These egg-head strings come up about once a year, and they are always the same!

Somebody takes a calculater, and crunches some numbers, and thinks he has the answer!

Then the next guy has all the numbers in regard to the steel of the new, and that of the old double, so his formula is the difinitive formula. The next guy has all the different locking systems differentualted to show which is the strongest, so he has them rated, properly!

The fact is all these things apply, but none are the lone problem that causes the double rifle to come off face. Bonanza is right, the case expanding, the way the rifle is locked up, and the origenal fitting,also effect the equasion. one thing I have never seen one of the guys take into consideration is the weight of the barrel set the thrust is trying to move forward against the henge pin, and up against the under bites at the same time, while the brass case is trying to move back in the chamber with the walls of the case hugging the chamber walls, all in a nanosecond of time.

Gentlemen, all this happens in such a short time, and all similtaneously, that the movement is neglegable. The truth is the going off face in a well fitted double, is caused more by the crapy care most give their rifles. I would bet, if it could be proved, the a full 98% of the loosening of a double rifle action is due to wear, in the henge hook/pin mateing surfaces because of lack of cleaning, and proper lubracation. Even when over pressure loads are used, if the rifle fails, it is usually in the walls of the chambers, or shortly ahead of the chambers, not going off face! I hear the scare tactics in relation to the belted/rimless cartridges being the culprit causeing the OFF-FACE condition, and it contributes, but is not a significent contributer. IMO, the rimless rounds are more of a liability to the failier to extract, and/or eject, at a very inoppertune moment, than opening the action.

I guess what I'm saying with this long winded post is, take care of your double rifle, shoot what it was designed, and regulated for, and use proper care of the rifle, and you wont need any of the thories presented here, because each is meaningless on it's own, and collectively, they can only hurt the rifle if poor care is included in the mix!

RAVE ON, GENTLEMEN! Let me know what you find out at the end of this exercise! BYE!