Another bent barrel

[Vincent]

Attachment 58601

I picked up a #5 box gun today. It looks like the barrel is bent just forward of the chamber. Bit of an awkward place to work on.

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[browningautorifle]

You may be right, can you see the bend inside? I straightened a bent M1 barrel that was bent in the thickest part of the barrel. It can be done.

[Vincent]

[ATTACH=CON FIG]58623[/ATTACH]

I can't see it on the inside. It might be at the chamber end of the rifling or in the throat.

I can feel something on the sides where I think the bend is. Whatever it is, I can't feel it at the top and bottom. It's only on the sides.

I am pretty sure it's the barrel. But I will take it off and try a known good #4 barrel just to be sure it's not the receiver.

There's something very satisfying about about repairing or restoring these old guns.

[browningautorifle]

Why can't you see the inside? Anyway, you may be able to get a look when it's out of the stock. You know those barrels can be a pig to take off right?

[Vincent]

I have it out of the stock. The barrel is straight from the red line forward. I think the bend is at the front of the chamber, before the rifling starts. At least that's where I hope it is.

You know those barrels can be a pig to take off right?

Yes, and that's what has me a bit concerned. I am wondering if someone tried to remove the barrel and bent or twisted the receiver.

[browningautorifle]

That's a very real possibility. I've seen them twisted up like a corkscrew...

[Peter Laidler]

No1 and 4 bodies are VERY easy to bend and once they're bent, you can never get themn right afterwards. You can get them to work and function but the twist or bend, by definition always stretches one area. Then to compound it, it stretches the opposite side when you bend it back.

[browningautorifle]

So, how's he going to determine if it's bent now?

[Peter Laidler]

Mmmmmm, that's a good question BAR. This is what we used to do. At Base workshop, we'd run the gauge, inspectors bolt in the body with a No2 bolthead and see whether it would CHS because if you straighten a body it would stretch both sides (one side being stretched while being bent and the opposite side, being straightened.....). Fail No2 bolthead CHS and it was the chop. Then put the reject CHS gauge into the barrel, mark the face of the gauge with a fine film of engineers blue, then close the bolt and bolt head down on it, with just light finger pressure. The witness mark on the bolt face should be an equal full circle. If it's not a full circle then by default, something is wrong and our suspicions will be confirmed.

There may be other tests but that's ours

[browningautorifle]

Seen. He could probably come close to that test...sad to see them bent. I had some of these Canadian Rangers approach me asking what to do with rifles that needed stripping. Barreled actions that either had a damaged bolt track or a gashbined barrel. I described relief cuts, the receiver if it was garbage or the barrel if it was garbage...but I don't think they could grasp what I described...that way you could turn two into one. I think they missed it though. Don't know how that went.