Barrel to Frame Gap on Break Open Guns

C

ckpj99

New member
I'm trying to understand barrel to frame gap on break open guns.

From what I understand a little gap is generally fine (maybe even expected?).

I recently bought a H&R Buffalo Classic in 45/70. It's was used, but LNIB. I've put about 20 rounds through it. It's surprisingly accurate with my reloads, which were originally developed for another gun.

It locks up tight. I've sort of fallen in love with the gun already.

That being said, there is a small gap between the barrel and recoil shield/frame/whatever-you-want-to-call it when you close the gun.

Is this a big problem? Will it cause the gun to wear faster?
 
Break opens

I have some experience with the NEF/H&R and Savage 24s. The only problems
with the NEF was the forearm bushing. They are prone to come off,this usually
happens in just a few rounds. If it is bad weld job it comes off, if not stays on forever, this is true in all calibre and gauges. Having said that I have never had trouble with headspace in low pressure cartridges, 45/70 44mg even 30/30.
I did have to return several in 243 & 270. They were busting primers and throwing fire & smoke. The savage 24 with 223 barrel on top of shotgun was
the worst for this. It was so bad I quit selling them and refunded customers
money when they brought them in with complaints. The distributor I was buying
them from was making it good with his dealers. I "think" metal in NEF will take
the pressure, the gap is just design. The Savage reciever is soft, it will actually
get worse with use.
 
I have a Thompson Center Encore which is a break-open. There should be a bit of a gap. As long as the action locks and there's no excessive headspace it should be fine.

I shoot 270 Win. to 375 H&H Mag with that gun with no problems.
 
Gap?

Gap? What gap? How much of a gap are we talking about? I have a dozen break open guns...shotguns, rifles, pistols.....there is no observable gap on any of them.
I just checked two break open guns - a BT-99 and a T/C Contender (two barrels) - there is no observable gap to be seen when the gun is closed.
A gap between the standing breech and the barrel means that the barrel is "off the face" ....this is not normal. Firing a cartridge "off the face" allows the case to stretch so as to fill the space between the barrel and the standing breech. Case stretching at the head of the case will eventually cause case head failure (if you reload the cases). As to the gun itself...have you ever heard of a crack getting smaller?
Pete
 
A quality break action gun should close hard on a piece of tissue paper, if at all. A gap there is known as being "off the face" and is a sign of wear or low quality.
 
The important question is - does the gap affect the head space of the gun? AKA does the gap also exist between the cartridge and the breech face? Take an unprimered case, load firmly, and cock. Then insert a feeler gage. If you can't get in between case and breech face, you're good. If the gap is all the way down you have a head space issue, and I would consider the gun unsafe.
 
First, we need to understand that the barrels swing down, so there has to be some clearance at the standing breech in order to do that; barrels that fitted the breech tightly could not open. Very precisely fitted double guns have the breech slightly concave and the barrels slightly convex, so they are arcs of a circle centered on the hinge pin. But you don't get that kind of fitting for $19.95 (which is what an H&R or IJ single barrel shotgun cost when I started working in a gun shop. So there has to be some gap to allow the gun to function.

As long as the gap is small and does not increase, there probably is no problem.

Jim
 
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