you want to borrow the block, it's just sitting there in a drawer anyway.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Olle

That's why I made that leveling block i showed in this thread: http://forum.lugerforum.com/showthread.php?t=30581 .

I had forgotten that you had posted a barrel shortening thread already...But since all your pics are on Tinypic.com, they'll soon be lost anyway...

I hadn't considered making a little jig like that...My barrel bands have slight dimensional differences...large differences in the case of 'pencil' profile barrels (which I like)...