"Buldged Barrel" - Cut Off. Safe?

[ReadyontheRight]

I recently saw a very inexpensive Weatherby rifle in .300 Weatherby Magnum. It has a shortened barrel because -- according to the gun shop guy -- it had had a "buldged barrel". He bought it and had the end of the barrel cut and re-crowned. It has a very nice target crown and the gun looks like it's in great shape, except for being Scout-rifle short.

I am not (yet) a magnum guy, but this would be a cool fire-breathing Scout rifle. My interest is "truck rifle", plinking and a little hunting each year. I could probably get it for a song near the end of deer season.

Is there anything I can look for to make sure it's safe? What would make a barrel "bulge" at the muzzle? Should I just stay away? I have zero interest in an unsafe gun.

A Weatherby .300 Weatherby Magnum Scout rifle just has a certain appeal to me.

 

[Jim Watson]

How short is it?

Most bulges in rifle barrels are caused by some light obstruction like a patch or a little snow; not enough to burst it.

I had a barrel cut behind a bulge once but it did not restore useful accuracy. Shoot before you buy or get a guarantee.

 

[ETXhiker]

I would have a competent gunsmith check the bolt and action for cracks or damage, as something major has to happen to bulge a barrel. Sounds like most likely there was an obstruction of some kind. I could be wrong, but I think a .300 Weatherby with a scout length barrel would be blowing a lot of unburned powder out of the muzzle. Read that, .308 velocities and magnum recoil.

 

[USMC - Retired]

In my opinion.... If there was enough overpreasure to bulge the barrel, then there may be some damage to the chamber and the rest of the barrel. Maybe not visable damage but a weakening that may come back to haunt this gun in the future. I would steer clear of it myself.

 

[SpaceCowboy]

Could be an "oil doughnut" or could be something more serious. An oil doughnut is nothing major, cut it and recrown it. But if there was a major obtstruction in the barrel that caused the bulge there could certainly be coresponding damage to the receiver and bolt. I have not seen this rifle or its buldge so I can not say for certain what I would do. However, I will advise a certain level of caution.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

In my opinion.... If there was enough overpreasure to bulge the barrel, then there may be some damage to the chamber and the rest of the barrel. Maybe not visable damage but a weakening that may come back to haunt this gun in the future. I would steer clear of it myself.

I think you nailed it USMC - Ret. This was my original thought - probably more damage than you can see. But the idea of a Scout Weatherby just seemed interesting. Something nobody would probably build by choice. But life's too short as it is.

Thanks for the great advice everyone! If anyone is interested, it is at Alamo Guns & Pawn in Cloquet, Minnesota.

 

[chestnut ridge]

If you need a tomato stake, buy it. As a rifle it would not be pleasant
to shoot.

 

[rockstar.esq]

What's an "Oil Doughnut"?

 

[huntingman]

well as long as it was crowned right it should be safe to shoot. allthough it may cut down on your velocity of the bullet.

 

[rangerruck]

having a short magnum, especially a weatherby mag, is like saying jumbo shrimp or big junior, or little junior. A total waste of the concept. Plus rounds are about 40 dollars per box.

 

[SpaceCowboy]

What's an "Oil Doughnut"?

In order to protect the bore from corrosion, people like to put oil down the bore; especially people like me. The problem arises from not removing that oil before firing. Oil does not compress, so when the round goes down the bore the oil builds up in front of the round until it can't move and it moves the barrel instead. This leaves a ring or buldge in the barrel which is usually not too noticeable but with repeated over oiling and fireing can grow large or can become multiple buldges. Cutting and recrowning can correct it assuming remaining length is legal. Remembering to run a dry patch down the bore will prevent the problem from occuring in the first place.

If readyontheright is asking in the first place then the buldge is quite noticeable and therefore large, which means it is probably not a result of oil though I have seen some large rings left from oil in the bore.

 

[langenc]

How short will the 'scout' be??

Several good reasons not to do it.. cost of ammo, no velocity (Read it wont really be a 300 mag), why a super sized Jr??

Save the money and go big time and do it right. Never cheaper to do something twice.

 

[bogie]

The bolt lugs and the receiver face they mate with are probably toast. DO NOT buy..