Sledgley barrel issues

[TOM421]

Tried the pin gage test on a 1903 with a '43 sledgley barrel. A .297 pin stops at 13" from the muzzle. A .292 passes straight thru. I do not have the in between sizes to check at the exact point of no pass. There are no signs of previous straightening attempts. Opinions??

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[SkyKid]

I have a Sedgley 11/43 same thing
pin stops around 15 inches in
Going to try and straighten it on a 12 ton h press
It's such a waste cause the barrel is short chambered and brand new old

[TOM421]

I have a Sedgley 11/43 same thing
pin stops around 15 inches in
Going to try and straighten it on a 12 ton h press
It's such a waste cause the barrel is short chambered and brand new old

Let me know how it works out. Does your barrel show on signs of straightening?

[browningautorifle]

Going to try and straighten it on a 12 ton h press

You don't need that unless it's bent a few inches from the end and then not likely. I had to press an M1 barrel that was bent about 6" from the breech but the others can be done by securing in a protected vice and use your hands. You should have someone to run the straightness gauge in for you. You have to bend beyond the bend and then it comes back to straight. The gauge needs to be the one that closest fits...tight. A press has no feel to it. When done correctly, there will be no signs of straightening.

[TOM421]

Here is what I found on mine today. Was going to try the hand straightening method had no luck. Upon further close inspection of the barrel having been removed from stock. I did find signs of vise jaws and under a bright light a spot indicating heat had been applied. An oval heat
spot about the size of a quarter. My guess at that point was an oval in barrel. A .293 pin passed thru no problem. Decided to take a .295 pin which did not pass and push it thru. Pins are edged very sharp. I lubed it up, pushed up to the nogo and beat it thru with a hammer. It passed thru and produced a nice peel of metal. Repeated 5 times. Each pass got easier. Moved up to .297 same result. The .297 will not pass freely put a slight push with a fiberglass rod by hand it will pass. Next step is the range. See how it shoots.

[SkyKid]

Tom
Be very careful that no one else is around you when you shoot it
I found the high spot on mine by rolling it on my bench next to another barrel
Going to get a gauge to find the high spot then try Browning's method
If that doesn't work then I'll try the H press or just leave it as is and only shoot cast thru it

[browningautorifle]

Going to get a gauge to find the high spot then try Browning's method

Let me know if you get there and we can talk more...PM perhaps...and get through this correctly.

[TOM421]

What's the Browning Method?

[karl schmidt]

" I lubed it up, pushed up to the nogo and beat it thru with a hammer. It passed thru and produced a nice peel of metal. Repeated 5 times. Each pass got easier."

I suspect the '"nice peel of metal" was the lands ripping out

[Calif-Steve]

A buddy of mine is a parts dealer. Many years back he had a box of bent '03 barrels. Some were obvious and some were not so obvious. He would not sell me a barrel out of that box. Told me to just wait, I did so. Lots of those bent barrels floating around. By the way, my buddy said they could not be fixed and to avoid them.