Gunsmithing: Shotguns. Patrick Sweeney

      GUNSMITHING SHOTGUNS

      PATRICK SWEENEY

      ©2000 by Krause Publications

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper or electronically transmitted on radio or television.

      Published by

       krause publications

      700 East State St., Iola, WI 54990-0001

      eISBN: 978-1-44022-448-5

      715-445-2214

       www.krause.com

      Please, call or write us for our free catalog of antiques and collectibles publications. To place an order or receive our free catalog, call 800-258-0929. For editorial comment and further information, use our regular business telephone at [phone]

      Library of Congress Catalog Number: 00-104631

      ISBN: 0-87341-902-0

      Printed in the United States of America

      Acknowledgments

      Writing a book that consists of more than a collection of memoirs requires assistance. In the case of a book on gunsmithing, writing requires the help of other gunsmiths, the manufacturers and suppliers, and the forbearance of the editor. I would like to thank my fellow gunsmiths for their help through the years and on this book. I would also like to thank the manufacturers for their kind loan of shotguns, ammunition, tools and parts. As for my long-suffering editor, I hope that Kevin has found a 200-yard range at which to soothe his frustrations.

      Dedication

      I think it was H.L. Mencken who described writing as “… sitting at a typewriter and staring at a blank sheet of paper until beads of blood form on your forehead, fall off and form words.” I laughed the first time I read it. I didn't laugh the first time I found myself sitting at a typewriter at 2 a.m., unable to write anything worth sending off in the morning mail to make the deadline. That was in 1987. However, writing, and being a writer, are two different states. I will forever be in debt to Felicia for kicking me from writing to being a writer. I only thought I knew the language before reading what she can write, and for what she has done to improve my writing. Thanks, Felicia, “Had I a hat, off it would be.”

      The Author

      Patrick Sweeney lives in the Midwest, writing and teaching, and traveling to various exotic locales to shoot and teach. While many consider the job of a gun writer to be a dream come true, he just wants you to know that the grind of shooting mountains of ammunition, traveling to Paris to view the museum at Les Invalides (and stopping off in Liege to see the FN factory) are not as fun as they might seem. They are a lot more fun. Stay tuned for more episodes.

      Foreword

      If you've ever looked at a malfunctioning shotgun and said, “I can fix that,” this book is for you. If you've ever looked at an ugly shotgun and said, “I can spruce that up a bit,” keep reading. Gunsmith Patrick Sweeney has again added to the collective knowledge of hobby gunsmiths everywhere. Gunsmithing Shotguns, provides the insight and the details to give you the confidence to work on your own shotgun. Whether you hunt upland birds, waterfowl, turkey or deer, this book has something that will make your life easier. The same is true if you use your shotgun for competitive sport shooting. Sweeney's years of experience at the gunsmithing bench have been translated into easy-to-read text and augmented with clear, instructional photos. Read this book, practice the skills presented here and you will be able to work on your shotgun. Just that simple.

      Kevin Michalowski

      Firearms Book Editor

      Krause Publications.

      Table of Contents

       Chapter 1 History

       Chapter 2 Black Powder to Breechloaders

       Chapter 3 Tools, A Place, and Practice

       Chapter 4 Shotgun Types and Their Maintenance

       Chapter 5 Stocks and Woodworking

       Chapter 6 Chokes

       Chapter 7 Chamber, Forcing Cone and Bore

       Chapter 8 Insert Tubes and Smaller Gauges

       Chapter 9 Sights

       Chapter 10 Bluing

       Chapter 11 Trigger Work

       Chapter 12 The Winchester 1897

       Chapter 13 The Mossberg 500

       Chapter 14 Restoring a Double

       Chapter 15 The Remington 870

       Chapter 16 The Remington 1100 & 11-87

       Chapter 17 The Browning Auto-5

       Chapter 18 Building a Turkey Gun

       Chapter 19 Building a Deer Hunting Shotgun

       Chapter 20 Building a Shotgun for Practical Competition

       Chapter 21 Recoil Reduction

       Glossary

      Introduction

      The shotgun has been with us ever since somebody got the bright idea of using gunpowder to launch a projectile. Ever since then, we have been struggling with the same questions. How big? How heavy? How to make the damned thing hit where I want it to? When smoothbores were the only guns available, a lot of time and energy went into perfecting them. What a lot of shooters today don't realize is just how far those efforts went. We think of a muzzle-loading firearm as a curiosity, or another way to get more hunting time. It couldn't compare to a modern shotgun, rifle or handgun could it? Don't bet on it.

      A muzzle-loading rifle can be quite powerful, enough to handily kill any big