Bulged barrel

[Keef]

I have a Rossi 38/357 single shot rifle in that the owner wants threading.

I've just checked the bore and there's a clear bulge about two inches forward of the chamber. While the bore is bulged the bulge does not extend to the barrel exterior.

I've had a Marlin in the same calibre with two bulges and I put a new barrel on it.

The military standard for bulges in .22 rimfire rifle is two bulges are acceptable providing the rifle passes accuracy testing. Conversely for a 7.62mm any bulge and the barrel is replaced.

This leaves the question of whether to replace the barrel on the Rossi. The owner will be shooting at the lower end of the velocity scale at about 800 fps as the rifle will be moderated and the rounds kept sub sonic.

Highland Outdoors import Rossi's but not the single shot model so it's uncertain if a new barrel can be sourced so it may be that the rifle gets scrapped.

Anyone with experience on Rossi's and bulges care to comment?

My preferred option is to fit a new barrel but getting one may be problematic.

The other answer is to have it re-proofed and see if it passes but I'll take experienced advice before I go along that route.

[Ray7756]

Im not a gunsmith but for me any barrel that has a bulge has been over stressed at some point, so it does not have the strength required so I would either replace the barrel or scrap the gun, but definately would not fire it even with reduced loads

Cheers
Ray

[Keef]

I've just 'phone Highland Outdoors "Service department".

I explained that I had a single shot Rossi and needed a barrel for it:

"Not we don't keep barrels".

"Can I get one for it, can you order one for me?".

"We're the only importer for Rossi and no we won't order one for you"

That was the end of that conversation.

[Ray7756]

Try going direct to www.rossiusa.com and cut out the unhelpfull uk dealer, not sure about the possibility \costs involved but it might just be some help
Cheers
Ray

[flintlok]

Try going direct to http://www.rossiusa.com and cut out the unhelpfull uk dealer, not sure about the possibility \costs involved but it might just be some help
Cheers
Ray

Barrels are ITAR regulated items so it a barrel export would require an export license. I bulged a barrel similarly on a black powder rifle once. It didn't seem to affect the accuracy any and it was never all that accurate to begin with, I know of fellows who have shoot similarly bulge barrels without ever knowing that they were bulged, It was nothing that was readily obvious. In my case I found the bulge via a cleaning rod and mop that easily passed through the bulged area while being very tight throughout the rest of the bore. It was a very slight bulge and it made me wonder as to how many other guns are out there with similar bulges. I would let the owner decide as to what to do with the bore. It's his gun.

[TheSquire]

Is it the kind of gun that would sell as a deact?

A friend of mine had a problem with a Rossi barrel bulge so got it deactivated and sold it for more than he paid for it.

[leadpig]

I've just 'phone Highland Outdoors "Service department".

I explained that I had a single shot Rossi and needed a barrel for it:

"Not we don't keep barrels".

"Can I get one for it, can you order one for me?".

"We're the only importer for Rossi and no we won't order one for you"

That was the end of that conversation.

what a fecking arsehole

[Keef]

Is it the kind of gun that would sell as a deact?

A friend of mine had a problem with a Rossi barrel bulge so got it deactivated and sold it for more than he paid for it.

The problem is cost as it would need welding and cutting and then a certificate from the Proof House and I doubt he would recoup his outlay.

It's one of these but in wood not synthetic.:

[Hornet 6]

Why not just re-barrel it the same way they do other break actions, bore the chamber end out and thread a new tube in ?

Neil.

[Born Again]

I once had a Llama 9mm pistol with a bulged barrel, I was skint and it cost £35, but I bought it from a dealer who assured me it would be fine and it was. I put thousands of rounds through it and the bulge never got any worse. Incidentally, the dealer told me that a previous owner had been putting SMG ammo through it, this may or may not be true - I'd never heard of 9mm +P for SMGs. I sold it back to the same dealer.

From an engineering point of view, some steel reaches ultimate tensile strength when it has been stretched, which probably explains why it survived.

[flintlok]

....... Incidentally, the dealer told me that a previous owner had been putting SMG ammo through it, this may or may not be true - I'd never heard of 9mm +P for SMGs. .......

I never heard of +P+ for 9mm either with that case head stamping but I do have 9mm military ball that easily rates +P+. It's packed in 64 round plain natural tan cardboard boxes. It's the hardest kicking 9mm ammo that I've ever fired. I got it in the 1980's and still haven't fired it all. About that time the bullet resistant vest makers put out a warning about such ammo as it could penertrate a vest that was designed to stop 9mm ball ammo. I only shot it in my Glock 17 as didn't want to wreck a collectible firearm. I never got a bulged barrel from it. It was like firing proof loads. I thought it was UK ammo specifically designed for sub gun 32 round magazines. It would have made short work of a Browning High Power. I was wrong on that guess as I found that the UK uses the same ball ammo for sub gun and pistol.

[waterford103]

....... Incidentally, the dealer told me that a previous owner had been putting SMG ammo through it, this may or may not be true - I'd never heard of 9mm +P for SMGs. .......

I never heard of +P+ for 9mm either with that case head stamping but I do have 9mm military ball that easily rates +P+. It's packed in 64 round plain natural tan cardboard boxes. It's the hardest kicking 9mm ammo that I've ever fired. I got it in the 1980's and still haven't fired it all. About that time the bullet resistant vest makers put out a warning about such ammo as it could penertrate a vest that was designed to stop 9mm ball ammo. I only shot it in my Glock 17 as didn't want to wreck a collectible firearm. I never got a bulged barrel from it. It was like firing proof loads. I thought it was UK ammo specifically designed for sub gun 32 round magazines. It would have made short work of a Browning High Power. I was wrong on that guess as I found that the UK uses the same ball ammo for sub gun and pistol.

British military 9mm for smg was headstamped 2z 9mm for pistols 1z . At some point some beancounter decided that it was all the same so 1z was dropped . 2z clocked at over 1300 fps with a 125 gr fmj and using it in Browning shot the brownings out in a short time . I had bought some old 1z in quantity and shot it exclusively in my Competion Browning and it was quite accurate , the issue service Brownings would group about 12" at 20 yds , it was just possible to keep them in the standard figure 11 target. The Indian 9mm 2z I bought is yet another story -- click , wait for it - bang 0r phut , did the bullet clear the barrel , or BANG , wtf was that !

[flintlok]

I believe that's what I have. I'll have to look at the head stamp again but it's familiar. That stuff is hot and whoever thought the Browning would stand up to such a beating was insane.

[waterford103]

The average government beancounter certainly qualifies for insane -- Harriers - gone - no replacement , aircraft carriers gone - no replacement for 10 years , the aircraft intended to replace the Harrier is a bag of crap apparently and so hugely expensive that we can only afford 10. Nimrod scrapped whilst still fully operational , reliability issues arose from a beancounter subbing essential maintenance out to a firm that couldn't do the job properly , a bachander there somewhere I suspect. The list goes on - and on - and on.

[Born Again]

You might have hit the nail on the head Flintlock - I bought the gun about 1984 I think. It was reliable, but accuracy wasn't great.