NEF Pardner stub to 44 Colt?

Been reading some of the threads about H&R/ NEF stub rifles and decided I'd like to build one.

So here's what I have and what I am thinking.

This nef pardner 12 gauge I picked up at a pawn shop, late 80's early 90's. Got it cheap, due to the stud for the forearm being broken off the barrel and missing. Was sitting on the discount rack with an inner tube and hose clamp around the barrel and forearm. You had to carry a screw driver with you on hunting trips so you could keep the forearm tight after each shot.
My dad fixed it with a large brass nut, filled it down to fit the barrel, silver soldered it onto the barrel and drilled and tapped the bottom of the nut, inletted the forearm for the bottom half of the nut added a good size tapered screw and it's never shot loose since.

Shotguns been sitting at the back of the gun cabinet for 12 years now collecting dust. All our old hunting grounds are now condo's and cookie cutter houses.

I have a bunch of 44 Colt ammo and brass with dies, the new stuff with the modern boolits.

Found an unknown barrel liner on ebay, 23 inches long, .790 in diameter, 6 grooves, left hand twist. Checked the twist rate 1:16, slugged the bore, just under .429 best I can measure. Thinking it might be a TJ's liner according to what I find on his liner list, listed as a colt 44-40. Pretty much matches the spec's

Found a gent local who can turn down the liner to fit the bore of the barrel. Just unsure about the chamber area? With the liner inserted into the chamber I can fit (tightly) two .006 feeler gauges, one on each side of the liner. So if I use acraglas to fit the liner into the barrel and chamber will that be enough to support the chamber with the 44 colt rounds?

Will be running both BP and smokeless rounds, but nothing over what my colt open top can handle.

Figured I'd at least ask about the support of the chamber before I start tearing things up!

Attachment 325332
Attachment 325333
Attachment 325334

Turn the back end of the liner down to .627" diameter, about 3-4 inches long. Make a sleeve the same length, bored to 5/8", then polish down the liner to a very close slip fit. Then attach to the liner with Loctite stud locker and turn the sleeve to fit the chamber of the shotgun.

Interesting project, and I like what ulav8r suggested for fitting, but I’m curious what the difference is between a barrel liner and an unchambered barrel blank? I would have called what you have a barrel blank. Doesn’t really matter for the project, just trying to learn the language.

It will be a lot more fun than it was as a 12 gauge- I guarantee it!


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Texas by God

It will be a lot more fun than it was as a 12 gauge- I guarantee it!


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Also, a lot heavier if using that .730 liner!

Kevin

Sounds like a fun project.

I have done the chamber liner more than a few times. I usually solder the sleeve to the liner and then turn it to fit the chamber. The reason for solder is that loctite will let go if you get it to hot when machining. A stud for the forearm is easy to make, it’s a standard 1/4” 20 thread and can be silver soldered on. The last one I did I made it dovetailed to the barrel. Also the ejector can be converted to an extractor so you don’t have to chaise your brass.

You have several options, The barrel can be left “ as is “ if it doesn’t bother you when you break open the barrel to load it and see the gap around the chamber. Being your putting it in a 12 ga. the bore diameter is large enough that it is safe for a 44-40.
Another idea is if you install the liner as is and the liner is flush with the barrel breech and it is cured, mix the Acraglas with the black coloring and set the barrel up vertically and fill in the gap with the black epoxy until it completely fills the void. Plain Acraglas is thinner and would be easier to use than than the gel variety.

Turning a sleeve and attaching it to the liner and turning it to the chamber dimensions is the best way to do the repair but if your friend that would do the machine work doesn’t have the time or the material to do the job your still able to chamber the liner and modify a ejector if left unfilled.

Jedman