Barrel bending

[Robby]

I posted this in the shooting section and am just a tad desperate to get a lead on what I might do, so I'm posting it here as well.
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=76210.0
Robby

[T*O*F]

Daryl pretty much gave a synopsis of how-tos.  However, the first thing you need to do is to "string" the barrel to find out where it is bent.  Drop a string down the barrel and stretch it taut, then clmp it at either end.  Look down the bore and see if the string is touching anywhere.  You may have to do this several times to find the apex of the bend.  Once you have found it, you'll know where to apply pressure to straighten it out using one of the approved methods.  You may have to repeat several times until it's done.

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

Here is the way I do this for wrought iron barrels.  This should work also on modern steel barrels, but I have never tried it on steel.

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=19603.msg185221#msg185221

Jim

[Robby]

Well, I have to admit, in my youth I would have done the tree slamming and most probably been successful, but as I have aged I find I have lost flexibility, physically, mentally, and just about every 'ly', so I will proceed with the measured approach as described bt Mr. Everett.


I laid a thick slab od plywood on by bench and laid the barrel between a couple blocks just to get an I deja of what trait's I am dealing wit. Leaning just about the full weight of my 155 pound carcass on the center of the barrel as shown I can't believe how springy it is. I will be moving it to the surface of my table saw where I can get a more precise measurement for the actual bending. The span between blocks will be about sixteen inches. Thank you all for the advice.
Robby

[Robby]

So I am carefully clamping, measuring, unclamping, measuring, over and over again writing down my measurements and checking, rechecking, all the while I am wondering, with all the springiness in this steel, will it reach a point where when it gives it up it over bend. I had .025 more to compress, which is about a quarter turn on my clamp when I felt it give and when it gave it went way beyond the quarter turn I was giving it. Undid everything and it was plain to se that the barrel was badly bent, badly. Sooooooo I put her back in, up side down and bent it back just about straight just eying it up as I went cuz I figure at this point I got nothing to loose. When I got it about where I figured it ought to be I put it back in the gun just the way it will always be and took a shot. I am dead on at 46 yards, at least for the five shots I took. I'll clean it up, let it rest and give it another go.
Thank you fellows.
Robby

[HSmithTX]

I’ll bet a bulldozer couldn’t have pulled a toothpick out of your lower posterior orifice when it ‘went’ that would have wound me up tight.

Glad to hear it worked out.  It’ll be a breeze should you need to do it on another one!

[Ky-Flinter]

Robby,

Your experience with barrel bending sounds just like the one I had.  I still shoot the one I had to straighten and it's a tack driver.  Sounds like you done good.

Ron

[Waksupi]

When checking a barrel for being straight, use the light bars. Ever looked through a shotgun barrel, and seen those rings of light? A rifle barrel also has those, but is harder for an untrained eye to see. If crooked, it is pretty obvious when you know what you are looking at.

[Carl Young]

Robby, I'm with you. A lot of time as a pilot taught me to be firmly in control, but I tend not to slam or bang things around...it's bad for planes and pilots . I used to do a lot of aerobatics and even then flew with my finger tips so as not to be ham-handed. Not saying I'm right, just my preference. I try not to use too much force in gun-making as I tend to screw up more than I accomplish

Regards,
Carl

[grabenkater]

There’s a good video on YouTube of rifles being made around the 1917 era. In the video it shows barrel makers inspecting barrels and they are looking down the bore and adjusting the barrel in a device very similar to an English wheel ( there’s a name for this device but I can’t remember) and it’s being used to bend barrels.