By Eye

[Peter Laidler]

We never straightened barrels but there does seem to be a lot of press marks on that barrel. To be honest, I think the AX and numbers is the serial number of the rifle. We didn't number barrels to the rifle when we rebarreled. It was an academic exercise with no value to man nor beast simply because once we'd breeched-up, it was there for life - or until it needed a new barrel again! Just like L1A1's and L85's.

[CINDERS]

Thank you for the reply Peter I guess it will get a clean up, gauge it then have a look through the bore put it away again my No.4's are going well with their barrels they have.

[Richard Hare]

If it gauges up well still Cinders, it is still very nice to have such a spare barrel, and once fitted the marks won't show.
I think the marks are from a lump hammer, rather than a press. To crush the surface in a press would surely do the same to the inside of the tube. Hopefully it is still true inside!

As Peter said, an "S" bend is the worst. Did one like that on a 44-40 Win. Horse ran away with it and wrapped it around a tree. Owner tried to straighten it and put the 'S" in it. hard, but we got it right.

[browningautorifle]

We never straightened barrels

I had occasion to straighten a couple of barrels in our armorer's shop in Gagetown and it was something of extreme interest to them. All hands were transfixed during instruction. I did a 742 Remington and a Galil that had a bend in the last inch of the muzzle(dropped out of a truck from height on it's F/H). I'm not even sure the Canadian school covers the subject.

[mrclark303]

Now that guys is a real skill,

I would love to watch a barrel being manipulated back to true again Jim.

[browningautorifle]

The 740 or 742 Remington, whichever it was, had been warped in the last four inches at the muzzle by a front sight being silver soldered on by an amateur professional gunsmith. It was cut to 18" and the warp was evident at a distance. I used the available C6 gauges and gave them a lecture and demo on the spot. The sight however still had to come off. The Galil was just enough the gauges wouldn't pass and again the lecture and demo... I was genuinely surprised that an Infantry WO was teaching something like this to weapon's techs... But then, they never used it again I think.

We had a C7 come back from Yugo in spring of '93 with a boomerang barrel, had been in a truck off the road and had a man fall on it. I'd have straightened it but they just change it. It would have shot about 30' left at 100 yds...really bad. No one noticed... I did a .22 once that had a little bend and prepared for hard work. Took hold and gave it a good bend only to have it stay right there...not very springy material in the old ones it seemed.

It can be a distinct hardship to do at times. If you don't get it right, you might as well not even start.

[Mk VII]

Barrel Straightening in one of the ROFs in WW2

[bigduke6]

For anyone interested there is a little book called " Making Rifle Barrels" by Lindsay publications, its made up of articles from issues of the Machinery Magazine, the first page is dated May 25, 1916....... very interesting read and you will find a finished barrel will be free of such marks as the pics in Cinders first post..... unless these were done long after leaving the factory......

One of the machines in the book is the same or similar as what Border barrels used for some of there work...... I often hear of " its a border barrel" obvious doesn't mean much now but back in the day some raved on about it, the fact is some of the rifling was cut on a 100 + year old machine, give them credit were its due, it was rebuilt IIRC by them, but think the credit goes to the original maker of the machine.... Pratt & Whitney.


Making Rifle Barrels: Author Not Stated: 9781559182805: Amazon.com: Books

[browningautorifle]

Barrel Straightening in one of the ROFs

This would be the picture I was thinking of earlier in this thread. Look at the baskets of barrels yet to do...or do they just examine them all for straight before they move on?

[muffett.2008]

Bit of a posed picture, the odds of them all being in a eyeballing position would be pretty slim.
It could even be a training exercise where they are given barrels with known flaws and have to identify the problem spot and explain the method of correction............I remember those well.