filling crack in shotgun barrel

[HappyHairy]

Has anyone had any experience with filling a longitudinal crack in a 12 ga shotgun barrel. I believe if I could get the right filler in the crack that the barrel could be reamed out and a sleeve put in to restore 12 ga use. This is a double barrel in which someone tried to shoot 3 inch magnums.

 

[Jim K]

I don't know any shotgun barrel that is thick enough to be reamed out and a 12 gauge insert put in. It might be possible to install a 20 gauge insert, but of course the extractors would have to be altered.

It is the usual practice with a double gun to cut the barrels off completely at the monobloc and install new barrels. But that work is not cheap, running around $2000.00. Sleeving will run only a little less.

I hope I don't have to say that just filling the crack with JB Weld will not make the gun usable; the crack would blow open and destroy the gun. The simplest "fix" would be just to drive a wood plug into the chamber of the cracked barrel and use the gun as a single shot. A lot depends on the value of the gun, and its age and condition. An old gun with Damascus barrels should be retired to wall hanger status, even without a cracked barrel; more modern doubles, like the Savage/Stevens guns would not be worth wasting a lot of time on, when used ones are available at low prices.

Jim

 

[climbnjump]

I hope I don't have to say that just filling the crack with JB Weld will not make the gun usable; the crack would blow open and destroy the gun.

...and/or destroy the shooters face and/or arm and/or hand and/or...

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I have seen barrels replaced in a double barrel shotgun once almost forty years ago when a good local gunsmith had his workshop in his garage; it is not easy but it is expensive. I think the shotgun had both collector value AND sentimental attachment.

If I had a double with one split barrel but otherwise solid other barrel and monobloc/receiver, I would be tempted to install a subcaliber conversion inside the barrel in a semi-permanent fashion to prevent going back to 12ga use with a split barrel, and use it as a combination gun.

 

[HappyHairy]

That is about what I have been told by others, thanks for the feedback. Since trying to fix the crack is not practical, who makes sleeves in a smaller gauge, caliber that will support the firing without having to have a good barrel around the sleeve?

 

[Sunray]

The crack that the barrel means the barrels are toast. There's no fixing 'em.
JB Weld is just epoxy with steel dust in it instead of fibreglass.
There are these things.
http://www.mcace.com/shotguninserts.htm

 

[MEHavey]

If one is a Strength of Materials engineer, one knows the classic Hot-Dog
failure mode of cylinders when over-pressured from the inside
(think about it)

Barrel is absolute toast.
Hang it on the wall.

 

[Jim K]

Those shotgun inserts Sunray mentions are short (10") rifled inserts that allow firing pistol caliber cartridges from a shotgun. They depend on the fact that a bullet fired from the insert will not touch the host barrel and so will be reasonably accurate. But the muzzle blast from the insert will still exert pressure on the shotgun barrel and, except for small callibers, probably split the damaged barrel further.

Sorry, but there is no magic and inexpensive way to restore that shotgun to firing condition, at least not in the barrel that is split.

Another point I have to ask about. If one barrel split from firing the wrong ammunition, is the OP sure the other barrel is still OK? If it was also fired with that ammo, it could be overstressed or bulged, even if not visibly damaged or split.

Jim

 

[Jim Watson]

Briley sub-gauge tubes would make it usable, putting no stress on the damaged barrel. They probably wouldn't fit them to a busted gun, though.
You could mailorder the Companion tubes with only a description. Only $549 a pair.

They would cut the damaged barrel(s) back to a monobloc and put in new tubes. $1950.

Obviously feasible only for what was a valuable gun to start with.

There are people doing DIY express rifle conversions on shotguns that way. No reason you couldn't just keep it a shotgun... if you have the equipment and expertise.