Author Topic: Bending Barrels  (Read 4322 times)

Offline Dan Fruth

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Bending Barrels
« on: November 09, 2015, 04:39:30 AM »
 I'm not a smooth bore shooter, but I understand that those of you who shoot in the smooth matches sometimes bend your barrel to help hit where you want...I'm curious whether you bend the muzzel up or down? Hope this makes sense...Thanks....Dan
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Offline smylee grouch

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Re: Bending Barrels
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2015, 04:57:26 AM »
I would think that you would bend it the way you wanted your shot to go.

Offline WadePatton

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Re: Bending Barrels
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2015, 06:35:03 AM »
Sometimes rifled bbls require bending as well.
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Offline smallpatch

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Re: Bending Barrels
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2015, 07:09:16 PM »
I've bent both.
The bend is done in the center of the barrel, not the muzzle end.
If the shot needs to go higher, set the barrel on the blocks with the sights on top, and bend the barrel DOWN in the center.
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Dane

Offline crankshaft

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Re: Bending Barrels
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2015, 08:51:12 PM »

 On the telly I saw Savage Arms building rifles, some guy would look down the new bbls and tap a little with a small hammer to straighten out the bbl.
  30 yrs or so I bought an Italian  Dixie bbl,  that was badly bent during shipping and I sent it back.
  If that happened now days I would have just straightened it.    I have bent a smoothie bbl. 

Offline smallpatch

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Re: Bending Barrels
« Reply #5 on: November 10, 2015, 05:59:52 AM »
Don Getz used to say.... You have to bend it straight.
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Dane

Offline Daryl

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Re: Bending Barrels
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2015, 07:35:41 PM »
Back in the summer of 1975, I spent a few hours in Les Bauska's shop in Kalispel Montana, straightening muzzleloading barrels on his barrel bending machine. It had a couple anvils with what looked like belaying pins handing down - all mounted on a  finely threaded shaft about 3" in diameter for strength. When mounted, the muzzles were pointed up towards a dirty window, apparently letting in just the right amount of light. The bends were easily seen and "taken out".  It was fun - for a while.
Daryl

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Offline Dan Fruth

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Re: Bending Barrels
« Reply #7 on: November 11, 2015, 03:45:19 AM »
One thing is for sure...You have to know what you are looking for when you look down the bore. It doesn't take much of a 'kink" to through the muzzle out. I just finished making a 62" smooth bore barrel for a fellow, and noticed the muzzle spinniny off center a bit...Yep..she was kinked about 24" from the muzzle..I should have put that end toward the breech....Thanks for all the thoughts..Guess I'm not the first to end up with a bent one!   Dan
The old Quaker, "We are non-resistance friend, but ye are standing where I intend to shoot!"

Offline Bluesmoke

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Re: Bending Barrels
« Reply #8 on: November 11, 2015, 02:23:57 PM »
I have seen a couple of the cheaper euroarms rifles bent at the point where they were spot welded for the pin tabs.

It appeared that the first spot weld attempt failed and they had another go.
The barrels were so thin walled that a bend was an understandable result.

Once the breech plugs were pulled the bends were really obvious. No idea if they could be fixed, just glad they weren't mine.