Shotgun barrel dent removal

[penpusher]

In a search on the internet I have come across 2 methods for raising dents in a shotgun barrel.The first is by using a hydraulic dent raiser. These dent raisers range in price from $ 390 to 450.The best price that I found is one for $ 200 , second hand.

The other and more economical method and something that can be done in India also , is to machine a piece of steel to the exact dimension of the bore and drive it through the barrel to raise the dent.

Any suggestions.I have inherited a 12 SxS WJ Jeffery hammer shotgun from my grandfather that has a couple of dents in the barrel and was thinking of getting them removed.

Take care,
penpusher

[Ranjeet Singh]

Hi penpusher,

On my last visit to a gun shop in India, I saw a guard come in with a shotgun which had its barrel severely dented. But it was mostly deformed at the muzzle.
I thought he had tried to make a full choke out of a cyl barrel himself

The shop keeper told me its common as most people esp Guards hit the muzzle on the ground very often resulting in such dents and they can be rectified very easily.

I guess, if you trust a decent gunsmith, he should be able to help you, unless you have dents right up in the middle or at the breach.

Regards
Ranjeet

[Mark]

penpusher,

Do you have access to a machine shop? It would not be difficult to make a mechanical version of the dent raiser, where you could tighten a bolt at the end of the shaft to raise a roller.

[Mark]

... Or you could try firing half a box of steel shot through it!

[Grumpy]

The trouble with raising a dent with a slug is that if just pushed through the dented part of the bore the dent will be flattened but the barrel will be thinned at the near side of the dent and crimped - slightly folded - at the far side. The best technique is to attack the dent gently, first from one side and then from the other. Give a bit of a push and then swap ends - continually swapping round until the dent is raised.
Slugs should not be made of steel as it will mark the barrel - I make mine out of copper or brass and also of a very hard timber. I haven`t a clue what it is - similar to Lignum Vitae but with much more figure. The slug needs to be turned in a lathe so that it is a tight fit in the bore and should have the front edges radiused. Depending on whereabouts in the bore the dent is you might have to make up two with slightly different diameters - one for one side, one for the other. Make sure that the slug is very firmly attached to the rod as you don`t want to get it jammed and stuck tight in the barrel. I know that steel slugs are often used and are easy to buy but I can tell you that oldtime British gunmakers/gunsmiths would never use steel slugs........although they are probably OK for raising dents in a thick walled American barrel.
All the above assumes that the crease runs along the length of the barrel - or approximately anyway - or is a `soft` dent with no centre crease. If the crease is across the barrel then getting the dent to raise without leaving evidence is much more difficult and the use of a hydraulic dent raiser is recommended if one is available.
You`ll have to rub down the exterior of the barrel after raising the dent as there will be a slight ridge - metal stretches. That means a reblue as well unfortunately.
If the dent is pronounced DO NOT use the gun until the dent has been raised.

[penpusher]

Grumpy/Mark/Ranjeet

Thanks for the replies.Seems like I should have talked to my gunsmith first befor posting here.He has a hydraulic dent raiser

Take care,
penpusher

[eljefe]

From one WJ Jefferey owner to another-Congrats and go for it penpusher
Best
Axx

[andy_65_in]

Have a bsa uk make vintage shotgun with similar problems viz a small pin sized dent in the right cylinder barrel as a result of a fall of the weapon on its side ( careless handling). as a result the dent is visible inside the barrel.what is the best option- ignore it or else try to remove it and if the latter than by what method.could this dent(protrusion )inside the barrel eventually lead to a unusual thinning of the barrel at that point .the weapon has so far shown no problems even though i have fired loads from No 1 and downwards which could be attributable to its BSA lineage as the weapon itself is more than a century old being an ancestral firearm.thanks

[penpusher]

Andy,

Try not to make duplicate posts in the future.Re. your problem,try to get hold of somebody with a hydraulic dent raiser.You would be surprised how easily and quickly the dents can be removed.

penpusher