Best way to straighten a bent barrel?

[vintage hunter]

I bought Remington Rolling Block rifle from a friend and it has a fairly long bend in the barrel that makes it shoot high to the left. It looks like the bent starts near the muzzle and goes back 18-20 inches. I bought it with the intentions of cutting it down to carbine length but I'd like to try straightening it first. What would be the best way to go about it?

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[browningautorifle]

I've done several and to start with I used a straightness gauge. You may have to make one but i can't immagine it being correct without one. Just round stock that barely fits the barrel. Maybe 6 or 8 inches long and takes a cleaning rod. I did a Garand bbl that was bent in the thickest part using a hydralic press. I've done a Rem 740 using my hands and a set of padded vice jaws. You have to find the bend, work exactly there and remember that metal has a memory so you have to bend beyond the bend and let the bbl come back to straight. If you have a long slow bend, you may have to do several of these. It can be done.

[Chuckindenver]

i set the barrel in my barrel vise, and hand tighten...straighten as needed... eyeball it down the tube.
iv had great luck with this, saved a few....if its been shot a bit, the metal will loose its memory...and might ruin the bore...look for a dark spot on the inside of the bend,

[vintage hunter]

Got it. Used 2 lead blocks and a lead hammer. There is a dark spot in the bore roughly where to bend was but it shoots good. The bore isn't in real good shape anyway, it's bright but not much rifling left. Thanks for the responses guys.

[browningautorifle]

I'm not sure about the hammer thing. It's a bit abrupt. I've done lots and I wouldn't do that...

[vintage hunter]

Well, it worked none the less. As a Millwright I've straightened lots of shafts and cylinder rods over the years using this method, after a while you get the hang of knowing just where and how hard to land the blow, but it takes a lot of practice. I remember reading something in the Enfield forum a while back on how the barrel straighteners at the Enfield factory did it in much the same way. The friend I bought the rifle from was the armourer for the St. Lawrence County, N.Y. sherrifs dept. for 20 years and he attended several armourer's courses at Smith & Wesson and that's how they taught him to tune revolvers with fixed sights that shot left or right of POA. As he described it to me, you'd lay the gun in a lead jig, ''high side'' up and beat the s**t out of it with a lead mallet then go shoot it to see if you had fixed the problem. If they broke it they'd pitch it in the scrap bin and go on to the next one.

[browningautorifle]

So...why did you ask us?

[vintage hunter]

Really and truely, I'm still trying to figure that out myself. Afterall, it was a boneheaded question for a Millwright to ask. Maybe I was just trying to see how the Romans did it, I don't know. If the rifle in question was in better oal condition I would'nt have done it the way I did, probably. You and Chuck gave some good tips and I'll keep them in mind if I ever have to do this again, thanks. Sorry if you offended by my previous post, none was intended. Now, can we be friends again?

[Aragorn243]

On a semi-related note, can you get a ring out of an octagon barrel? Never fired it so I don't know if it affects the accuracy or not and it isn't a milsurp but an 1886 Winchester in 45-90. Not seriously considering doing anything about it but am curious.

[vintage hunter]

I really don't know Aragorn. I've always avoided guns with bore damage until lately, but I would think that once it's there it's there to stay. I do know a 'smith who claims to be able to get a bulge out of a round barrel by way of a roller but have not seen him do it with my own eyes. As far as effecting accuracy is concerned I imagine there would be some negative effects, but as long as the ring or bulge is'nt longer that the projo it might still shoot reasonably well. I bought the Roller with the intentions of cutting it down to carbine length or better yet rebarreling it to something where ammo does'nt cost $6 a round.