Mk1 #5 bent barrel

[browningautorifle]

Still, maybe the best bet would be BDL Ltd for some refurb...

[303tom]

Straightening rifle barrel.

[Peter Laidler]

I would straighten that. It's fairly simple with a narrow No5 barrel although in service we'd just reploace it. We didn't have a GAUGE, testing, straightness of bore for the No4 and 5, it was all done by eye against a cast shadow.

But to explain HOW I'd go about it would take pages and pages and a well equipped engineering workshop. But I can definately say that a bench vice would most definately NOT feature in my barrel straightening vocabulary! But Roll, view, gently press, roll, view, gently press and so on for an hour or so and it'd come back. Although that is quite bad I have to say

The rusty/pitted condition was how a good percentage of them were in Malaya I can tell you. Constant rain and mangrove swamps are not good with steel. Bead blast, phosphate and paint, bake and oil dip will see it good for another 5 years there - and probably 100 years in your part of the world

[nd31male]

Ok I feel better now that I no I have something work with. How much value difference is there keeping it original compared to not having matching numbers? Is there more Valu in referb or better to leave it alone.

[browningautorifle]

If you could get someone to straighten it you wouldn't spend much I think. IF you can find someone... A new barrel might be a different story. As for original value...what's it worth right now? To any collector or shooter?

[Peter Laidler]

There is only one true way to find out what your rifle is worth..... Auction! That's the worth that the last two men standing put on it.

Some people want a rifle like yours that looks like it's been there, done that etc. Others want something new in the box. I personally don't care one way or the other just so long as it shoots straight and a tiny bit better that I can. You can't ask for much more than that!

Incidentally, that rifle looks just like some of the well worn and used Rifles from the Far East. I'd like some photos of any markings on the butt as that's where we used to mark them with our main workshop identifiers.

[Vincent]

I don’t what the cost of straightening a barrel would be. I’ve never had it done. To do it correctly takes skill, time and special tool like the one below.

Attachment 56583
Attachment 56584

I have heard of it being done on a modified English Wheel, but I have no idea how well that works.

The cost of replacing the barrel will probably be quite high compared to its value. I see nice all original ones retail between $500 and $600 at gun shows here. It’s a limited market and anything over $500 is going to take a long time to sell. Most folks looking to get into a military surplus rifle will buy a $120 91/30 that comes with all the accessories and uses cheap readily available ammunition.

It’s worth fixing if you’re going to keep it. There’s probably not a lot to be gained fixing it if you’re going to sell it.

An online auction like gunbroker will probably get you the most for it.

[villiers]

I´ve got pictures somewhere of workers at the Royal German Spandau Armoury inspecting rifle barrels visually and then using a hammer to straighten those that were bent. And I once saw a film of a Kalashnikov factory where the barrels were cut to length off a very large drum on which the material had been delivered. Why not try and straighten your No 5 barrel using pressure between wooden blocks in a vise and inspect it against a strong light between each attempt. It might even shoot quite well. Don´t think you´ve got much to lose.

[nd31male]

No numbers on the stock but here is all the markings I can find

---------- Post added at 11:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:29 PM ----------

I have no intentions on selling it but don't wont to spend more then it is worth restoring it. I've got some one I'm confident in that says he can true it up so I'm going to let him have at it. He's done a lot of work for me he's my goto guy for all my metal and mill work. Figure I'm not out anything if It doesn't work it will hang on the wall. I think my goal for this rifle is to try to make it into a shooter. I like the aged looked and think I'm going to keep it the way it is.

[Peter Laidler]

Barrel straightening is a bit like straightening scaffold tubes. Not that I have ever strasightened a scaffold tube but I have straightened a barrel using the scaffold tube principle. Because of the safety implications, scaffold tubes can only be straightened by competent and authorised (?) people who have the right kit.

Identify the START of the bend. Identify the END of the bend - and mark. These are the 'anvil points'. Press at the centre of the area. Do NOT do ANYTHING outside this area because it ain't damaged there! MANY more pages and much more than that of course but that's a start