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Ok guys, let's get something straight here. Fixing a bulge on fluid steel barrels is an entirely different deal from fixing a bulge on a set of damascus tubes, right? Or am I wrong? Not judging, just asking...
JR

The questions I worry about is where is the bulge and what caused it? If past my left hand, well down the barrel I'd try to get it tapped back in and roll the dice. If near the chamber to as far as my left hand I'd scrap the barrels. Second failure could result in serious injury to others or me. I just won't take that chance anymore.

I've seen both steel and Damascus barrels that had bulges removed. Was told it was just a crap shoot if they would come back. Metal men tell me worked metal should be stronger but who knows. I do remember Toni had a 20 bore Clark which had a bulge removed and then pass reproof. Only to fail n the first box Os shells. You pay your money and take your chances. Just keep the risk down as much as you can.

Experts on Guns and Shooting, George Teasdale Teasdale-Buckell, 1900
http://books.google.com/books?id=4xRmHkr7Lp8C&pg=PA373&dq
On the subject of steel v. Damascus, Mr Stephen Grant is very clear, and much prefers Damascus for hard working guns. He related an anecdote of one of his patrons, whose keeper stupidly put a 12-bore cartridge into his master�s gun without knowing that he had previously inserted a 20-case, which had stuffed up the barrel. Fortunately, no burst occurred, but a big bulge, which, however, Mr Grant hammered down, and the gun is now as good as ever.

That said, I would suggest bulge (or dent) repair on a Pattern Welded barrel should only be attempted by an expert

Dent raised, filed and fractured



Bulge pounded down...and fractured



Probably NOT the best repair technique

Brad has done a number of barrels for me and I've always been happy. You won't be disappointed.

The suggestion of Pete Mazur was an excellent one. You will not fine better work.

Damascus is much softer than fluid steel and requires a gentle hand. As a rule, dents can be lifted with a very high degree of success by a skilled craftsman. Bulges......I will not touch them but YMMV.

Unstretching stretched metal?
Petty tough to do in the flat. Try it some time in the round.

Might want to start with a piece of copper roofing material first. Just to get a handle on stretching, shrinking, annealing, hammering, etc. Working copper is part of historic roof restoration. Steel doesn't work like copper.

I have a shotgun where the slight bulge was just filed off. Does that count as a bulge repair?

I suppose it served it's purpose. I bought the shotgun before I bought a WTG.

My PH had several issues with the right tube. Nothing that I could describe as a "ring bulge", but it had several areas of raised metal I think would qualify as "rivels". (sp?). One was several inches long, appearing somewhat like a slight "mole tunnel" along the bottom of the tube near the bottom rib. I had my machinist make me a set of tapered slugs turned to fit Parker bores.

To repair the tube, I inserted the greased slug and placed it under whatever area I was working on, then started working on the area with a rawhide hammer, checking often with a metal straightedge to see my progress. It was slow work, but the metal did move. On stubborn areas I did use a bronze hammer as well. At the end I formed a thin sheet of lead on the tubes to hammer on to reduce the chance of leaving marks. Everything eventually went back into place. I also used my hydraulic dent remover to check bore diameter consistency. When I was finished, the tubes only needed normal sanding during barrel prep, no filing or anything drastic causing much metal to be removed. After refinishing, there's no evidence of any of the previous issues, and the wall thickness is well above minimums described as being safe.

The gun is still a work in progress, but once done I intend to give it a "Firestone Proof" to make sure it's safe.

Regards
Ken

For those who want to work barrel metal with the hammers, an easy method to preserve the barrel finish is to use a layer of tape over the area and actually hammer on it. I use Scotch packaging tape. You may have to change it a few times, but you would be surprised at how long it will last. I'm only using a 1 1/2 to 2 oz. hammer to do this, with thousands of light taps, so the tape will last longer than you would think.

SRH

I'm changing my view on barrel bulges.

Not the difficulty of pushing material back where it came from, but what range of defect is acceptable between initial form, and post planishing restrike.

It may fall into the "If it looks good, it is good" realm when I get done.

Metal HVAC tape lasts even longer. It's also easier to see exactly where and how your hammer is striking on it, as it dents under the blows.

Regards
Ken