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Barrel Question

Nighthawk
I'm looking at a gun that's being sold as is. There is a bulge in the barrel and the headspace is gone, among other cosmetic problems, but my question is, what would cause a bulge in the barrel, and what do they mean about the headspace being gone?
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Comments

12 comments

Date Votes
  • Nighthawk
    Will a post64(newer) Win.94 barrel fit a older (pre64) action? Thanks!

    Work'n like a dog all nite
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  • E.Williams
    Hammer forging was first developed in Germany in the 1930's hammer forging is a method of manufacturing a large number of barrels in a short amount of time.In hammer forging a short piece of barrel steel is extruded along a mandrel that has the reverse of the rifling form desired for the barrel.

    Eric S. Williams

    Edited by - E.Williams on 07/19/2002 16:15:14
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  • metalcutter
    Eric,

    Is this the way most barrels whether pistol or rifle are made today? Do you know of other methods of barrel manufacture? You seem very knowledgeable. Do you work for a gun manufacturer? Thanks.

    metalcutter
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  • Der Gebirgsjager
    I think I would describe the process as one in which a mandrel bearing the rifling pattern is placed inside a smooth bored tube, and the ouside of the tube is struck repeatedly by high speed hammers which compress the tube's metal into the rifling pattern of the mandrel. When the mandrel is removed you have a barrel.

    Other methods of barrel making are by cutting out metal from the inside of the tube (broach), and button rifling which involves forcing a "button" that bears the rifling pattern through the tube's bore and displacing metal. Whereas the hammer forged method is done in a very large machine in which the barrel-to-be is held vertically, the other two methods usually involve holding the barrel horizontally in a long machine resembling a lathe. As the cutter or button proceeds through the barrel tube the tube is turned at the rate necessary to produce the desired twist of rifling, i.e. 1 in 7, which means 1 turn in 7 inches.
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  • Tailgunner1954
    One addition, the hammer forging mandrals I've seen photos of included not only the rifling but the throat and chamber form. This means that once the forging is completed the only thing left to do is the outside finish/threading work.
    Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.
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  • groundhog devastation
    The majority of the high quality match barrels made today are "button rifled". The quality is generally higher in button rifled barrals than hammer forged barrels. That is not to say that hammer forged barrels are no good, it's just that it's easier and faster to produce barrels using that method, hence the big commercial companies tend to use hammer forged barrels. Someone may correct me if I'm wrong but all Remington barrels with the exception of 40-X barrels are hammer forged. Wonder why they don't use hammer forged barrels on their "Match" guns? That should tell you something. GHD
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  • 11echo
    A side question for all! ...I thought a forging was to shape a metal part by hammering it into shape. The advantage to this was that by hammering the metal you get a denser material grain ...ie stronger than by simple extruding process? Any comments? THX! ...Mark(11echo)

    "FEAR the Goverment, that fears your ARMS"
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  • Mr. Lobo
    rugster, good topic but my question is I have heard that the hammer forged barrel is more accurate. True or false? Why?

    Jim
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  • metalcutter
    11echo

    You are correct about forging. One of the benefits of forging is that the grain structure is "bent" around contours in the forging dies thus giving better toughness. Not only is the grain structure finer but it has a more beneficial orientation. I think the problem with forging is that it can never be as precise as broaching. Of course the barrel blank can still be forged and then the bore itself finished by another method. I've heard of button rifleing, but I've never seen it. As you describe it Der Gebirgsjager, it sounds like a cold working operation instead of a cutting op?



    Edited by - metalcutter on 07/20/2002 10:36:22
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  • Der Gebirgsjager
    Yes, button rifling is displaced metal rather than cut. Cut rifling is exactly that, the metal that was where the grooves are has been removed. We've pretty well covered hammer forging. All methods are capable of excellent accuracy. Groundhog Devastation is correct from his perspective of devastating groundhogs that button rifling is usually considered the slightly more accurate for his type of firearm, smallbore high velocity cartridges. Old time black powder cartridge shooters and many of those shooting large bore cartridges swear by cut rifling.
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  • Nighthawk
    Thanks for the information,it was just one of those things I heard gun makers use to promote their prroduct,and never could find out what It meant.Thanks!!


    Best!!!

    Rugster
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  • groundhog devastation
    A little more details for you Rugster. Hammer Forging should tend to releive stress points in the barrel without heating or freezing which is popular today. As DerGebirgsjager says the guys who shoot varrmints and little bitty holes in paper tend to favor the button rifled barrels. I have owned and still do own and probably will own a whole bunch more hammer forged barrels. However if I'm building a long range or match gun it will have a button rifled barrel on it. As a side note to last nights post about the big manufacturers, Savage uses button rifled barrels. No wonder there are so many posts on here talking about the accuracy right out of the box. No I do not own any Savages! GHD
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