Rebarreling a Blue Ridge

[CoyoteJoe]

Rebarreling a Blue Ridge rifle part 1
Often I see posts from people looking for a “drop-in” barrel for a certain rifle for which no factory made item is available. Anyone who can build a rifle from a kit can very easily replace a barrel. That provides an easy way to replace a bad barrel or secure a barrel of different caliber. In the case of half-stock rifles one can even change barrel length or install a barrel half-round and tapered from the forend cap forward. With full stock guns one is of course limited to replacing the barrel with another of the same length and diameter but otherwise full stocks are a bit easier since there is no ramrod rib and thimbles to deal with.
The Pedersoli Blue Ridge presents a couple of problems unique to that rifle so I thought I’d add some photos to the story. The first unique issue is the breechplug tang. We mostly see tangs the same width as the top flat of the barrel. That makes a very fragile tang, easily bent and broken at the screw hole because very little metal is left on either side of the hole. If you have a rifle with such a skinny tang be sure to protect it when ever it is out of the stock. I applaud Pedersoli for a great improvement in strength even though a bit unconventional in appearance.

Here we see the Pedersoli tang beside the conventional tang of my new Rice barrel. In the past I have widened tangs to match the stock inlet by soldering brass or steel inserts on each side and shaping the tang to fit the stock mortise. This time I decided to use the tang from a Pedersoli barrel I had left from a previous rebarrel job.
First I sawed the tang free of the plug as seen below.

I then filed the bottom of the tang as flat as could be from end to end. I then cut the tang from the Rice barrel plug in a similar fashion and filed the stub as flat and level as I could get it and to such depth that the Pedersoli tang set atop the stub was just a hair below the level of the top flat. A hair below level to leave some room for the silver solder ribbon which will join the two parts.

I then reinstalled the Rice breechplug to the index marks on the bottom flat and coated the stub and new tang with flux. I cut a small strip from the Brownells silver solder ribbon and clamped the two parts securely with the ribbon of solder between. Using an acetylene torch I then heated the parts together to a dull red and watched the solder flow.
After cooling I filed off a bit of excess silver solder and flux and it looked like this.

Next step will be dealing with the odd ball method of barrel to stock attachment but than can wait a few days, right now I need to be shooting my new smoothrifle.

 

[rafterob]

I thought you said "easily". I have built a few kits and one rifle from parts but I never had to do anything that hard.

 

[tx50cal]

Never done that one. Will the silver solder hold up after many shots? I guess it might depend on the caliber. A smaller bore would have less recoil. Then again if it is inleted good at the rear of the plug that should take care of that problem. Keep us up to date on the project. What size barrel are you using for this project.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I thought you said "easily". I have built a few kits and one rifle from parts but I never had to do anything that hard.

I probably spent more time with the photos and write-up than with hacksaw and files. :haha:
Bear in mind I did say this particular rifle, the Blue Ridge, presents some unique problems not generally encountered on all rifles. Most don't require the use of an acetylene torch.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Never done that one. Will the silver solder hold up after many shots? I guess it might depend on the caliber. A smaller bore would have less recoil. Then again if it is inleted good at the rear of the plug that should take care of that problem. Keep us up to date on the project. What size barrel are you using for this project.

I'm replacing the original Pedersoli 13/16" barrel with a Rice barrel of the same diameter.
There should be no recoil stress on the tang, that would lead to stock splitting. The inlet for the tang should always be slightly relieved at the rear so that recoil thrust rides on the rear of the barrel inlet, the tang only holding the barrel down. I always glass bed the area where the barrel butts up to the wood because I am just not a good enough wood worker to be sure I get full contact without the glass. :haha:

 

[ohio ramrod]

Also the way the joint fits the tang is pulling into the breech plug so that the joint would be in compression not tension. Brazed joints are much stronger in compression than tension!While I myself do not like brazed joints I believe this would have ample safety. :idunno:

 

[CoyoteJoe]

When we use a tang the same width as the top flat the #8 screw very nearly severs it in two, just a thin bit of steel is left on each side of the hole and that is not very thick from top to bottom either. Such a tang is very delicate. I've received several barrels shipped to me to have work done and I've seen some bent or broken at the screw hole. I have far more confidence in the Pedersoli tang even brazed together than in the flimsy tang which came installed on the barrel.
If you ever need to ship a barrel with breechplug installed do for sure tape a block of wood under the tang so that the wood hits the bottom of the container rather than the tang.

 

[tx50cal]

Good info. Never really thought much about the glass bedding. I might do it on my next build that I am doing a barrel replacement on.