Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Improving and repairing firearms. Rifle bedding, barrel work, stock replacement and other ways to improve your firearms.

Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by feedr » 12 Nov 2013, 12:39 pm

A mate of mine has found he's got a very slight bulge in the barrel of his 30-06.

He's not exactly sure what it happened as he's been shooting it regularly with no problem, and he only noticed it during its latest cleaning.

Could have had it for a while though as it's only subtle and he never noticed it being at the muzzle end.

Anyway, can something be done to salvage the barrel?

It seems to shoot well enough, but has shaken his confidence a little. Doesn't want anything to go more wrong while he's on the other end of it.

Does anyone reshape and check the strength of barrels or anything like that? Or is it time for a new barrel?
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Re: Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by Blackened » 12 Nov 2013, 6:10 pm

Even if you compressed the outside of the barrel to push it back to the original silhouette (not done by anyone AFAIK), the interior of the barrel wouldn't be like it was before.

The rifling would still be warped.

Has he found a decrease in accuracy with the bulge?
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Re: Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by Lyam » 12 Nov 2013, 6:16 pm

How far is "being at the muzzle end" ?

Shorten then barrel?

He could lop off a few inches to remove the bulge as long as the overall rifle length is above the limit.
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Re: Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by Skadoo » 12 Nov 2013, 7:30 pm

feedr wrote:Does anyone reshape and check the strength of barrels or anything like that? Or is it time for a new barrel?


I think you can have the outside of the barrel milled down so it's flush again.

The insides not fixed though obviously.

At the end of the day the barrels compromised, if you can't trim it because the bulge is too far down the barrel - new barrel time IMO.
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Re: Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by feedr » 12 Nov 2013, 8:49 pm

It's only about 2" from the muzzle.

I think it's 24" barrel or something like that. He should be able to chop it down and stay above length hopefully.

Wish we know how he did it though.

He didn't notice a strange firing or anything like that, bulge just appeared.

Strange.
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Re: Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by Warrigul » 13 Nov 2013, 10:32 am

You know, three weeks ago I lightly dented the right barrel of my, up until that point unmarked, AYA SXS shotgun I bought to shoot birds off crops with.

It is only visible if you look really hard about three inches from the muzzle.

I was devastated but after a couple of weeks shooting I have realised it shoots as well as ever and hardly anyone can find it if they look. I paid $450 for it unfired (it is about 15 years old) and was contemplating getting it fixed, cutting the barrel(it is a 30") or a new one.

I have now realised I am being too fussy and have settled down to use the thing until it is worn out (usually takes me only three or four years) and then I will get another.

Sometimes just knowing something is there unsettles us, even if it doesn't affect how it works.
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Re: Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by Kipper » 13 Nov 2013, 11:03 am

Warrigul wrote:Sometimes just knowing something is there unsettles us, even if it doesn't affect how it works.


I hate that s**t :lol:

I always stress over completely pointless things for like a month then afterwards never thing about it again :roll:
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Re: Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by Weepy » 13 Nov 2013, 11:07 am

Warrigul wrote:You know, three weeks ago I lightly dented the right barrel of my, up until that point unmarked, AYA SXS shotgun I bought to shoot birds off crops with.

It is only visible if you look really hard about three inches from the muzzle.

I was devastated but after a couple of weeks shooting I have realised it shoots as well as ever and hardly anyone can find it if they look. I paid $450 for it unfired (it is about 15 years old) and was contemplating getting it fixed, cutting the barrel(it is a 30") or a new one.


A ding on the outsides a bit different to a bulge on the inside though.

I can live with scratches, not sure how comfortable I am with a barrel that's had a near accident...
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Re: Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by Warrigul » 13 Nov 2013, 1:10 pm

Kipper wrote:
Warrigul wrote:Sometimes just knowing something is there unsettles us, even if it doesn't affect how it works.


I hate that s**t :lol:

I always stress over completely pointless things for like a month then afterwards never thing about it again :roll:


I am really bad for it. Even if the Hilux is only a couple of hundred over oil change or grease or something I will worry until I get it done. I once sold a car to a mate stressing that I thought the gearbox was on the way out, I was convinced it was on the way out and I needed to get rid of it, ten years and 250,000km later it is still going fine.............................
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Re: Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by Fry » 13 Nov 2013, 1:19 pm

Warrigul wrote:I am really bad for it.


When something's on my mind, I sometimes go to bed and roll around thinking about it then after a few hours give up and have to get up even if it's 2 or 3 in the morning to finish it.

:oops:
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Re: Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by feedr » 25 Jan 2014, 5:09 pm

Warrigul wrote:I am really bad for it. Even if the Hilux is only a couple of hundred over oil change or grease or something I will worry until I get it done.


I do the same :lol:

I was a day late for my latest service and I drove around 10km under the limit on the day before dropping it off at the dealer :lol:
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Re: Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by Oldbloke » 01 Feb 2014, 4:00 pm

LOL, now I know I'm almost "normal". Sometimes I worry about minor things too. And old age hasn't helped. LOL

Dock the barrel to 21 or 22" (if that is enough) and go back to sleep. No real noticeable effect on ballistics either.
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Re: Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by Rocker » 02 Feb 2014, 11:49 am

I half wish I had a barrel go octopus on me so I have an interesting souvenir :lol:
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Re: Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by DaleH » 05 Feb 2014, 4:33 pm

You could trim it and rename it a "Salvage Arms 30-60"??

Me, I'd ditch it and get a new barrel. In all reality, unless it is overloaded in future, it will probably work without fault but your safety margin on the barrel design would have been severely eroded - not worth the risk
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Re: Can you salvage a bulged barrel?

Post by chacka » 05 Feb 2014, 7:53 pm

I'm with Dale.

Once it's been compromised, out it goes.

What's a new barrel, $300 or something?

You wan't $300 or you want your face intact...
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