doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com barrel dent removal ideas

Just wondering if anyone has any tricks to removing small dents
in barrels. My old Stevens 335 has a couple of small dents, about
an 1/8th. of an inch in diameter, just a couple of inches back from
the muzzles. If you look in the muzzles, you can see them project-
ing in the bores. Short of investing in a dent raiser, is there any
thing that I could do? I've thought of turning a plug, a few thou
less than bore diameter, maybe out of brass, and somehow driving it
gently past the dents from the chamber end, so as not to damage the
chokes. Is this crazy or has anyone tried this before. Any thoughts
would be great. Thanks. Ron

Ron, years ago Mittermeir used to sell expandable bronze dent removers. These were available in 12,16, and 20 ga. One used them by expanding them to bore diameter, greasing the bore, and then driving them in to a place directly below the dent. A heavy wooden dowel was the most frequently used "driver", and it took some mallet work from the breech end to make them arrive at the right spot. A lead hammer or piece of very hard wood (today it is micarta)was then used externally to peen the dent out. Very simple. If you have the means to turn such a plug, I am sure it'll do the same job. Keep you eyes open at gun shows: the last time I saw a set of these, no one knew what they were. They sold for $5.00 for the set of three gauges. Chopper

Ron,
I have made half a dozen or so plugs to remove dents with and taken out dozens of dents. There's one plug/rod next to me as I type this. I make them using drillrod because it's a fine grained steel that machines well. I don't harden them. I do round the nose off and polish them a bit, but not all that much. I make them about 2" long and drill a 1/4" dia blind hole in the end opposite the nose. This is for centering a 1/4" rod so I can TIG it on. The rod should be longer than the barrel of course. Grease it up before you drive it under a dent. If you are going to refinish the barrels, you can use a steel hammer that has been polished on the face. If you want to preserve the blueing, some of the guys have been using a thin brass shimstock over the dent area to prevent marring by the hammer face.

If the dents are in the choke tapers, much more finess is required as well as the taper angle and diameters. Might require some good measuring tools and a good machinist.

Ron,
I've have the hydrolic, the Mittermeir model, and even the one that Dutchman Wood Works used to make...then out of desperation one day I decided to press some antique dent irons into service on a Parker and there was no going back. They are so easy to use even a drunk could iron out the dents without going too far or making further damage.

I have some old dent irons that belonged to Emil Flues...they look homemade and simple enough to make yourself...if you tell me what guage your interested in, I'll photograph and measure them, and post the info here...if you think you might be interested, just say so...

I have the hydralic lifter for 12 gauge as well and like it's results very much. When I priced them for 16 and 20 gauge recently and found them close to $500 each I looked for cheaper alternatives. I was advised from this Board to use "GAUGE PINS". I purchase two (2) sets to cover all gauges from 28-12 for about $125 total from Ebay. These work just as well if not better than the lifter at much less $$. If interested SKB from this site can advise on their use.
Bob Jurewicz

I would think you would want the internal "anvil" as hard as possible and as close fitting to the bore diameter as you could get for a sliding to very light press fit. Would it be helpful to radius the external punch to the outside diameter of the barrel if you were trying to preserve the blue? If the "anvil" has a slight taper on the nose, you should be able to work the dent up a bit at a time? Or, is it better to push the dent up and then tap it back down?

I use a home made affair that was made for lapping out a barrel. It's made from brass and is expandable, much like an adjustable reamer with an internal allen head set screw. Once in place it's tightened, and a engravers hammer is used to raise the dent. Yes , it does mark the blueing. Paul

I'm glad to hear the gage pins worked for you Bob, tons of other uses for them too. Its my favorite way to lift a dent.
Steve

With most any metal process, there's more than one way to skin the cat. The hydraulic dent raiser was designed to be put into use quickly, with no measuring and machining. It's great for the guy with no lathe or the shop that does the occasional dent.

The gauge-plug idea and dent raiser plug set pretty much approach it the same way; drive a plug unter the dent and tap around the dent until it's gone. The issue I see with the commercial gauge-plug is that the nose still should be radiused to prevent carving the inside of the barrel when driven under a dent. Also, having a rod attached to the pin is handy.

Making individual plugs to fit may be difficult for most as measureing the bore accurately and turning the plug accurately is required. Beyond the skills or equipment of most. If you are equipped for it, however, making a plug to fit can be quick. I've made many and can do them in about a half hour start to finish with all the measureing, turning and welding the rod on.

Pick your poison. They all work.

I have a set of hydraulic dent raisers, but I rarely use them.....the best "tool" I've found for the job is a set of screw in choke installation steel pilots....they come in .002" increments and can be driven under the dent....once properly located under the dent, a brass or plastic hammer can be used to finish the dent from the outside....often, a bit of bore honing is required to finish the job, since a dent will have caused a bit of metal stretching.