shotgun barrel dent removal at home with pictures.

[fecmech]

Dave-(another A&P here) I would not worry one bit about the safety of that barrel. Shotgun powders are relatively fast and and the time pressure curve is pretty steep decreasing once you leave the chamber area. Great job on the dents.

 

[TonyT]

I thorouhly enjoyed your description of both how the dent occured and the remolval process. welcome to the forum.

 

[orionengnr]

Just another A&P checking in.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story of both the original damage (that is tto say, the story was well told even if the outcome was an unhappy one) and especially the well-thought-out repair process.

The "bumping" of the outside of the barrel shows some understanding of metal and how to put it into motion with minimum force required and minimum trauma inflicted.

The use of the Scotch tape was ingenious as well.

I love a happy ending--Great job!

 

[SleazyRider]

Best doggone post I've read in a while, and I can't wait to hear about more "home smithing" from you. Living proof that craftsmanship and ingenuity trump certifications anyday.

 

[Dave Bulla]

Up for Bob C.

 

[sophijo]

Up for Bob C

Great thread Dave, but what does that mean?

 

[Dave Bulla]

Thanks sophijo,

"Up for Bob C" was me making an entry on this old post to bring it back to the top of the list so my friend Bob could find it. I'd told him about it but didn't remember the exact title I'd posted this under so I looked it up myself and brought it up where he could find it easier.

Same as TTT which is "to the top".

 

[Milanodan]

>"The steel has now been stretched twice (once when it got dinged and once when you straightened it.) This area of the bbl. will never be as strong as it was. This is the reason most 'smiths won't try to remove dents."<

Ever heard of "work hardening"? The dented area is now the strongest area of the barrel!

BTW, look up "Luders lines/bands" and "stretcher strains" for info on why the dented areas are visible.

 

[SleazyRider]

Metal hardness and metal strength are 2 different properties. I don't believe there's been a significant change in either, however.

 

[Milanodan]

Metal hardness and metal strength are 2 different properties. I don't believe there's been a significant change in either, however.

Ever seen a Wilson, etc. hardness conversion chart, where the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) is the last column on the right?

Hardness, especially of steel, correlates very well with UTS, but not so much with yield strength (YS). Doesn't matter, because YS increases faster with work hardening than UTS.

I agree that for the minor amount of deformation in the subject barrel the strength wouldn't increase by much, but that area is slightly harder/stronger than the rest of the barrel.

 

[Pete D.]

metal

Work hardening also makes the metal brittle -that's why a wire can be made to break by bending it back and forth.
I'd not worry about that issue on this barrel.
Pete

 

[Milanodan]

Yes, if taken to an extreme. Not an issue for even severe denting of a barrel, unless it's done several times.

 

[PT1911]

hell of a good job... most would have given up on that one without an attempt to salvage it... Kudos.

 

[Seedtick]

+1 Dave Bulla

Great post!

I hope to never have a damaged shotgun barrel but if I do maybe I can use the information presented here to remedy it.

Thank you, Sir.

Seedtick

 

[Waywatcher]

Very cool, thanks for sharing!

I also think this gun is perfectly safe to use. Quick Shotgun powder fully burns in like 10" if I recall correctly. Naturally, peak pressure would be sometime before.

Personally I wouldn't try to blue it at all.

 

[supercopjason]

If your worried about the metal after the dent repair drop it off at a Cryogenics shop. Find one that specializes in automotive parts and you may get it done pretty cheap. I pay 30 bucks per setup and can do quite a bit.

 

[Old Guard Dog]

I was always taught that a dent can be fixed safely, but a buldge should never be fixed, since the metal has been stretched, and will be weak if moved back into shape.

 

[Dave Bulla]

Well howdy!

I've been gone quite a while and hadn't looked this thing up for quite some time.

Glad to see some positive replies to my questions about the safety of the repair. Pretty much all of what you are saying is about what I figured before I started this project. I always figured that yes, bending metal work hardens it and if you do it repeatedly it will break but this little bit of movement didn't seem like it would be an issue.

Milanodan said "BTW, look up "Luders lines/bands" and "stretcher strains" for info on why the dented areas are visible."

Thanks for the tip. I'll check them out. Always willing to learn something new.