Bending barrel.

[Runner]

I have a single barrel shotgun that shoots about 3 feet low at 30 yards if you look down the barrel. I have gotten used to shooting it with the bead way up above the plain of the barrel, and I killed my spring gobbler with it. It is turkey season again, along with dove and squirrel season. I decided to bend the barrel to make the gun shoot the way it should. It has the square bottom beech plug on the back and an underrib on the front, so I have two flat surfaces to work between on this one. I used two 3/4 thick alluminum blocks and carefully set it all up on the very edge of my desk so I could use wood working clamps to do the bending. I put one just in front of where the octagon area ends and one midway of the underrib. I put most of the pressure on the one in the middle of the underrib but I kept a smooth bow full length using the second clamp. I did not go very far and I put it back together. As I set out for my afternoon hunt, I fired at the 30 yard target butt. I am now hitting 1 foot low. Tomorrow I will do it again and again I will shoot it to see where it is hitting as I leave to go chase the turkey birds around. I think one more will bring it right up where I want it. If anyone wants, I will take pictures while it is under pressure on the bench to show how much I am bowing it.

 

[AZ-Robert]

If anyone wants, I will take pictures while it is under pressure on the bench to show how much I am bowing it.

Yes, please.

 

[guncobbler]

Hi Runner - Sneak up on the last few inches of adjustment. You don't want to have to bend it back in the other direction. I bent a barrel using C clamps and ended up putting a little ripple in the barrel. Kind of interesting how much bend you can put in a barrel and not end up with permanent displacement. GC

 

[Runner]

I will go slow. I don't want to mess it up! I like the gun, but I was tired of having to shoot it the way I had to before this. It also has a 50 barrel that fits it. The single trigger isn't target grade, but it works for the shotgun just fine.

 

[Runner]

Ok, here it is. Getting a picture that showed the bend correctly turned out to be almost impossible. This one shows it, but it looks like it is mainly in the center. That is the camera. Anyway, here it is.