Is this barrel bent?

[Pete112288]

So I have been trying to het my slug gun back to hunting after several years of not using it due to cost and lack of ammo. And that the few shells I have tried dont shoot well in it. When I first got it in 2010 and for several years it was my #1 most hunted gun as i hunt a lot in firearm restricted units. And with the Winchester Partition Gold ammo that they dont make anymore, I was able to make clover leaf holes at 100 yards. I have 2 deer shot with it at 120 yards no problem. But ever since 2016 or so, I have not been able to get that ammo and have not been able to get groups that are suitable for me beyond 50 yards at most. While doing a deep clean on it today I looked down the barrel and noticed it almost appears to be bent downwards or drooping. In one picture the camera is lined up with the bottom of the barrel but the bolt face is obscured from view at the bottom. Another picture shows the camera lined up with about 7 or 8 o'clock on the barrel and also you can see some of the bolt face is not visible. I could write this off as the barrel not being mounted quite right to the receiver. But then I put an arrow down the barrel. This arro has no fetching on it but it spins true and is straight as straight can be. It rests in the bottom of the barrel about halfway down. But at the muzzle there is 1/8 of an inch or so of space from the bottom of the barrel and the arrow.
Is it bent? I've never seen anything like it besides when I was in the National Guard and we had a machine gun barrel droop.

[Pete112288]

.

[Kingofthemountain83]

Honestly I can't tell anything from the pic... A slug gun barrel is really difficult to bend... Any barrel that I've had... You'd know if you took a spill or did something that may warrant that... If you really think so I'd take it to a smith to verify and give it a once over as to why... I'd clean it up... Oil it... Make sure all the sights, stock, every screw was tight get a few different kinds of slugs and start over see which one groups best at 50 yards and go from there... 

[jrebel]

Elmer Fud called and wants his shotgun back!!   


Sorry, I saw the opportunity and took it.  I can't tell if it's bent or not based on the pictures. Take a straight edge and lay it against the barrel.....that should tell you if it's bent. 

[dreadi]

got a level or yard stick handy?

[Wood2Sawdust]

Had a brand new remington 30-06 with a bent barrel. you could see by putting a light in the chamber and looking down the muzzle the light rings from the rifling would be fatter on one side -not concentric like they should be. Not sure how that would work with a smooth bore.

[MADMAX]

Get a dowel at Home Depot a skosh smaller and slide her in

[birdshooter1189]

If you use a rod or something in the bore to check it, make sure whatever you are using to compare is actually straight first.

For me I'd check by rolling it on a flat surface, or just visually checking with light while looking down the bore and twisting it.

I've got a 22-250 that has a mcgowen custom barrel on it, installed by a somewhat local gunsmith.  I'm 95% certain the barrel is bent.  Checked by chucking in up in my lathe. Dial indicator used to center both ends of the barrel in chuck/spider.  Then move indicator 5" up the barrel and it's not centered.  Look down bore while it's rotating and there's obvious wobble. It's not straight/centered.

[hookr88]

What about a 12 gauge laser bore slighter? You could measure the distance from the end of the barrel in sections and see if there is a difference. $40 at sportsmans.

[Kingofthemountain83]

So did you leave it leaning against the truck and back up? Then remember it... You can tell us...   

[Pete112288]

So did you leave it leaning against the truck and back up? Then remember it... You can tell us... 

Haha, didnt do that, but did lean it against the truck once and it fell, sideways onto asphalt. It may have taken a tumble another time that I dont remember

[JDHasty]

Knock the primer out of a spent shell, stick it in the chamber and then look at a light source from the muzzle end.  The shadow rings will tell you right away if it is bent or not.

Probably not bent.  It is FAR more likely than not that there is either plastic from sabot or wad or lead buildup causing the issue.  Search to find my post on Ithaca Deerslayer and in one of them I went into detail on how to clean that fouling out.  I've seen one and only one rifled slug barrel that was "bad" that wasn't full of plastic or lead fouling and did not shoot well after being cleaned.  Some dim wit had been shooting some novelty rounds that were loaded with white phosphorus out of it and completely destroyed it.