Shotgun

[Knifebar 0]

A friend of mine has a Shotgun single barrell 12 bore. He asked me what happened

to his gun as the end of the barrell has swollen and the little brass site is missing. Does

anyone know what could have happened to this gun as I don't know and he is curious

as to what done this. The gun is still working fine as far as I have been told.

 

Knifebar

[Ratman2 2]

  Knifebar said:

A friend of mine has a Shotgun single barrell 12 bore. He asked me what happened

to his gun as the end of the barrell has swollen and the little brass site is missing. Does

anyone know what could have happened to this gun as I don't know and he is curious

as to what done this. The gun is still working fine as far as I have been told.

 

Knifebar

First of all in my humble opinion that gun is not safe to use.

The cause of the barrel swelling may be down to incorrect load or steel shot or is the gun just worn out.

[Guest Macnas]

A barrel bulge such as your friend has experienced is usually caused by a blockage/obstruction, such as mud or snow.

 

It doesn't take much to cause this, and in this weather it is very easily done, the merest tip of the end of a gun barrel into some snow or the ground and it's plugged without you knowing it. A shot is fired and the barrel expands at the point of obstruction, before the mud or snow is blown out. Often the shooter is unaware of anything having happened until the day is over and the gun is being cleaned and put away.

 

I've seen such bulges removed by gunsmiths, as in the last inch or so of the barrel is cut off and squared up. Quite often some amount of choke remains and the gun is perfectly usuable once a new bead is tinned onto the rib or barrel.

 

I'm not sure as to the position in law, by that I mean I'm not sure if the gun would have to go for re-proof.

 

I'd advise your friend to take the gun to a good gunsmith and get his opinion.

[landrover 6]

i must agree with macnas a blockage at some time, there must have been some back pressure to cause the bulge, also as ratman says do'nt use it till he gets it sorted

[horse 0]

  Macnas said:

A barrel bulge such as your friend has experienced is usually caused by a blockage/obstruction, such as mud or snow.

 

It doesn't take much to cause this, and in this weather it is very easily done, the merest tip of the end of a gun barrel into some snow or the ground and it's plugged without you knowing it. A shot is fired and the barrel expands at the point of obstruction, before the mud or snow is blown out. Often the shooter is unaware of anything having happened until the day is over and the gun is being cleaned and put away.

 

I've seen such bulges removed by gunsmiths, as in the last inch or so of the barrel is cut off and squared up. Quite often some amount of choke remains and the gun is perfectly usuable once a new bead is tinned onto the rib or barrel.

 

I'm not sure as to the position in law, by that I mean I'm not sure if the gun would have to go for re-proof.

 

I'd advise your friend to take the gun to a good gunsmith and get his opinion.

i would to get this gun checked out, sounds very unsafe i think to heavy a load

[Knifebar 0]

Thank you all I will pass on information, would it be fair to say he would be better to replace the barrell to

ensure safety as guns needs to be treated with respect and care for user. The gun is not worth a great deal

so he could replace quite cheaply.

 

Kind regards

 

 

Knifebar

[Guest bruno527]

a slight blokage for sure has done this.......as said mud/snow when rested on the earth !!

[theobenmike 0]

It's always surprised me that the barrels bulge or blow a hole in the side of them before the mud or snow comes out I've seen a few at gamefairs that have had 20 bore cartridges put in by mistake followed by a 12 bore cartridge and then fired :vava:

[Guest bruno527]

  theobenmike said:

It's always surprised me that the barrels bulge or blow a hole in the side of them before the mud or snow comes out I've seen a few at gamefairs that have had 20 bore cartridges put in by mistake followed by a 12 bore cartridge and then fired :vava:

 

huh!! how the hell ,they do that ??

 

have a look in the 'Jan' shooting times mag, what happens !!

[theobenmike 0]

  bruno527 said:

  theobenmike said:

It's always surprised me that the barrels bulge or blow a hole in the side of them before the mud or snow comes out I've seen a few at gamefairs that have had 20 bore cartridges put in by mistake followed by a 12 bore cartridge and then fired :vava:

 

huh!! how the hell ,they do that ??

 

have a look in the 'Jan' shooting times mag, what happens !!

 

 

I think its 20 bore anyway (might be 16 bore) but people who shoot different calibers, and have both in thier pocket, load the smaller one in and must think it's fell out of the other end of the barrel, so then load a 12 bore cartridge in and then there's a 3 inch chunk of barrel where it shouldn't be. I've seen the results of doing this and the mud/snow in the end of the barrel but it surprised me that the mud or snow didn't blow out before the side of the barrel did. I just always imagined that the snow would be easier to shift than the steel of the barrel

[Knifebar 0]

  theobenmike said:

It's always surprised me that the barrels bulge or blow a hole in the side of them before the mud or snow comes out I've seen a few at gamefairs that have had 20 bore cartridges put in by mistake followed by a 12 bore cartridge and then fired :vava:

 

Hello ,

 

Real good question. I wondered this and could never understand how the barrell ruptures or distorts before the snow or mud comes out. If there are any scientists out there could explain the laws of physics it would answer an age old question! (Snow is stronger than steel, seemingly).

 

Regards

 

Knifebar

[Guest Macnas]

Its not so much to do with the steel of the barrel, its what's happening inside the barrel at that moment in time.

 

And indeed, time is the major factor. The explosion and resultant gases fill the barrel instantaneously, for all intents and purposes, and it has to get out/vent just as quick. When the escape way is blocked, (and I would say snow might be worse than mud, as it would be, for a micro-second, turned into a solid slug of water which is incompressible), the barrel becomes a gastight chamber, something it is not designed to be.

 

The resultant over-pressure causes enormous stress to the barrel and will cause metal failure at any weak point (bad dents or serious pitting for example), or, if the barrel is sound, will bulge at the point of constriction.