Bent barrel

[Daniel Coats]

When I worked in quality control in a machine shop. Our group could eye ball that much difference. I know it sounds crazy. But when your working with + /-  .0005 for maximum tolerance.
Twenty thousands looks like a foot off...  LOL

I was part of a MRB  team 30 years ago and we would review discrepant machined parts daily. It's amazing what you can see with practice!

[HighUintas]

After much time spent eyeballing or hand weighing items, I don't doubt how accute the human senses can become. After working in a deli for awhile a long time ago, I could weigh out a pound of meat by hand extremely accurately, often within a half ounce but almost always within 1 ounce.

After getting a PM with some barrel bending descriptions, I'm almost looking forward to bending it if I have to

[Birddog6]

I had one bent oh ? 20 yrs ago. Didn't know it til the rifle was built.  I remember it was a Grn. Mtn barrel.
I think it was Mike that told me to take it out & wallop it over a tractor tire. I asked how hard to wallop
it & was told "til it works". Then said a really hard wallop because a Grm. Mrn. barrel is allot tougher steel
than a Colerain or a Getz.
I have a barrel bender that came with the Norton Gatz stuff I bought. It is basically a rail or I-beam with a
big screw in the center & a round handle on the screw. Ya turn it & it bends/bows the barrel. Pretty basic.

[Ric Carter]

If you make the forearm as thin as it should be, the barrel should conform to the wood.

[HighUintas]

For inletting this bent barrel, since the bend is in the middle, do I really need solid contact in the middle where the bend is or is good contact through the first 10 inches on each end sufficient with a couple spots touching in the middle?

I have so many hours in to just getting the barrel in I'm ready to be done. Although I need to go another 1/32 to 1/16 down.

[kutter]

Laying the bbl on your 6' level flat surface has shown the bow/bend in the bbl by checking the opposing flats.

Just bend the bbl back into shape.
Placing the very ends on the bbl on blocks and with the bow/bend of the bbl 'up',,you can use simple hand pressure and body weight to bounce the bbl in the center and bend it.

Like any piece of metal, especially a long , evened dimensional one like this ML bbl, you can feel the piece give in to the pressure when it bends a small amt. Keep checking for straightness with the flat surface of the 6' level.

(CF rifle bbl are much more difficult to bend by this method as they are dimensionally all over the place from breech to muzzle. Plus they are usually a tougher alloy steel.
They will not generally bend easily and exactly where you want them to. A press set up is the better choice for these for better control)