Restocking my 1904 Browning auto 5

Biz
Last seen was the completed lettering. The work you have done cleaning up that receiver up first class five star job.
I well remember the original rusty images from few years back.
For a man of the wood world your talents are “boxing well above your weight division” is a slang saying here for pretty impressive effort.
Looks like a rust blue joe not far off now. You will have no trouble.

nice work. What year did they change the finger groove on the forearm? 1908?

According to this, it was 1909.

https://www.shotgunworld.com/threads/timeline-for-the-browning-auto-5-1903-1940.216472/

Thanks Rudolph for your response. I was not sure myself if it was 1908 or 1909.

You’re welcome. I would have guessed it changed after the first 10,000 guns. I’m glad I looked it up.

What caused these early forearms to crack so easily? I guess that’s why they switched forearms in 1909. That link is a wealth of information.

I think all of the forearms crack easily. That may be the reason that the later parts are a lot beefier.

Cracks start from having the friction pieces set wrong, or the mag cap loosening. I’ve heard that having it too tight can also lead to cracks, but unless you’re the Incredible Hulk (or using a wrench), I don’t see how.

Cracks start from having the friction pieces set wrong, or the mag cap loosening. I’ve heard that having it too tight can also lead to cracks, but unless you’re the Incredible Hulk (or using a wrench), I don’t see how.
Rudolph31, Yesterday at 1:07 PMRepor

Well I found out the hard way that being too tight does indeed crack forearms.

Particularly with the duck guns.

If all the wood was not completely sealed, they would absorb water in the rain and swell where the magazine cap could not be removed.

I went through a few before I adopted a graphite forearm for my 32" Mag when Browning finally introdued them in the 90's.

Will

I am coming back to you friends concerning plugging the trigger guard hole with a slightly chamfered steel plug and TIG welding it. One of my friend owned an early TIG machine he got from Canadair. It range from 5 to 150 amps. First question, should we worry about the steel composition of the plug not knowing the steel composition of the 1904 auto 5. Will the two different steel show different shade after rust bluing. Second question, what kind of TIG rod should we use. Someone suggested "Tartan TIG Alloy". Thank again for your help.

Hi Biz,
That machine and range of amps will suit job . Use mild steel for your plug.. That has fairly low carbon and alloy content should be good match and rust blue nicely. Just bit of standard 8 mm round bar and machine skim the diameter down in your lathe to suit give you nice clean surface. Chamfer both ends of your plug at 45 deg will give good penetration. Try to use clean files and lathe on your plug rather than grinder as wheel grit can contaminate the surface and cause problems an little fine thing like this.
1.6 mm diameter mild steel filler rod be fine
You want nice clean metal surfaces for best tig results. Preparation is everything to getting good outcome here no short cutting. Patience I know you have already. Use a good auto flash weld helmet so you can really see what your doing.
Also practice on some other pieces 6mm flat scrap first will with with hole drilled in so you can set machine up perfect and know what will happen and haw the steel will melt and react.
Good luck if anything like your other work will come out great.

Biz with filler rod forgot to mention trick you can use .9 mm mig wire instead If the 1.2 or 1.6 standard wire is too big and takes too much heat to melt in relation to guard . You want least heat going in that gives best penetration job!
Good thing to experiment with on test scrap pieces what works best.

Thanks Auzzie, I was waiting for your comments.

No worries Biz
Look forward to seeing you on YouTube welding coke can towers together back to back as your next party trick

I finally give a try with the help of my friend and here is the result. I have more polishing to do and there is some porosity but I can live with that.

That’s a fantastic job! Can’t expect much better. Did you end up Tigging it?

Very nice Marc. Do you put anything on there to prevent rust when you aren’t working on it?

Thank you, yes I use the TIG welder at 40 amps.

I store it into a "ziplock" bag with a silica pouch.

Very nice job Marc. Turned out exactly as it should have.
Not bad for a wood worker let loose with a grinder, file and emery cloth!
Possible we will see you on YouTube tig welding coke can towers at this rate.

How about that, the world’s tallest can tower. Unfortunately, I don’t have your talent my Australian friend.