Dented Damascus

[Rick Riddell]

Just a curiosity, are all dents prone to failure in these barrels? Would slight dents ones that are seen in the bore but appear as a ripple as opposed to ones the really look like intrusions into the bore be less of an impact? I know barrel wall thickness is a factor, but curious about dents in general. For me personally I would have it fixed, but was just looking for knowledge on this new medium (Damascus), trying to weed out what is a reality versus a repeated opinion seeing how I'm starting to explore the wonderful world of welded barrels!
Thanks for everything guys!!

[Rick Losey]

"New medium"??

IMHO. Each dent in any barrel of any steel, needs to be evaluated on its own


A round bottom dent in damascus of safe condition is no worse than the same dent in fluid steel

[John Campbell]

..." Each dent in any barrel of any steel, needs to be evaluated on its own"



Quite true. Remember, ANY dent in a barrel's interior is an impediment to the passage of the shot charge. Some minor ones represent virtually no resistance. Others offer more.

If you are concerned about a dent, have it evaluated by a responsible double gunsmith. Kirk Merrington and Brad Bachelder are two that come to mind.

[Rick Riddell]

yeah "new medium" for me. Process of learning, I do take dents seriously, but wasn't sure to pass on dents for Damascus. I'm sure you've all been through all this before so Thanks for your patience and guidance!
Thank you guys for the reply!

[Brad Bachelder]

As stated dents in welded pattern and fluid steel barrels, present the same set of problems and should be corrected. Damascus tends to be easier to completely remove dents and ripples.

Brad

[davidkerns]

who is has the best reputation for positive dent removal?? please enter the names of good candidates! thanks Dave

[John Campbell]

By "positive" I assume you mean complete and correct. As stated previously in the thread, Brad Bachelder and Kirk Merrington are renowned and consummate professionals. Kirk's website is:

http://www.merringtongun.com

[charlie cleveland]

i agree all dents should be removed in all types of steel barrels.....charlie

[Kurt Sauers]

A similar question about damascus. I've seen some for sale guns listed where it stated, "a ring visible in barrell" What do they mean by that? And would that also be fixable?

[John Campbell]

Mr. Sauers:
A ring is a circumferential bulge. Usually caused by an obstruction. And they can occur in any barrel, Damascus or not. They can be fixed if not too serious.

BUT... to do it properly, the ribs must be removed and barrels separated to get to the "inner" section of the ring. This costs money. So... a gun must be "worth it" to fix a ringed barrel.
The good news: Rings do not impede the shot passage. An expert barrel man should always be consulted to evaluate a ring issue.