Shotgun Barrel Bulge
 

I have been in negotiations to buy a 12ga O/U shotgun but found out it had a small bulge in the middle of the lower barrel. My immediate reaction was to walk away from the deal. I know there would be an inherant risk with buying the gun but the price makes me question the decision to walk away.

Anyone have any thoughts or experience with a barrel bulge?

Thanks

if it's more than a few thou. I'd stay away from it unless the barrel can be removed like on an 870.
What brand of gun and how much?
Cat

Thanks for the reply Cat. I'll have to get him to get me a measurement on it and let me know. I have been thinking more about it and I may see if he'll let me take it in to a gunsmith to have it looked at first. It and O/U so I doubt the barrel can be removed and replaced very easily.

I have seen many bulges in barrels, some bad, some not so bad.
One of my 28's has a bulge in it that is barely noticeable, doesn't affect the gun at all, but sure does put a crink in the value!!:thinking-006:
Cat

For sure. The price is about half what the others are so thats the big dilema. Decisions, decisions..thanks for the input.

You see a bulge , but you have no way of knowing how much the barrel has been weakened.
So you save a buck, take a chance, and injure or kill someone down the road.

Or possibly nothing ever happens. Are you willing to live with the consequences of your decision ? How do you explain away an accident that happened because you knowingly fired a damaged gun?

My buddy and I own a Hossford barrel gauge because we have had so many cases of older guns with pits and slight bulges in them.
With that gauge we can measure exactly how deep a pit or a bulge is, and it has become an invaluable tool for use as we are forever buying and selling vintage guns!:)
Cat

Bulge equals stretched steel, thinner, weaker, stressed. Why intentionally buy something that is potentially dangerous ? :confused:

Grizz

Pete, totally agree. Not really worth saving a few hundred dollars to have it blow out in a few years or even worse, blow up in your face. To bad I dont have a barrel gauge to get a an accurate measurement of the bulge.

The more I think aobut it, the more I convince myself it is not worth the risk. I'll have to pass this time and keep my eyes open for another deal.
Thanks guys.

...Could just go buy a cheapie digital caliper from crappy tire, and measure it?

It works to a certain extent , but is not as accurate as a person needs at times.
Depending on where the largest section of the bulge is, you can be off considerably with a digital vernier .:thinking-006:
It's best to measure with equipment designed just for that .
I realize that most shooters are not prepared to spend that kind of money but I'm sure most gunsmiths dealing with shotguns have The equipment needed.:)
Cat

There is more to stretched steel's integrity than the size of the bulge. Actual wall thicknesses would need ultra Sonic's to determine accurately , then there is the stress factors that were the cause of the bulge, and how they affected the steel, other than the obvious bulge. At what point will it burst? Is it stress cracked? and how do you see that if the crack is on the inside only ?
If there was a sour gas line with a bulge running near your house would you fee ok with that? Didn't think so.

This gun would not happen to be a Beretta DT-10, A K gun, or a Blaser?

Just asking.:)

No, Browning. I passed on it as it just didn't sit right.