Last weekend, shooting sporting clays for a Boy Scout fundraiser, my wife's shotgun failed to automatically select the second barrel (top), for the 2nd shot a few times. Given they're about 15-20 years old, I'm guessing the trigger, barrel selector, etc. needs attention (clean & lube).

Is this something somebody reasonably talented with tools can handle, or leave it to a pro?

I imagine there are a lot of fiddly little parts in there.

I once had a model TSS (trap shotgun), its was many years ago. If i recall it wasn't terribly hard to change the leaf springs, do a thorough cleaning and even to replace the selector rods etc.

I used to shoot Trap a lot when we still had the Miramar facility here in San Diego. At one point I sent the shotgun in for a total overhaul/tuneup to Guns Unlimited in Omaha. They were awesome. They did a beautiful job and the price was very reasonable. You might give them a call.

quote:

Originally posted by m.tenenhaus:
I once had a model TSS (trap shotgun), its was many years ago. If i recall it wasn't terribly hard to change the leaf springs, do a thorough cleaning and even to replace the selector rods etc.

Unfortunately, I've been able to find exactly zilch on-line about detailed take-down/strip/cleaning/lube.

Dropped a message to SKB a couple three days ago. Nothing heard yet.

It's kind of annoying. I expect to be able to perform my own routine maintenance on all my own firearms.

quote:

Originally posted by m.tenenhaus:
At one point I sent the shotgun in for a total overhaul/tuneup to Guns Unlimited in Omaha. They were awesome. They did a beautiful job and the price was very reasonable. You might give them a call.

Might maybe. First I'll check with a local place that's been around so long they were the ones that built my dad's .30-06 hunting rifle from a surplus 1903A3.

Thanks for the lead.

I know this isn't perfect and its in Japanese but it shows you the major components of the SKB.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkrxyg6KMNw

quote:

Originally posted by m.tenenhaus:
I know this isn't perfect and its in Japanese but it shows you the major components of the SKB.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkrxyg6KMNw

Thanks!

Encouraged by that, I did some more research. It seems O/U shotguns are more-or-less mostly alike. Found "Episode 115: Cleaning an Over Under Shotgun - Part One" and "Episode 116: Cleaning an Over Under Shotgun - Part Two."

Then took a look at Step One of Part 2: Removing the butt pad. On my wife's shotgun that'll be no problem. The screw holes are readily visible. (And have been abused.)

On mine: No such luck. Butt pad is a Pachmayr "Old English" butt pad. Everything I've read says I should be able to find a pair of tiny slits in the butt pad, one about 1-1/2" from the top and the other about 1" from the bottom. Nope. I even put on a pair of high-magnification inspection lenses and went over the centerline of the thing, from top to bottom, pressing outward both side-to-side and up-and-down.

So I've no idea how to get my butt pad off.

i've had some screw access slits that were well camouflaged but they've always been along the midline axis of the pad. Try applying a little soapy water to the surface of the pad and then run a phillips head screwdriver down the middle of the pad from top to bottom slowly. i bet you'll find the little slits.

quote:

Originally posted by m.tenenhaus:
i've had some screw access slits that were well camouflaged but they've always been along the midline axis of the pad.

All I can say is they did a fine job of camouflaging them, then. Because the magnification of the lenses I used yesterday is so high the focal distance is about >< far away.

quote:

Originally posted by m.tenenhaus:
Try applying a little soapy water to the surface of the pad and then run a phillips head screwdriver down the middle of the pad from top to bottom slowly. i bet you'll find the little slits.

I'll give it a go. Thanks for the idea.

I've got something even better than a Phillips-head screwdriver, though: Fids. Think of them as being like very large, very blunt sewing needles They're used in rope splicing.

I have owned several of these guns. I know enough about them to not screw with the internals myself. If you need a gunsmith I suggest sending it over to Doug's Gunsmith Shop in MN, he does great work.

http://dougsgunsmithshop.com/