there MUST be a reason why they bend barrels..right?

[Mike Brooks]

The muzzle can be filed at an angle to change the point of impact too. I've never done it, but I know of some ML trap shooters that have done it on doubles.

 

[Slash]

Nope! Regulate is so that no one screams in my ear "BEND MY BARREL?". Been there, Done that!
Slash

 

[wszumera]

It is a way to deal with the problem. Years ago, I bought a .58 from a guy. Way too long and heavy so I chopped off 7 inches. Darn barrel had run out on drilling. Muzzle end is off center. Wished I never had done it.

Now for your problem, I'd move front and rear which will go opposite ways to minimize the 'it don't look right' to your fix. I would not bend it. But seeing that it is a smooth bore and likely serves as a shot gun, bending might be a option if no rear sights.

Clutch

 

[Toomuch_36]

So, who's got a barrel that can shoot around corners?

Contact Elmer Fudd from Warner Brothers. :haha: They're great for shooting down wabbit holes. :rotf: :rotf:

Toomuch
.........
Shoot Flint

 

[Mike Brooks]

So, who's got a barrel that can shoot around corners?

Contact Elmer Fudd from Warner Brothers. :haha: They're great for shooting down wabbit holes. :rotf: :rotf:

Toomuch
.........
Shoot Flint

Wer'es da wabitt?

 

[CoyoteJoe]

My favorite "bent barrel" scene was the old "Snuffy Smith" cartoons before Snuffy became politically correct. He'd set out to a card game toting his old rifle and in the morning come staggering home with his rifle bent around his neck. Guess some folks took their card playing pretty serious. Snuffy was always threatening to "bounce a rifle ball off yer punkin haid". :haha:

 

[Nugget]

Correct me if I'm wrong (like this bunch needs an invitation :grin: ), but isn't regulating alinging point of impact for doubles? Seems to me that bending a single barrel is just that, bending a barrel. And most of the double rifles that were properly regulated were soldered, shot, adjusted and resoldered several times before leaving the factory. No bending involved with regulating a double rifle. Let my schooling begin!

 

[Toomuch_36]

Correct me if I'm wrong (like this bunch needs an invitation :grin: ), but isn't regulating alinging point of impact for doubles? Seems to me that bending a single barrel is just that, bending a barrel. And most of the double rifles that were properly regulated were soldered, shot, adjusted and resoldered several times before leaving the factory. No bending involved with regulating a double rifle. Let my schooling begin!

On double guns the most common method of trueing both barrels to the same POI was to file the ends of the barrels. By fileing a taper on the end of the barrel this would pull the POI to the direction of where you filed off the most material. This adjustment was (of course) range specific, usually at about 50 yd. Beyond the set range where both barrels would have the same POI the balls would still cross and the right barrel would be shooting left of POA and the left barrel would be shooting right of POA.

Toomuch
............
Shoot Flint

 

[Many Klatch]

I'm of the "stick in the fork of a tree and tug" school of barrel bending. I had a .54 rifle that shot 6 inches high and 7 inches to the right at 25 yards after it was built. After all kinds of time at the range, all I managed to do was get a real tight group at 6 inches high and 7 inches to the right. :cursing:

If I had moved the sights enough to counteract all that I would have had to have the sight sticking out beyond the barrel.

I got "upset" with the gun and decided that it was either going to shoot straight or wind up as a tomato stake.

I stuck the barrel between the forks of a tree and tugged. The gun shot a little closer to center. About 10 more shots and 3 more tugs and I was hitting at point of aim. :thumbsup: The gun has been shooting good for the last 10 years, so it must have been OK.

 

You see, it ain't rocket science. It seems this was a common way of working it to shoot straight in the old days. Anyways, that's how the old time indians did it and I imagine that's how a lot of folks did it. :thumbsup: