Anybody bend a TC barrel?

I built an old TC kit gun my dad had in a closet for 35+ years, it came out really nice.



I was going to leave it pristine but decided a closet queen wasn't my thing and sighted it in yesterday. I had to run the back sight all the way to the left to center the group. With the rear sight bottomed out the gun shot 5" high at 25 yards with 70gr of 2F, a 490 ball and a .018 denim patch, it shot just about through the same hole but high. With a 235gr maxie it was a couple inches high but I prefer a round ball, never liked maxies much or their punishing recoil in a TC.

It looks like I could buy a taller front sight or bend the barrel, Anybody bend one of these short(hawkens)barrels. I am a tinkerer and like a challenge. Oh, the crown looks really good, no damage or irregularities.

Your sighting problem is probably from an off-center boring. Bending a rifle barrel may have been done but I have never personally heard of it. Methinks changing your sights is the only practical way to correct the issue. Bending could cause a whole host of other issues.

First let me say I have never bent a rifle barrel..However, I have bent many assorted steel rods and tubes while repairing freight cars. The problem with bending a strong steel tube is that it doesn't go easily and is very springy. You have to go past the "spring back" so it holds the bend and it is really easy to go too far. Then you have to try to bend it back some and you can end up with an "S" bend. It doesn't matter very much on a box car but you have a rifle barrel. I wouldn't try it until you get better advice from a real expert.

I have an old TC front sight, I think I will square the bead and solder on another bead top of the old one for more height. If it works OK at least I will know how tall a sight to order if I get a new one.

I seem to recall that TC did have an issue with some off-center boring from certain period with lots of folks having the same issue. Most where replaced during the "Lifetime warranty" years. Could be yours might be one of those only un-noticed because of it's late finish date.
It's neat to have a find like that though.
There is a taller front blade available from TOW and others,, but it's a square like a patridge sight instead of the bead.

necchi said:

I seem to recall that TC did have an issue with some off-center boring from certain period

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For a while TC bought barrels from Douglas. Douglas barrels were drawn then bored. Meaning that most were not concentric at both ends. If sold as a Douglas the off-center side was where the company name was stamped. Builders knew to place this flat either on top or bottom side. That way windage adjustments were normal but the sights could be finagled with for elevation. Methinks your barrel might have been a Douglas and the TC people were not aware of this peculiarity and made no effort to place the off side up or down. Except for extreme adjustment of the sights , replacement may be your only option.

I bought a TC Hawken flint I the early 70’s and never shot it much and did not get it sighted in. In the early 90’s I decided to use it to hunt deer and started trying to sight it in. It shot off to the left a lot. I finally realized it did have a bent barrel and decided to see if I could straighten it.
I placed the barrel on the floor supported by wooden block at each end and placed a block on the barrel. I used my 3pound hammer to strike the wood block as I held it on the barrel. I was able to straighten it after only a couple of strikes of the hammer.
It bent easier than I thought but I struck quite forcefully.
I thoroughly checked for other issues before doing this and it shoots straight and groups well.
I got my deer with it that year.

I also had a T/C Hawken kit in the early 1980's where the rear sight was all the way left and the front sight was all the way right and still was off target at 50 yards. Took it to Dixon's Muzzleloading and it had barrel run out. They said that was a common problem with the barrels of that time. On my barrel it was curved about 1/8 inch to the left at the muzzle!

Question for Leadball. Does the curved barrel stay on target at all ranges or does it shoot to the side at different ranges? I think the ball would stop curving after leaving the barrel but maybe not?

I bought an unfired TC gray hawk at a flea market a few years ago that shot high with round ball. I put a tall front sight on it and cured its problems.

Eric Krewson said:

the gun shot 5" high at 25 yards

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Before I did anything, I would shoot the gun at 100 yards. 5" is pretty high at 25 yards, but you may find out it is only an inch or two high at 100. It will at least give you a better idea of how much things have to be adjusted. Like others have pointed out, the better option would be to get a taller front sight. You might also want to check out what Lyman has to offer for bead front sights. Those would give a similar sight picture to the original TC. I believe Lyman still offers them in a variety of heights.

I have straightened (bent) many barrels during a 17 yr career as a gunsmith. Most were the result of 'handlebar hunters' running into something on four wheelers. Thin barrels have to be filled with fine sand or small shot to avoid over doing it. I recently bent a .36 cal Coleraine barrel which couldnt be brought around with sight play. I turned a 4 inch brass jag, slip fit in barrel, threaded it for a heavy rod and used it as a stop guage. Kept sliding it into bore after each crank on the jack. It 'stopped ' when the barrel was bent enough. Worked great. However one should never discount the role of luck in such endevours...

AS for windage, I have had a few rifles like that and I simply "split the difference" by tapping the front site a bit. That at least makes the rear site look "normal". All the way to the side kinda bugged me. I's swab front myself for elevation, I do not like bead sites, much prefer a straight blade. Your preference though.

How about a replacement barrel from Green Mtn or someone...... That would get you out of some chancy bending and their bores are concentric with exterior. To me, if you like the gun the better replacement barrel would be the way to go.

I wonder if a "bent" barrel would cause a problem loading or cleaning it. Seems like you would get a real tight spot where the bend is?

russellshaffer said:

Question for Leadball. Does the curved barrel stay on target at all ranges or does it shoot to the side at different ranges? I think the ball would stop curving after leaving the barrel but maybe not?

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I'm not Leadball but, no surprise, have an opinion this . Methinks the force exerted on the ball flying curved ends at the muzzle.

N.Y. Yankee said:

I wonder if a "bent" barrel would cause a problem loading or cleaning it. Seems like you would get a real tight spot where the bend is?

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That could be an issue. Also consider the barrely might no longer fit into the barrel channel and the retaining wedges or pins likely will no longer line up where they should.

I may have it wrong but I understand the bending is very slight, just a few thousands.

Well, if it was mine and I couldn't get it to shoot right, I would go ahead and try bending it. You really don't have anything to lose if the barrel is no good as is. I would do it in a press with a dial indicator so you could tell what was happening. I don't think you are going to kink a heavy walled rifle barrel. A shotgun, sure. Thin tubes and pipes are really easy to dent and kink when bending even a little.

Eric is correct, the bend is virtually undetectable upon usual examination, i haven't had it effect function or alignment of anything.