Slight Buldge in Shotgun Barrel, is it Still Usable?

canvasback said:
3macs1, I think what Rod was originally suggesting was that accidental bulge had, in effect, created a jug choke. I don’t think he ever meant to suggest that someone had taken the gun to a smith and paid to have it jug choked.
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No idea my friend I read it as written. It is what it is. I have never heard anyone compare a bulge to a jug choke
Cheers
 
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canvasback said:
3macs1, I think what Rod was originally suggesting was that accidental bulge had, in effect, created a jug choke. I don’t think he ever meant to suggest that someone had taken the gun to a smith and paid to have it jug choked.
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That's exactly what I meant. . Also, I mentioned a jug choke is usually desired within a few inches of the muzzle and the barrel bulge was said to be 8 inches back. . Again, a barrel bulge usually affects ID and OD equally aside from a very slight stretching of wall thickness. . Jug choking was popular with older shotguns that had little or no choke, especially side by sides, and wall thickness accommodating the ID was increased creating an inner choke. . As we all know, today if a gun is worth it as a shooter, choke tubes are usually installed rather than jug choking.
 
Better air on the side of caution. Don't use the gun because it might blow up in your face. You need to take it to a firearms disposal expert before someone gets hurt. There are only a few of us around so it is a good thing that I stumbled on to your post. In fact, I am so concerned that I will even dispose of your gun for free, just PM me.
 
Rod said:
That's exactly what I meant. . Also, I mentioned a jug choke is usually desired within a few inches of the muzzle and the barrel bulge was said to be 8 inches back. . Again, a barrel bulge usually affects ID and OD equally aside from a very slight stretching of wall thickness. . Jug choking was popular with older shotguns that had little or no choke, especially side by sides, and wall thickness accommodating the ID was increased creating an inner choke. . As we all know, today if a gun is worth it as a shooter, choke tubes are usually installed rather than jug choking.
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Well then you have my sincere apologies and are the first person I have ever heard make a comparison as such and have been around these old shotguns 50 plus years plus my old man had a gun shop and fixed many a shotgun. May have seen three in all those years and they were in blackpowder guns
A barrel bulge IMO is nothing like a precision reamed jug choke with critical front and rear angles but to each their own since most in 2018 have no idea what we are talking about anyway
If they were popular it was not in my part of the country
Cheers
 
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Everything is good and no need for any apologies as I never took any offense just swapping stories here. . Some of the old boys in the USA will still jug choke an open choke barrel rather than install tubes. .
 
OP, Don't shoot it. A bulge isn't to be messed with. Take it to a competent smith for assessment.....wait a second......It's a Ivor Johnson .410? Throw it away.
 
canvasback said:
OP, Don't shoot it. A bulge isn't to be messed with. Take it to a competent smith for assessment.....wait a second......It's a Ivor Johnson .410? Throw it away.
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I disagree with throwing it away, although having the gun accessed by a gunsmith would provide piece of mind. When we were kids we, that is me, inadvertently fired a 12 ga H&R Topper that had a ring of snow around the inside of the barrel, and a subsequent firing bulged the barrel, as far as I know that gun is still banging away. My load of choice at the time was CIL's 3" 17/8 oz BBs. Typical for that particular gun, the forend came off in my hand, the barrel dropped open automatically, ejecting the spent shell, thus speeding reloading. It was our semi-automatic single shot, and it beat me black and blue, who says semi-autos tame recoil?. But the bulge did affect patterns, and after the bulge, donuts commonly appeared on pattern boards.
 
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