Belgium Browning Sweet Sixteen

coaken

coaken

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I have my Grandfather’s Sweet Sixteen. I thought it would be nostalgic to take it deer hunting as my bush gun and that’s where things went South. I was going into our camp on my side by side upon arrival while unloading i found that the barrel was bent just over seven inches from the end. It looks like a replacement barrel is out of the question and as sad as it sounds my only other option is to have it cut and threaded for tubes. I need some ideas please.

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How far, and how badly?

Crimped, or not?

Not impossible to repair, but frikken fiddly, esp trying to support the tubes while straightening. May involve re-soldering ribs and such.
 
gunrunner100 said:
A good set of blocks, adequate light and a good amount of patience. I've done them in the past.
Click to expand...

That would make you an exceptionally patient fellow.

I straightened one and swore at the process repeatedly for a few days. Came out fine, nothing to indicate it had ever been bent and it shot fine.

The only difference was the shotgun was a 12 gauge Charles Daly, built by Franchi.
 
Well it is just a shotgun and as long as it ends up shooting where you point it, it doesn't have to look as new... Get it bent back as best possible and test it. Trap shooting champions have been known to bend their barrel in the crotch of a tree to adjust poi.
 
Know anyone with a hydraulic press? Hand pump style, not motor powered!

A couple form fitted blocks (eg: rough cut slots and some bondo, if need be, or rubber pads) and some care and attention applying pressure to the high point using another form fitting block, and you'd be back in business.

You won't want to apply pressure at a single point, as that will dent the area pressure is applied. Needs to have a pad or formed block to spread the pressure evenly. Heck, even padding the areas (Under both ends at the support areas, and over at the high point) with a tightly folded tea towel or tee shirt would likely work fine too.

An expensive, but safe option, is to use CerroBend, a low temperature alloy similar to that used for chamber casts, but you would want enough to fill the whole area of the tube that pressure would be applied to, else it is possible to form a new bend at the end of the plug of alloy. CerroBend is used when bending thin hydraulic lines and similar when you cannot afford to have collapse of the cross section. It melts at below boiling water temperatures, and can be recovered for re-use. To use it, melt in a double boiler and plug the tube from one end, pour in, and allow to cool. The feature of CerroBend is that it expands a tiny bit on cooling, gripping the inside of the tube.
Do the bending until satisfied, then either dunk in boiling water or otherwise apply heat to the part to remove.
Info on the Low temp alloys https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood's_metal
 
I called and they didn’t have any. They referred me to Corson’s Barrels in the US. They didn’t have any either. I guess I will try to straighten it or have it straightened. General Gun is my closest gunsmith or maybe Wortners in Chatham….
 
coaken said:
I called and they didn’t have any. They referred me to Corson’s Barrels in the US. They didn’t have any either. I guess I will try to straighten it or have it straightened. General Gun is my closest gunsmith or maybe Wortners in Chatham….
Click to expand...

IMHO, unless there is something very special about that shotgun, shortening the barrel is your best option.

Take the barrel off and then take it to a local machine shop or anyplace with a lathe to true up the muzzle.

Midwest Gun Works Inc Phone: +1 636-475-7300 has the replacement barrel you're looking for.

You will have to go through a broker to get that barrel into Canada. There are a few banner sponsors that will take care of the paperwork.

Sometimes they require you to purchase the barrel first and have it shipped to their US receiver or they want the cash up front.

By the time you're finished you could likely find another complete shotgun.
 
bearhunter said:
IMHO, unless there is something very special about that shotgun, shortening the barrel is your best option.

Take the barrel off and then take it to a local machine shop or anyplace with a lathe to true up the muzzle.

Midwest Gun Works Inc Phone: +1 636-475-7300 has the replacement barrel you're looking for.

You will have to go through a broker to get that barrel into Canada. There are a few banner sponsors that will take care of the paperwork.

Sometimes they require you to purchase the barrel first and have it shipped to their US receiver or they want the cash up front.

By the time you're finished you could likely find another complete shotgun.
Click to expand...

It was my Grandfather’s so ya it’s pretty special to me. ��
 
Good grief!

Save the shortening, as a LAST resort!

Look at it this way. It bent that direction. Apply force (gently!), and it will bend back where it came from.

That isn't even a bad bend. A bad bend would have wrinkles and cracks, possibly a vee'd in section, with sharp corners.

Keep in mind, it's a SHOTGUN barrel, not subject to high pressures, unless there is something stuck in it. One of the manufacturers made aluminum lightweight barrels. As part of their marketing, they sent demonstration shooters around to different places with thinned down barrels to shoot, that were thin enough that a normal person could dent the tubes by pinching them hard. After pulling a dent remover through the tube, they shot fine!

Before you resort to hack-sawing it off, PM me and I'll send you my address. Send the barrel out. Cover postage both ways, and I'll have a go at it.
 
trevj said:
Good grief!

Save the shortening, as a LAST resort!

Look at it this way. It bent that direction. Apply force (gently!), and it will bend back where it came from.

That isn't even a bad bend. A bad bend would have wrinkles and cracks, possibly a vee'd in section, with sharp corners.

Keep in mind, it's a SHOTGUN barrel, not subject to high pressures, unless there is something stuck in it. One of the manufacturers made aluminum lightweight barrels. As part of their marketing, they sent demonstration shooters around to different places with thinned down barrels to shoot, that were thin enough that a normal person could dent the tubes by pinching them hard. After pulling a dent remover through the tube, they shot fine!

Before you resort to hack-sawing it off, PM me and I'll send you my address. Send the barrel out. Cover postage both ways, and I'll have a go at it.
Click to expand...
General Gun is going to try and straighten it.
 
trevj said:
Good grief!

Save the shortening, as a LAST resort!

Look at it this way. It bent that direction. Apply force (gently!), and it will bend back where it came from.

That isn't even a bad bend. A bad bend would have wrinkles and cracks, possibly a vee'd in section, with sharp corners.

Keep in mind, it's a SHOTGUN barrel, not subject to high pressures, unless there is something stuck in it. One of the manufacturers made aluminum lightweight barrels. As part of their marketing, they sent demonstration shooters around to different places with thinned down barrels to shoot, that were thin enough that a normal person could dent the tubes by pinching them hard. After pulling a dent remover through the tube, they shot fine!

Before you resort to hack-sawing it off, PM me and I'll send you my address. Send the barrel out. Cover postage both ways, and I'll have a go at it.
Click to expand...

Good on you for helping the guy out.
 
bearhunter said:
Good on you for helping the guy out.
Click to expand...

Really? From the guy that was advising the hacksaw?

I got away from doing stuff for other folks, mostly because of the problem of folks thinking I should make their problems mine, a fair while ago.

I will occasionally take on a job for money, but the money, is usually an inverse to the amount the job interests me, as well as how much the job is interesting to the person involved. Guys that approach me with interesting projects tend to get freebies!

I think this one is an easy job, that I am interested in, as is the owner of the particular shotgun, and if he showed up on my door, I'd help him out for nothing, unless he demanded it of me, if that makes sense.

I don't offer up my services very often. When I do, it's to prevent someone from doing something I think is ill advised. Like hacksawing off the barrel of shotgun that can be easily repaired!

I am not a Nice person. But I am very practical! And I hate to see bad advice!
 
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