Need help with barrel problem, wounded warriors gun.

[billd]

I just started on the second gun.  The barrel was donated, a Colerian 42" 15/16" .54 caliber.  I cut it down to 32" and found the hole isn't in the middle of the barrel.    I did the same to the first barrel, a Green Mountain and it was perfect.   Both ends of the barrel looked good, within .005, at it's original length.  I placed the 32" section on a surface plate and it is not bent.

The actual barrel dimensions are:   .929 across the flats,  .214 thick wall, .175 thin wall.   .039 difference meaning the bore is .0195 off center. These measurements are off the bore, if you subtract the depth of the rifling the wall is even thinner.  If you look at the picture you can see my crown is on center (within .001) but follow the concentric lines from the facing tool and you can see how far it's off.

Visually it looks terrible.  My questions are,  Is it safe to shoot?  Will it shoot straight?  Do you think Colerain will replace it since I cut it?  How could this happen?


Thanks,
Bill


 

[FlintFan]

Most likely caused from either the gun drilling operation, or deflection/warping from planing the barrel flats.  This isn't really a problem to be concerned with.  Place the thinnest muzzle wall measurement straight up (or down) and adjust point of impact when sighting in with either a taller front sight, or one that is trimmed down.  There are no measurements you gave that I would be concerned with, as far as safety goes. 

[caliber45]

Bill -- Were it me (assuming the barrel is straight-wall vs. swamped, etc.), and it doesn't already have sights, underlugs and breech threading, I'd make the "off-center" end the breech end (for appearances sake) and the centered end the muzzle. That way, nobody will be the wiser. You can sight it in to account for the "offset." If it's already breech-threaded, cut off another inch and breech the other end. But that's just me . . . -- paulallen, greencastle, IN

[Dennis Glazener]

Bill -- Were it me (assuming the barrel is straight-wall vs. swamped, etc.), and it doesn't already have sights, underlugs and breech threading, I'd make the "off-center" end the breech end (for appearances sake) and the centered end the muzzle. That way, nobody will be the wiser. You can sight it in to account for the "offset." If it's already breech-threaded, cut off another inch and breech the other end. But that's just me . . . -- paulallen, greencastle, IN

I will mention this for what its worth. In my benchrest shooting days and old time machinist/shooter, Homer Culver, told me a story about a new Douglas barrel that he had put on his bench gun only to have it shoot "awful, all over the place" he took it off threw it under the bench and a couple of years later he decided to turn it around an chamber it on the "muzzle end" it He won the next few matches with it. He discussed it with Douglas and they concluded that somehow the barrel's breech end had been marked on the wrong end. He said that if the breech is put on the wrong end (from how it was rifled) it would not shoot well. I don't know if this is true or if it applies to a muzzleloading barrel just FYI.
Dennis

[Eric Krewson]

I am finishing up a 12ga fowler with a Colerain barrel, just happened to look at the end of the barrel yesterday and saw the same thing. Kinda spooky considering it is a swamped barrel. The barrel wall is going to be a little thin in the narrowest part. The bad thing is I spent a bunch of money sending it off to be jug choked. Had I not messed with it I would send it back.

Here is what my barrel looks like.

[billd]

Thanks for the replies...

I can't rebreech it.  It's already threaded and I need the full 32".   I know about the Douglas barrels.  They had a reason to be off center, this barrel doesn't.  It's was on center at both ends, the drill must have made a left turn somewhere in between.  I'll call Colerain Monday and see what they say. It's probably OK but I will never be happy with. It will make a good tomato stake.

Bending was suggested but with a soldiered under rib it would be a PIA.

If it was my own barrel it wouldn't bother me too much but since it was donated towards the soldiers guns I feel terrible.  

Eric,   I feel for you with that barrel.  I had a similar one two years ago but I caught it and sent it back. Scott replaced it no questions asked.  Being a machinist it's hard for me to accept these kind of mistakes.  We all make them but something as visible as yours never should have left the shop.  

Bill

[rich pierce]

We're blessed with super precise barrels.  Originals from the 1700's seldom measure the same across the flats, top to bottom, side to side, or on the diagonal flats.  They didn't worry as much and we have accounts that Revolutionary War riflemen were supposed to keep all their shots in a 7" circle at 200 yards.  Hard for many to do today.

[Acer Saccharum]

I would not be concerned about safety.

Before you decide to turn the bbl around, run a snugly patched ball thru the bore. You may discover tight or loose spots. Or not. If you do find that the ball gets harder to push as it nears the last few inches toward the breech, then I'd say it's a perfect candidate to turn around. If, however, the ball gets easier and easier to push, then the performance will not be good.

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

My barrels almost never are on center either. Unless a miracle happens!  But, even a blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while.  I file the barrel outside to bring the bore on center.  Very simple, actually.  Just a little time consuming.  You can also check the barrel wall thickness dimension with a really simple tool.  I will try to describe it in words as I do not have access to photos here.

Take a 2 foot round rod, 3/8 inch diameter.  Thread one end for a jag, on the other end machine a conical tapered collar that slips over the rod O.D.  This setup will put the rod on exact center - with a cleaning patch on the jag.  Make a mounting block to position a second rod parallel to the first and abount 3/4 inch gap away from the first rod.  Now the thing looks like a 2 foot long hairpin.  At the "jag end" of the second rod drill & tap a small hole, at a right angle to the rod center line - like a #6 and thread a screw into the hole.  Now, push the jag/patch into the bore, center the rod at the barrel end with the conical tapered collar, and measure from the barrel O.D. to the tip of the #6 screw.  You can turn the screw in/out to change the gap between the screw tip and the barrel O.D. surface.  Now rotate the tool around the barrel taking additional measurements.  If the measurements are all the same - you are happy!  If the measurement vary (much) the barrel bore is off center - you are sad!

The good news is that with this tool the barrel O.D. can be filed to bring the barrel bore to exact center.  I hope this makes sense.

Jim

[Bob Roller]

If memory serves me right,I think it was the practice of the Douglas barrel shop to put the breech plug on the end where any noticeable run out occured in drilling. The "Premium"grades were those that had no noticeable run out.

Bob Roller

[JTR]

If you can't live with the bore a bit off center, just file the flats until it is on center.
Or better yet, do it on a milling or surface grinding machine.

John

[billd]

Just got off the phone with Colerain.   They told me not to use the barrel, they will replace it.   

Bill