Advice on how to fix a damaged muzzle

[gdawg]

Hi there - I have been offered an older two barrels set Beretta 20g O/U. These are fixed choke barrels. The muzzle on one barrel is marred. Hard to tell from the picture below but there is an uneven (>1mm deep) gouge. 2 questions for you:

1) How would you approach the repair? Grind the entire muzzle face down flat, or just make sure the bore is smooth and unobstructed where the damage is? I've gotten conflicting advice re: which approach would minimize the impact on the choking/patterning.

2) Any recommendations for a good smith to do this (ideally, but not limited to, the BC lower mainland)?

 

[tiriaq]

I would just smooth the face of the muzzles and clean any burrs in the bore. I'm uncomfortable with "grind". I would just use a block with fine abrasives and do it by hand.
I suppose the asking price for the set is a factor.

 

[Licensed to kill]

Agree with tiriaq but I would prefer to lightly draw file it with a fine tooth file rather than a block with abrasive.

 

[struff55]

the block is the correct way to repair the damage not with a file damage is not significant enough to warrant removing metal simply use a flat block of wood with various grits of emery and good to go
40 years of gun smithing experience
just saying
or just sell the gun to me i will shoot it as is

 

[wai762]

Have you pattern the gun yet ?
If the pattern is good then why bother to do anything ?

 

[Can-down]

I'd likely use a good file for quicker removal of material and then finish it smooth with diamond stones because I have these tools allready at hand.... the easy inexpensive approach for a guy with limited tools and hand skills is a flat backing block of an appropriate size and some quality sandpaper of various grits from 100 to maybe 400 or so.

3M Pro sandpaper is nice and available on amazon or at many paint stores.
Any good wet/dry sandpaper will work. The sandpaper on a flat block will remove material just like a file, but a little slower.


It looks like pretty minor damage and should be easy to clean up with minimal effort and material removal.

Tiriaq's suggested approach is good advice.

 

[guntech]

If you have a suitable draw file start with that. Then wet/dry 180 grit on a block and sort of draw file it... then 220 grit, then 320 grit.

If that is an Italian gun the bores are chrome lined and that will slow the process somewhat.

 

[Hunter7]

I would just smooth the face of the muzzles and clean any burrs in the bore. I'm uncomfortable with "grind". I would just use a block with fine abrasives and do it by hand.
I suppose the asking price for the set is a factor.

Exactly, this is what I would do, honestly it doesn’t really look that bad.

 

[Big Bad]

Not that serious with a shotgun and that looks mainly cosmetic. I would proceed slowly and gently, if the 'damage' is very shallow maybe just cleaning it out with a rubbing compound on a wet finger- that will reach into any pitting and leave bright metal. If absolutely needed, a good, fine cutting file made to work on hard metal is hard to find anymore, I've come to rely on a little Japanese one Lee Valley sells to sharpen Gomboy saw teeth with, or used to- I can't tell if the one currently seen in their online catalogue is any good or not- for sure they don't sell the same saws they used to.

 

[kevin g]

Good advice given here already...to add to it, I'd wad up a couple pcs of shop towels and plug the bores off prior to starting the filing / sanding process. Keep whatever grit I could out of the barrels.

 

[gdawg]

Thanks for the good advice and info, folks.

 

[the spank]

I'd just shoot it as is. There is nothing worth worrying over from what I can see in those pictures but if it bothers you that it is marked up a bit then Struff gave you the best answer to repairing it....

 

[kamlooky]

Use the other set of bawrills.

 

[FLHTCUI]

Have you pattern the gun yet ?
If the pattern is good then why bother to do anything ?

cosmetics....