Barrel bulge, what to do?

[Berg]

I am getting a rifle with a bulge about an inch from the muzzle end of the barrel. I haven't seen it yet but I'm wondering aside from replacing the barrel what can be done to repair it? Is counterboring something that can be done at home? I'd rather not have to chop the end of the barrel off if possible because the rifle is collectible.

 

[22-rimfire]

Would it be possible to shorten the barrel a couple inches and still have it within legal limits? Yes, you said that is not something you want to do. Otherwise, I suspect the answer is replace the barrel which is not the end of the world. Take the rifle to a good gunsmith.

 

[Vaarok]

Counterbore. Easy to do with the kit GeneralZhukov on gunboards sells, and the deeper the counterbore, the easier it is to do correctly. I've counterbored rifles with a cordless drill and seen marked improvements in accuracy from just that. All it is, is a heavily recessed crown. Chopping back the muzzle without chopping off the barrel.

 

[BCRider]

I'd suggest that it really doesn't matter a whole lot to the value if you counter bore or shorten. Either way the collectable status will suffer badly.

So the what is left is to produce a good shooter. For that I'd want to shorten. An inch or more in to clear the bulge and be sure you're into good rifling is a long way to counter bore.

 

[LeonCarr]

Chop and crown...by the way, what kind/model of rifle is it?

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[dagger dog]

I bought a literal "kit" gun, it was a basket case found in the bottom drawer of a chest of drawers, that belonged to the deceased wife. I gave the widow 60 dollars.

To make a long story short, it had a bulged barrel that I didn't see on first inspection.
I called a local gunsmith to see about relining, told him the story and he quoted me a price, but then suggested I shoot it first. Much to my surprise it shot as accurate as I could hope for it to shoot with me at the trigger.

The bulge is about 2" back from the muzzle. This rifle was a Model 12A Remington 22 rim fire pump , the 24" barrel allowed for the 22 caliber bullet to develop maximum velocity before it hit the bulged area, and the muzzle was not damaged so the accuracy was not affected.

 

[SilentScream]

If overall length permits, cutting it down and recrowning is the best option. When done correctly you will not see any degradation in accuracy and may even see an improvement.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I am getting a rifle with a bulge about an inch from the muzzle end of the barrel. I haven't seen it yet but I'm wondering aside from replacing the barrel what can be done to repair it? Is counterboring something that can be done at home? I'd rather not have to chop the end of the barrel off if possible because the rifle is collectible.

First of all, why are you buying this rifle?

If it's a collectable, you should expect a big discount for the bulge.

If you intend to shoot it, and you get it for a good price, understanding that the bulge seriously lowers its collector value, the first thing to do is ask the gun. Shoot it and see if the bulge affects accuracy -- many rifles with bulges shoot quite well.

Next, if you bought it and it shoots poorly, you can do two things:

1. Cut the barrel behind the bulge and recrown the muzzle. You can do this at home, but any reputable gunsmith would do it for a reasonable price.

2. Rebarrel it and save the old barrel.​

I would check the prices on cutting and recrowning and then expect the sale price of the gun to be well below the cost of an unblemished rifle, minus the cost of rebarreling.

 

[soonerfan85]

I've got a 12b Gallery Special that's a hoot to shoot. If memory serves me correctly, in the condition you describe, unless it's stamped Peerless or Expert, your rifle is probably not worth much more than parts value. For the $60 you paid you did fine. If it were me I'd leave as is and enjoy shooting it. If the bulge bothers you have it repaired. Good luck with her.

oops, really need to put my glasses on when I read these threads. I responded thinking dagger dogs post was from the OP. Sorry about that.

 

[wally]

What caliber?

I'd shoot it first, if the crown is in good shape often a small bulge (visible ring) has little effect, especially with .22lr rifles.

 

[Scooter22]

Shoot tit first. I have 3 or 4 .22s with a ring or bulge and they shoot just fine. Theres no safety issue. If you hade a very accurate target rifle you would probabaly see a difference. For the run of the mill standard rife they generaly shoot the same. Good luck.

 

[Jim Watson]

Since the make and caliber are not given, I will just say that what can work in a .22 will not be acceptable in a centerfire.

 

[ball3006]

Check with Numrich and see what a barrel cost.....chris3

 

[rcmodel]

Until you have the gun and try shooting it?

Don't do anything.

It may shot just fine the way it is.

rc

 

[Ash]

I had a Mossberg 810 in 7mm Mag that was bulged at about the same spot. A bit of mud in the barrel - not much, certainly not clogged - and there was a bulge. I had it cut and re-crowned. The only problem for me was that the velocity dropped. Sure, reduced recoil loads still kept their power, but it lost its luster for me so I sold it. It depends on the round this rifle chambers as to what effect you can expect.

Being a collectible, the bulge will indeed wipe out a considerable amount of value. I've seen values halved or even a tithe of their original. If you plan on shooting it and the bulge is affecting accuracy, then I'd do the deep counter-bore.

 

[Berg]

Thanks for all the replies. The rifle is a Swedish Mauser M96 so it has a very long barrel, plenty of room for cutting if I have to. It's an FSR model that was worked over by Norma Precision in Sweden so it was a good shooter at one time. I haven't received it yet but I am wondering if the advice I am being given here to just shoot it as is can apply to a rifle in 6.5x55?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Certainly! Shoot it first.

But bargain for the gun -- M96s are nor really collectors items. They're shooters, and a shooter with a bulged barrel ought to go cheap.

 

[wally]

I haven't received it yet but I am wondering if the advice I am being given here to just shoot it as is can apply to a rifle in 6.5x55?

I can't honestly say I've ever encountered a centerfire rifle with a ringed barrel (pistol caliber carbines, yes), must have been a "minor" obstruction, as the normal cause of a ringed barrel (squib that almost makes it out) usually causes a blow-up with bottleneck rifle calibers.

If its out in front of where your hand will be I'd give it a try, it its not, go off sandbags first and use your best eyepro.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

It applies to any rifle (or handgun for that matter.) Shoot it first. If it shoots well, it ain't broken so don't fix it. But use the bulge to knock down the price, for at least enough to pay for cutting and re-crowning.

 

[watergun]

Bulged Barrel

When I was in the gun business a friend brought in a Remington 742 in 30-06 that had a bulge about 4'' back from the muzzle. I bought it for $50. Took it to my range at the house and it shot fine, MOA accuracy. Put it on the rack and sold it for $150 after first letting the buyer shoot it at the range. I was tickled and he got a cheap accurate rifle. So shoot it first, you may be surprised.