(UPDATE) Fix for Outlaw loose forend *56K Warning

[Holleyman]

My outlaw suffered from the same reported loose forend rattle that some have patched by placing a cleaning patch between forend and barrels. I didn't really like this patch and came up with a permanent fix using only a small piece of shelving bracket and a Dremel tool.

This is what the forend latch looked like before the fix, the forend pulled away from the barrels and rattled like hell.

Latch removed

Here is the shim, made from a cheap shelf bracket made of 0.050" carbon steel. Used 800 grit emery paper to lap 0.005" to get to the needed 0.045" for solid lockup (thickness may vary for each shotgun). The dimentions of the shim is 0.425" wide, 0.435" long and 0.045" thick.

Fit of shim on the latch assembly

Shim fitting in forend

Latch assembly in forend with shim in place. The latch assembly does stick out about 0.015" from the forend but I prefer the very small latch protrusion over the rattle anyday.

VERY tight forend

 

[Can-down]

Nice fix Holleyman!
I think I might bed my backpacker down the road but for now a small piece of foam between the barrel and the foreend works fine.

 

[Can-down]

Deleted

 

[bandicoot]

Might give something like that a try - thanks for the post! I'm thinking a washer would work...

 

[easy]

delete

 

[Can-down]

Holleyman, Why not shim both ends with thinner shims?
It seems like the end you shimmed is furthest from the latch and would require more thickness to tighten it up..
If you shim both sides it might be a little more flush with the wood and it wont change the latch angle.

 

[urbaneddy]

thanks, great thread. I will do this tonight.

 

[easy]

delete

 

[Holleyman]

The same thickness shims are going to be installed when I find 0.020" shim stock. It should bring the latch flush. I don't have any shim stock here, I was going to grab some next week and try to level the latch out.
The single shim was more a proof of concept. The latch is closer to the other screw so moving both out 0.020" should have the same affect (effect, which ever, I never did understand that rule). Will repost when evenly shimmed if it worked.

 

[Can-down]

10-4

 

[Holleyman]

I took out the one thick shim and replaced with two 0.020" shim stock shims (one on each end of latch), the lock up is again perfect but the front latch protrusion is now flush. Drill hole for screws at 13/64".

 

[JohnC]

Very nice work Hollyman. While I used the target patch as a temporary fix I now understand what's going on and how to address it.. Thanks for posting I'm sure it'll help a lot of your fellow Outlaw owners.

 

[B]

I am so glad I never bought one of these.

 

[Dosing]

Well even though I had torn the action down, I hadn't torn the forestock down until last week, when I found these...

Forgive the string, they are just to keep them inplace. My forend fits firmly and snugly into place, and the release is flush with with the wood, so I am assuming Norinco shims thier forends with these washers. They are only 1mm thick, but would seem to follow the idea of adding some thickness.

 

[icedragonmx]

Thanks Hollyman for a very nice solution to the loose forearm problem. Nice to see the pictures and final results! Looks like an fix I could handle

 

[04rubicon]

I've never had to do that to my old Cooeys... weird

 

[grugnir]

Very nice indeed, mate!
Question: do you mind if I use these photos, etc., to post this fix on my site?

 

[Holleyman]

Very nice indeed, mate!
Question: do you mind if I use these photos, etc., to post this fix on my site?

Knock yourself out! Use them if you want.