Rifle barrels onto a H&H Paradox?

[cjm1066]

Rifle barrels with the shotgun barrels will handle the pressure as they don't need the shotgun barrels for this.

Pressure on the breech will be higher but over a very small area.

 

[Dalua]

Possibly and possibly not, nothing may stretch but dropping pressure after peak allows the case to let go and then move back.

You'd be able to tell, I think. Very low-pressure reloads can leave the primer proud of the case-head - i.e. the primer was shoved against the breech-face, but the case-head didn't get that far.
Normal-pressure loads in my experience end up with the primer flush with the head...

 

[Jagare]

My Merkel 160e 8x57 jrs was made as a 20 bore shotgun with extra 8x57jrs barrels. Merkel double rifles of medium caliber are made on a 28 bore action. Mine has a 20 bore action.

 

[Thoburns]

Had a response from H&H and the answer was no that action won't take a rifle barrel. Cheers for the interest guys, will probably sell the shotgun as I only use my brownings for game, it's a shame as it would have been an interesting project.

 

[Ronin]

Well that’s cleared up the ambiguity - least you’ve had a definitive answer from the actual maker who will know what can and cannot be done with that design

 

[angusb1]

You should ask them if it could be multichoked for rifled chokes. Then you could use it as originally intended. A rifled choke with a rifled slug can be very accurate, have serious stopping power and be deer legal in England. Not expensive to do either.

 

[Smellydog]

I wouldn't of expected any other reply from HH.
Arse covering it's called.

 

[nowler]

When the firing pin hits the primer and the powder starts to burn the brass case expands in all directions till it is firmly against all the walls of the chamber, whether its the side of the barrels or the breech face. The brass case will grip the walls and will the case head back somewhat, but if there is any excess head space the brass cartridge will stretch and take this up.

By the time pressure builds towards it maximum all the brass will be firmly against all the surfaces of the chamber and case is transferring the pressure directly to the walls. Pressure of 60,000 psi will felt all surface, whether it is the breech face, walls of the barrel or base of the bullet. Given that it is a fluid gas everywhere will receive the same pressure.

As for oiling the cartridge case / chamber walls, this may well stop the case gripping the walls as well a clean case and may allow some gas leakage, but given the temperature and pressures I suggest any oil will vapourise and combust. In any case oil is a fluid that is incompressible and if it remains a fluid it will simply transmit the force to the other surfaces. Think hydraulics.

Harold Vaughan’s book, amongst others, and common consensus in the industry says differently. The chamber walls gripping the case takes a lot of the pressure off the bolt, about half usually. Rifle cases have thin walls and thick bases which allow this to happen.

This is why oil or water in the chamber is dangerous, as the case doesn’t grip the sides meaning there’s way more bolt thrust on the bolt face. You can prove this to yourself if you’ve ever shot in the hosing rain - you’ll get sticky bolt lift and signs of pressure from loads that are fine on a dry day/dry chamber scenario. Wet rounds, water in the chamber is stopping the case gripping the chamber walls effectively.

This is one of the reasons why case head separations, or shooting with oil / water in your chamber is dangerous. Many bolt lugs aren’t able to cope with 65k psi without being damaged. There was a good finite elements analysis of it on the varmint Al site years ago.

 

[Thoburns]

Following H&H response going to sell the Paradox if interested it will be in the classified shortly