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SHOTGUN DENT FIX 05/07/2009 - By R.H. McCrory
R.H. McCrory
Photo of Simple Tool to Make
Experience of making a tool and lifting a dent in a shotgun barrel.
Ran across this in my junk box - memory lane. This is not the best dent remover but it was simple, quick and works. Old shotgun was pretty good but had this dent. To make a simple mandrel, I turned a 2" sleeve to fit in the barrel diameter, put in on a rod and did a little weld on the end. I filed a flat on the sleeve so it would go in along side of the dent. The flat is tapered a bit as I got a "feel" for what I wanted behind the dent. About mid-point fits the depth of the dent.
Located the well lubricated mandrel centered under the dent and turned the rod. It lifted the dent. After removing the tool the dent wasn't obvious to look at but I could still feel it . I put the tool back in and turned it to the 'lift' position and tapped around the dent area with a polished hammer face. Checked it again less to feel. Repeated a couple times till I could no longer feel it. Bore was not bright, so I could not tell if it would pass the distant light bulb test.
Caution against turning with the end of the mandrel at the dent, wants to be in the middle. In lifting a dent you are pushing it out using the opposite side to support the push. Too close to the end risks making a bulge opposite the dent. Mid placement of the mandrel spreads the push over a large area. The reason the mandrel didn't push out the dent and required tapping as described, is the metal had bit of spring to it that made it want to go back to the dent position. Tapping relieved that. See photo of dent lift mandrell.
