Bulge question

[Kensal Rise]

If you have trepidation about shooting this gun with a hammered down bulge, I suggest you send the gun to a double gun professional for evaluation. Someone who works with gun barrels for a living. Such a person is Kirk Merrington. If he says you barrels are safe, they are safe. FYI:

http://www.merringtongun.com

[Drew Hause]

I mean this in all sincerity and with respect for Kirk Merrington, but if he doesn't have x-ray vision he can not, and likely will not, provide any assurance/guarantee this barrel is safe.

One important issue that has not been clarified. What, exactly, is the chamber length?

Below are radiographs of 2 "inexpertly lengthened" 16g chambers

The right arrow



The left arrow. Just FYI the right arrow indicates where the thicker breech segment was butt welded with the mid-barrel segment



The 'J' is the Belgian "rough forged tube" maker; likely Janssen Bros. You can see one little bulge top left

[winplumber]

I agree with Drew, Kirk cannot assure anything

[Craig Budgeon]

From the pictures it looks like a dent rather than a bulge, Bulged barrels I have examined are affected throughout the circumference in the bulge area. The pictures don't appear to show that to me.

[Drew Hause]

"Dent" from the inside Craig, from using a piloted reamer



The point was that bad things happen to barrels at the hands of "inexperts" and I'll bet the OPs chambers were the victim of an unfortunate attempt at lengthening

[8GAUGE]

That's a damn shame. What a waste of a good chamber! Bores can be honed properly and safely if you go slow and have a proper wall thickness gauge to measure periodically along the way. I have been honing and polishing barrels for over 20 years and the results can be very satisfying. It has been my experience that pressures are often reduced and patterns often improve it is done right.

[Craig Budgeon]

The quality of the attempted repair inside (raising the dent with a mandrel) matches the crude exterior repair.

[Garth Gustafson]

Thanks Drew. I appreciate your comments and concerns about damascus barrel safety in light of the repair. The chamber length is 2-5/8" (per my Galazan gauge). I did have the gun inspected by a respected gunsmith who knows Parkers. The chambers and bores were not lengthened or honed and likely are as they were when they left the factory. His opinion after examining the barrels and measuring wall thickness is the gun is safe to shoot with appropriate low pressure loads. Thank you again for sharing your expertise, Garth