Fixin' a dented barrel

[swathdiver]

Picked up a 13ga Pedersoli and noticed that one of the barrels is slightly dented at the muzzle. It only extends back about a 1/4 inch or so, probably fell down.

How to fix it; assuming it wasn't done on purpose to make a good pattern??!!

I was thinkin' about using a jeweler's ring mandrel and lightly tap it in until the muzzle is round again.

 

[Artificer]

The problem with a jeweler's ring mandrel is that with the taper, it may or even probably would flare the muzzle while you do the work and before you got most of the dent out.

There are two ways to fix this, the most common has always been to saw off the barrels behind the dent and then “true up” the muzzles of both barrels. Normally you won’t loose much of the choke in each barrel that way and it is the most cost effective way to do it.

I have never "ironed out" a dent in a barrel, as the work is called, but studied how it was done when I had to iron out a dent in a pump shotgun magazine tube.

First, did you ever accurately measure the inside diameter of that barrel and record the measurement? It is not a requirement, but it sure would be helpful. You cannot just go off the measurement in the other barrel as sometimes (to normally/usually) doubles are choked tighter in the "second" or other barrel than the barrel that is fired first. Now if you know the barrel that is not damaged is indeed the tighter choked one, then one begins with that measurement.

So if you do not want to saw the barrels off, do you know if the dented barrel is the tighter or looser barrel? Also, did you ever have the barrels “jugged choked” after they left the factory?

Gus

 

[Artificer]

If the barrel/s were not jug choked, you could try casting a cerrosafe plug in the bore to "iron out" the dent. http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-.../cerrosafe-chamber-casting-alloy-prod384.aspx

First you would have to remove the breech hook of the damaged barrel.

Then you would have to stuff some tight rags in the barrel about an inch behind the dent. When the cerrosafe is melted, you then pour it into the barrel from the muzzle and stop pouring before it reaches the dented area.

Wait a full 30 minutes and then drive out the cast cerrosafe plug to the rear and out the breech end of the barrel. Measure all around the plug to see if the front of the plug that was closest to the muzzle is smaller in diameter than further back. Now, I am not referring to just behind the dinged area being smaller from the ding. Go 1/8" back from that to take your measurement.

IF the plug gets larger in diameter as you go to the rear of the plug, then saw the plug off before it gets larger. Then put the sawn plug with the smaller diameter facing forward in the bore from the breech end of the barrel. Then use a 5/8" hardwood dowel to drive the plug forward and out the front of the barrel. Figure on having to do this at least twice or maybe three or four times to get most of the dent out.

If that doesn't work, then you have to make some precision plugs from steel on a lathe in diameters slightly increasing a thousandth or two at a time until most/all the dent is out. You oil them and drive those through from the breech end as well.

Gus

BTW, you will need a really good pair of precision dial calipers to do this work or a good micrometer to take the measurements.

 

[Artificer]

Oh, you use a 5/8" hardwood dowel to drive the cerrosafe plug both ways out the barrel. First to drive a new cast plug to the rear and then forward toward the muzzle and out the front end, after you measure and possibly saw off the cast plug where it is too large in diameter.

Gus

 

[Artificer]

One other point on driving the cast cerrosafe plug forward. It is best to mark an arrow on the rear with a scratch before you drive it from the breech forward and out the barrel. Then turn the plug so the scratch is at a different position and drive it from the rear again. Turn the plug a little and drive it forward and out the muzzle a few times until it easily pushes through the dinged area. Then you have to make a new cast plug or plugs and begin again, until the ding is mostly gone.

Gus

 

[Britsmoothy]

I made a mandrel with an eye in one end so I could fit a cranking handle.
I ground a flat on the mandrel so it could pass the dent.
Lubricated and cranking bar fitted I cranked the mandrel rapidly.

Worked just fine.

B.

 

[nwtradegun]

take it to a shop specializing in shot gun repair. no sense possibly ruining a barrel.

 

[Stumpkiller]

What he said^

Take it to a gunsmith with a barrel mandrel and have it done properly.


There are other ways - like peening with a rod in the barrel, etc.

https://www.bevfitchett.us/repair-of-firearms/a-bks.html

 

[smo]

If it's only a slight dent it probably doesn't have any effect on the pattern anyway. :idunno: I've hunted with an old double barrel suppository gun with a small dent and it shot fine . It was on the full choke side of the barrel. It won many turkeys and hams. :thumbsup:

 

[Tinker2]

I was thinkin' about using a jeweler's ring mandrel and lightly tap it in until the muzzle is round again.

It might work, get you by maybe.

This is what I would and do use but for a onetime uses it is expensive. http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...h-hydraulic-dent-raiser-prod399.aspx?psize=96

Removing dents can cause the barrel to crack or split if you mess up or not.
If you go to a gunshop that does that type of work it should cost you $60 to $70

If you shoot a barrel with a dent in it, it will wear more in that place, more likely to crack in time.

If you have a lathe you could make an ironing tool like Britsmoothy's post.

Whatever you do good luck and post what you did.
.


William Alexander

 

[Artificer]

Swathdiver,

Part of the reason I went into such detail was to try to give you an idea of a "low tech" way to do the work. However, pulling the hook breech plug is not easy to do and you MUST be careful not to damage the other barrel as you get that breech plug out.

Removing dents can cause the barrel to crack or split if you mess up or not.
If you go to a gunshop that does that type of work it should cost you $60 to $70

William Alexander

IMO for most laymen who don't have a lathe, that would be the best way to do it. That would be a very reasonable charge to do the work and not to have to worry about messing up your own barrel/s.

I made a mandrel with an eye in one end so I could fit a cranking handle.
I ground a flat on the mandrel so it could pass the dent.
Lubricated and cranking bar fitted I cranked the mandrel rapidly.

Worked just fine.

B.

Sounds like a good way to do it, if one has a lathe.

Did you make some kind of dowel or rod to go in the other barrel so when you held the barrels in the vise, it did not cause damage to either barrel?


Gus

 

[Britsmoothy]

No, just held in a vice, it was so easy I wonder what all the fuss is all about! :hmm:

B.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Take it to a gunsmith with a barrel mandrel and have it done properly.

Yep. :thumbsup:

 

[roadgrader]

Gus I did a single barrel gun with socket and extension. I shimmed the socket with paper opposite the dent and tapped it past the dent.I had to shimm it a couple of times.IT worked fine the paper would falloff and allow me to withdrawl the socket. STACEY

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

What he said^

Take it to a gunsmith with a barrel mandrel and have it done properly.

There's your answer right there. Takes about 5 minutes and cost is reasonable.

 

[swathdiver]

Thanks Gus for taking the time to explain this in such detail and to Britsmoothy and the others.

As for taking it to a gunsmith, that's just never been my way. I was taught at an early age to maintain and fix my own things and consequently the only person that's ever worked on any of my guns is me. Same with cars when I was able, now the simple stuff is near impossible to do anymore like changing the oil, but if a lock needs stoning, I can sit at my kitchen table and handle that still!

I mentioned the jeweler's mandrel Gus because the one I was looking at had a slight taper compared with the ones that only went to size 13. After looking at it more close, the dent is probably only an 1/8" long from the muzzle back, 3/16 at most. After working on the locks I figure I'll see how it patterns first before trying to fix the dent.

I like the idea of the cerrosafe, have plenty of that and this particular gun may have been unbreeched in the past so that may mean they'll come off easier.

Will keep y'all posted. Thanks again Gus!