Silver Solder - A Question For You Gunsmiths

[Semisane]

The lug holding the trigger group and the front barrel lug on my Omega X7 are both secured to the barrel with T8 Torx screws; two screws on each unit.

I recently had the front lug become very slightly loose for the second time. Not much, but I could detect a tiny movement that went away when I tightened the screws again (even though I could feel no movement of the screws when I tried to turn them).

Here's what the assemblies look like.





I haven't applied Loctite to them and was getting ready to do that when I got to thinking about alternatives. I know gun makers use silver solder to secure barrels and ribs on double shotguns, so it must have pretty good holding power. Also, it doesn't require the high degree of heat involved in welding.

So the question is this. Can I flood the areas between that stainless barrel and the carbon steel blocks with silver solder and expect it to hold? Would using Loctite on the screws be just as effective?

[MountainDevil54]

i just wonder how it'd stick with SS. SS alone is hard to weld.

[flounder33]

Have you considered having it tig welded? I had a lug welded on my White Whitetail.
Art

[Urban_Redneck]

You could use HiForce44 solder w/ Comet Flux or 70pa Homogenized solder from Brownells. A good heat paste will protect the barrel. I probably wouldn't solder the trigger block.

[Semisane]

Have you considered having it tig welded?

Only as a quick passing thought flounder. I don't think I would want someone welding on this barrel which is a tack driver when everything is right. I know the lugs were factory welded on earlier Omegas. But I suspect the factory knows a little more about how to do it than the guy at a local welding shop.

[MountainDevil54]

Originally Posted by Urban_Redneck

You could use HiForce44 solder w/ Comet Flux or 70pa Homogenized solder from Brownells. A good heat paste will protect the barrel. I probably wouldn't solder the trigger block.

Fix the quote Urban

[flounder33]

The guy who I had do it wasn't at the local welding shop, Semi. I thought the same as you about that. On my gun the lug was on the reciever so maybe that makes it less risky. Them screw holes are going to get egg shaped if they keep getting loose like that though.

[lemoyne]

There is a special low temp. silver soder but it will not hold well on SS.
Any thing that will hold well stands a good chane of messing up the barrel.
I have fixed a couple of them with blue locktight an they are holding well.

[ronlaughlin]

Originally Posted by Semisane

...................... Not much, but I could detect a tiny movement that went away when I tightened the screws again (even though I could feel no movement of the screws when I tried to turn them).............................

Does this mean the screws are barely too long? If this was my rifle, i would shorten them screw ever so little, then install them with loctite. If they ever came loose again would be when i would try silver solder or some such thing.

I believe you wrote you have never tried loctite. When i fix things, i always try to use the easiest (non-gunnysack) fix, and go from there.

[Urban_Redneck]

Originally Posted by ronlaughlin

Does this mean the screws are barely too long? If this was my rifle, i would shorten them screw ever so little, then install them with loctite. If they ever came loose again would be when i would try silver solder or some such thing.

I believe you wrote you have never tried loctite. When i fix things, i always try to use the easiest (non-gunnysack) fix, and go from there.

+1 on shortening the screws a .010-.015"

Ron is the voice of reason- I'm always reaching for the torch or a bigger hammer