Shooting a 12 gauge o/u with a bulged barrel

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jamcam1999

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Does anyone on the forum have any experience shooting a 12 gauge over/under shotgun with a bulge in the bottom barrel about 1/2 way down the barrel. Bulge is fairly even around the barrel, no cracks in the metal. Would be a shame to cut this gun down to a "shortie". Barrels are choked skeet and skeet. There is no damage to the top barrel or the between the barrels rib.
Thanks in advance.
 
Be aware you can only cut down to 18" (or 18.5 for cutdowns? I forget) - so unless you have a 36"+ barrel, 1/2 way is too short. If you mean 1/2 way down past the forend, you could likely cut it back.

Personally - I would NOT shoot an O/U with a bulged barrel.
 
There is no minimum barrel length for an over/under shotgun in Canada. There is a minimum overall length, including the butt stock, which is why you can buy new shotguns with barrels as short as 12 inches, maybe less.
Be aware that when the barrel bulges it gets thinner at that point and weakens it where your pressures are still high. Also, as your wad full of shot enters the bulge it expands to fill the larger void, then it gets squeezed back down to bore size as it leaves the bulge, increasing pressure at this already weakened area. Take the gun to a good shotgun barrel man for an evaluation, he may be able to mostly remove the bulge, maybe not, but he will be able to evaluate the safety and advise you accordingly. Personally I would not shoot it but then I wouldn't buy it either, sometimes what appears to be a bargain or a gamble turns out to be a mistake.
 
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Ashcroft said:
There is no minimum barrel length for an over/under shotgun in Canada. There is a minimum overall length, including the butt stock, which is why you can buy new shotguns with barrels as short as 12 inches, maybe less.
Click to expand...

While true, cutting down a long barrel is not the same thing as buying a short barrel. There IS a legal limit for cutting a barrel.
 
Ashcroft said:
There is no minimum barrel length for an over/under shotgun in Canada. There is a minimum overall length, including the butt stock, which is why you can buy new shotguns with barrels as short as 12 inches, maybe less.
Click to expand...

Serious? Where do you get that from?

You cannot cut yourself a barrel shorter than 18" or it becomes prohibited but you can get shorter barrels if they come like that from the factory.
 
My understanding of the laws and regulations is that there are several contradicting and confusing interpretations of these parameters that have not been tested or settled in court. Pick your own and go by your best judgement. I would not be afraid to have it shortened and a new bead installed but I also would not show it off or brag about it either. Still a ruined gun.
 
Prohibited firearms include:

handguns with a barrel length of 105 mm or less and handguns that discharge .25 or .32 calibre ammunition, except for a few specific ones used in International Shooting Union competitions;
rifles and shotguns that have been altered by sawing or other means so that their barrel length is less than 457 mm or their overall length is less than 660 mm;
full automatics;
converted automatics, namely full automatics that have been altered so that they fire only one projectile when the trigger is squeezed; and
firearms prohibited by Criminal Code Regulations.
Right off The RCMP website. I am still amazed that people still don’t have an understanding of this basic law that has been law forever
 
Really bad advise from Ashcroft. The regulations are clear:

"Prohibited firearms include:

... rifles and shotguns that have been altered by sawing or other means so that their barrel length is less than 457 mm or their overall length is less than 660 mm;"
 
As to shooting the bulged barrel, you can bet I wouldn't. No matter what was the original cause, that bulge is bound to be a weak spot now. If you can't cut the gun down legally, I would either get rid of it or save it for the coming lawless bad times after the Xeons invade and cut it down then.
 
Ashcroft said:
My understanding of the laws and regulations is that there are several contradicting and confusing interpretations of these parameters that have not been tested or settled in court. Pick your own and go by your best judgement. I would not be afraid to have it shortened and a new bead installed but I also would not show it off or brag about it either. Still a ruined gun.
Click to expand...

Your understanding is very wrong. I advise you read what others have said about cutting a barrel and the legality of it if you go below 18"...
 
My apologies to all, it serves me right for thinking that logically a new short barrelled gun is identical to one modified into the same configuration. Dumb me for even considering logic and firearms laws in the same sentence. Mea culpa.
 
Thanks for the response. Unsightly as hell but it is an older BC Miroku/Charles Daly. Identical to the first o/u I ever purchased about 60 years ago.
I took it new out of the box, unfired and shot a 50 straight at trap. My first 50 ever. Bought this present gun mainly for nostalgic reasons and it has flat/V springs in it. I remember how hard it was to find replacement springs in those days and looks like it is just as hard or harder to find them now. An Australian outfit quoted me $100.00 each.
I took the gun out a little while ago and shot it. Breaks targets well and no bad after effects. If anything, it will be a great source for parts but I intend to shoot a bit of skeet with it. Even though I have at least 10 other shotguns which I can shoot skeet with.
Hard to believe the amount of wrong information this thread received. Hopefully some of the responders will know where I can purchase the flat hammer springs in case I have to replace them. And, if I decide to shorten the gun, and I am arrested for doing something illegal, then jail time is looking better all the time. I am an 81 year old bachelor and the state can cook some meals for me. I"m tired of cooking. lol
Thanks all for responding and I did get many different answers in different forums for you naysayers.
 
You could also have the barrels sleeved. A competent smith will cut the barrels off just forward of the lumps, ream out the chambers, and silver solder new tubes into the stub. Not cheap to get it done properly.
 
Well - Shotgun pressures are low compared to rifles. Given the location of the bulge, I'd say the pressure is too low to be problematic. This is evidenced by the fact that you've already shot it without incident. The most likely failure mode is rib separation.
 
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