Ideas for straightening out 71/84 tube mag?

[beachdog77]

Howdy howdy!
I recently got a hold of a 71/84. It's a nice 1887 Spandau. The magazine tube has 4 dents that cause the follower to bind and stick. plus the tube is slightly bent.
Any ideas or tricks i should know to get it to feed right and may be a little straighter? The best bad idea i had was to get a wooden dowel just undersized from the internal diameter, grease it and push it through gently. In theory that would push the dents outward, right?
Any ideas or experiences welcome.
Thanks head of time.
Brewer

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[browningautorifle]

The dents need an inserted round piece of steel just big enough to fit the tube, then push it down until you force the dent out...and tap with your machinist's hammer to eliminate the dent. I'd make a piece of round stock to size and use a cleaning rod to push it down. Tap the piece and thread the rod into it. Done it enough, just wood might not be tough enough.

[Eaglelord17]

The dents need an inserted round piece of steel just big enough to fit the tube, then push it down until you force the dent out...and tap with your machinist's hammer to eliminate the dent. I'd make a piece of round stock to size and use a cleaning rod to push it down. Tap the piece and thread the rod into it. Done it enough, just wood might not be tough enough.

This is basically exactly what I would do. Only difference I would make is adding a bit of a bevel at the front of the rod so it would gently ride up on the dent, and have a threaded hole at the end so if it gets stuck you can attach a slide hammer to it.

[beachdog77]

Thank you gents. Ill post a picture once i get her all back together.

[browningautorifle]

bit of a bevel at the front of the rod

Agreed, always. Needs to be a snug fit too. Needs to be steel not wood.

[Salt Flat]

I will offer one small addition. Once you have pushed the rod behind the dent , use a small ball peen hammer (use the flat side not the ball) to raise the dent by gently tapping just outside the perimeter of the dent (around the edges). It is the similiar to auto body work when raising a dent with a dolly. If you put some masking tape on the face of the hammer you won't beat up the tube too bad. I did this with a badly dented Gew 1888 barrel jacket and it worked great. Salt Flat (old body and fender guy)

[tiriaq]

Exact same process as raising a dent in a shotgun barrel.

[browningautorifle]

raising a dent in a shotgun barrel.

Exactly, if you could find the tool for .410 it might work too...

Once you have pushed the rod behind the dent , use a small ball peen hammer (use the flat side not the ball) to raise the dent by gently tapping just outside the perimeter of the dent (around the edges). It is the similiar to auto body work when raising a dent with a dolly.

force the dent out...and tap with your machinist's hammer to eliminate the dent.

Just what I said...

[Salt Flat]

Sorry Jim, I didn't mean to step on your post-- Salt Flat

[browningautorifle]

And I didn't mean to be snippy...