Smoothbore pistol due to wear

[WestKentucky]

Reading a lot of stories about the colt and butler 22 short Derringer’s like the one I bought (and get to pick up tomorrow) I keep seeing stories of the rifling being stripped out of the colt barrels after just a few shots. Would a pistol be a legal issue if the rifling is truly shot out of it? Obviously would be a mechanical issue that would need to be fixed, but I assume that it would be like a broken firing pin making a gun chain fire... you put it away and don’t use it again til the broken parts are replaced.

But on the actual legal side... in theory and in practice...

 

[dogtown tom]

... I keep seeing stories of the rifling being stripped out of the colt barrels after just a few shots.

Link?

 

[WestKentucky]

Link?

https://www.thefirearmsforum.com/threads/22-cal-derringer-whats-it-worth.68501/

Multiple times I have seen something VERY similar to the first response.

 

[WestKentucky]

Here’s another example... original post.

https://www.shootersforum.com/rimfire-handguns/75511-butler-22short-junk.html#/topics/75511

In a way I almost hope it does get shot out quickly, because then I have a good reason to reline it and try to make it better.

 

[jmorris]

Not sure how many black helicopters you’ll have above your house for a worn out derringer but it won’t shoot very well if it is.

I’d fix it.

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...-caliber-rimfire-barrel-liners-prod10974.aspx

 

[dogtown tom]

Here’s another example... original post.

https://www.shootersforum.com/rimfire-handguns/75511-butler-22short-junk.html#/topics/75511

In a way I almost hope it does get shot out quickly, because then I have a good reason to reline it and try to make it better.

Thanks for the links...…….but I'm having a hard time believing that the soft lead from a .22 short would somehow "melt" the rifling after only a few rounds. No matter hw soft the steel, the softest steel is probably 2-3 times harder on the Mohs scale than rimfire bullet lead.

Is the barrel really steel or something else?

 

[WestKentucky]

Thanks for the links...…….but I'm having a hard time believing that the soft lead from a .22 short would somehow "melt" the rifling after only a few rounds. No matter hw soft the steel, the softest steel is probably 2-3 times harder on the Mohs scale than rimfire bullet lead.

Is the barrel really steel or something else?

I don’t have mine yet, but the barrel is supposedly cast zinc or zamak.

 

[WestKentucky]

Got mine tonight. Barrel is not magnetic, and is pretty well shot out. Crappy picture is the best I can do, it tries to focus on the frame instead of the barrel. From the muzzle it focuses on the crown and everything else is blurry.

 

[jmorris]

I don’t have mine yet, but the barrel is supposedly cast zinc or zamak.

Sounds like a firearm that may be better “for looking at” than shooting. Like my “wall hanger” Damascus barreled shotguns.

 

[WestKentucky]

Sounds like a firearm that may be better “for looking at” than shooting. Like my “wall hanger” Damascus barreled shotguns.

If it won’t shoot it’s junk at my house. It will get to eat something, and it will eventually get re-lined.

 

[jmorris]

They even made “deactivated” versions just for “presentation”.



Keep us posted on how it turns out.