Drilled through the barrel

[smallpatch]

Still have my two short tapered barrels! 
First underlug dovetails in the waist of a swamped barrel, cut the same depth as the others..... oops!?!
I feel your pain.
I don't use any fancy jigs, just an adjustable depth gage.

[Rolf]

I'd cut up the barrel and use it for other Projects. Rather that than worry if its safe every time you shoot it.

Best regards
Rolf

[Tennessee.45]

After looking down the breech end, the hole is in the groove. If I where to plug the hole and solder it in place would that cause a catastrophic failure? I pushed several .570 with .010 and thicker patches through and they barely snag, I can push the ball either way easily

[smylee grouch]

If it were mine I would forget it. The chance of rust getting in any tiny little area that you cant see will some time down the road eat it's way deeper and surprise you when it wont take the pressure. The cost of a new barrel is minor compared to the possible out come. Save up for the new barrel if you have to and don't look back except to not do it again.

[Joe S.]

After looking down the breech end, the hole is in the groove. If I where to plug the hole and solder it in place would that cause a catastrophic failure? I pushed several .570 with .010 and thicker patches through and they barely snag, I can push the ball either way easily

Ask yourself.......Your life and limb worth it?how bout the fellow next to you????Life's to full of risk without making more

[Tennessee.45]

I went ahead and cut the barrel, don't want to risk it

[Mike Brooks]

I still think a tooth pick would of fixed 'er right up.....

[Joe S.]

LOL, some tough toothpicks there

[BOB HILL]

Wise choice, Tenn. You will not regret it.
Bob

[Joe S.]

Yup,better safe than sorry

[Bob Roller]

I still think a tooth pick would of fixed 'er right up.....

Maybe the escaping gas could have been used to eject the ram rod for a fast reload.
HOWEVER,reality dictates otherwise and you did the right thing by cutting that barrel up.

Bob Roller

[JCKelly]

Agree that a toothpick + glue would be good as other fix here.

How many fingers Y'all have today?

Just curious

[Mike Brooks]

I was on the line at Friendship years ago and a guy next to me was trying out a new rifle he just received by a "big name" builder. When he shot it it seemed smoke was coming out from under the stock. The front lug was cut too deep and was leaking gas. Didn't blow the stock out luckily. I don't think they fixed that one with a tooth pick either.

[Daryl]

Maybe need a tougher setting glue?

[Mark Elliott]

I have done that once before.  I cut the barrel in two and used the back end as a handle to hold breech plugs for forging.   Needless to say,  it was an expensive mistake.   I am not drilling pin holes the same way anymore.    I am now drilling the hole through the stock and then using that hole to drill the lug.   If I mess up the first hole, it can be plugged.

[Tennessee.45]

I'm deffinnot drilling them this way anymore...to expensive to keep replacing barrels...

[Dave Patterson]

I was on the line at Friendship years ago and a guy next to me was trying out a new rifle he just received by a "big name" builder. When he shot it it seemed smoke was coming out from under the stock. The front lug was cut too deep and was leaking gas. Didn't blow the stock out luckily. I don't think they fixed that one with a tooth pick either.

One of my two hunting buddies had a similar experience:  was given his Daddy's old (factory built) .45 MLR that his Pop had hunted with for years.

Took it to the range, cleaned the bore, stuffed a (fortunately) pretty mild load down 'er, and lit 'er off.  Sitting at the bench next to him with the sun behind him, I could see smoke spit out from the barrel channel, just in front of the entry pipe:  not good.

It's now a wall-hanger... one lucky break was enough for Will.

[thecapgunkid]

And I thought I was the only one.  Yup.  Carbine or pistol barrel.

There's a reason all those DVD's tell you to just touch the lug with the bit, pull the barrel, drill the hole, re-seat the barrel and go through the wood on the other side. Jim Turpin even talks about a level on his drill and Hershel House has a golden comment on what happens when you try to drill in one shot.  Haven't had a temper tantrum like that since I was young...in a different century.

Even if you don't snag the cloth when you push a dry ball down, what d'ya think will happen when small explosions take place in that barrel.

I used so much Marine Corps Mouth when I did it that I had to go to confession.

Don't shoot yore eye out ( or have to go to confession) kid

The Capgun Kid

[Tennessee.45]

After cutting the barrel I have about. 10" piece I'm thinking about having turned down for an oct/round pistol barrel.

[Long John]

Tennessee,

I'm not going to join some of the other here who seem to be having fun with this.  You deserve better than that.  It's best that you accept the fact that you ruined that barrel and replace it.  Nothing you do will result in a safe barrel and nothing you can do will result in a barrel that will shoot satisfactorily.  Replace it.

You also should review just how you were drilling the stock for pins - that hole is way off. 

Good Luck.

John Cholin

[rich pierce]

Don't get discouraged. If we all quit after a painful mistake there wouldn't be anybody left making longrifles.

[Mike Brooks]

Tennessee,

I'm not going to join some of the other here who seem to be having fun with this.  You deserve better than that.  It's best that you accept the fact that you ruined that barrel and replace it.  Nothing you do will result in a safe barrel and nothing you can do will result in a barrel that will shoot satisfactorily.  Replace it.

You also should review just how you were drilling the stock for pins - that hole is way off. 

Good Luck.

John Cholin

No sense of humor eh? He knows he ruined the barrel, no reason to beat him over the head about it, ruined one myself once.

[jerrywh]

 When I first read this I laughed and thought just how dumb it was but then after reflecting on all the mistakes I have made over the years I have concluded that this and worse can happen to anybody on a bad day. Save that barrel and but and new one. You won't do it again.  I have ruined a couple of pieces of wood worth about $350.00 each. Anybody who hasn't made a bad error is going to some day or else they don't do anything. Some day you will make some fine pistols from that barrel.
   You should but one of Dave Race's fixtures for that job.

[David R. Pennington]

Here is one way to do it. I have a little benchtop drill press. I set a fence up so the top flat rests on the fence and the drill goes exactly where I want it on the lug. Then I clamp the barrel in the stock blank and with the top flat against the fence and the location marked on the wood the hole has to go in the right place. Of course for anything other than a straight barrel the fence has to be set for each lug location.

[Eric Krewson]

I cut a huge cherry tree near the house, slabbed out a highly figured stock blank that had perfect grain flow through the wrist because of of a knot in the slab that the grain flowed around.



I dried my blank with no warping and cut the profile for a southern rifle,

When I got ready to inlet my barrel I drew a center line and a couple of side profile lines to narrow the blank and went to my bandsaw.

Daydreaming a bit, I was sawing merrily away when I noticed I had just cut down my center line all the way to the entry pipe location. So much for that great piece of wood, I glued the split closed and I gave it to a friend who will stock random parts to make a functional gun and not worry about a mostly invisible glue line in the forestock.

Stuff happens......