doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Reasonable Dent Lifter

Anyone know where I can get a "reasonably priced" 16 gauge dent raiser? Brownells is now over $450. Thanks!!
Bob Jurewicz

Besides buying a dent remover, to do a good job you'll probably want a series of gauge pins to totally remove and "iron out" the dent. And... to determine the exact diameter needed for the pins you'll need to buy or borrow a deep reaching bore gauge to get the bore size along the entire bore, then have them made up at a machine shop in a series of increasing diameters. Alternately you might be able to buy pins from Brownells or elsewhere but I haven't had good luck getting exactly what I need. So I usually get them made up in .001" increments starting .003" under the bore size. This can be a labor of love or a wallet squeezer, depending on how you want to look at it. Case in point, after working on barrels (as a hobbyist, I'm not in the biz) for a few years now, my series of gauge pins for 12 gauge starts at .725" and goes to .736". If you have the gauge pins made from something like 4140 steel and finely finished you'll have some bucks in 3 of them for your 16 gauge.

Net, if I only had one barrel with a dent or two I think it's more cost effective to send the barrels to a professional and have him or her take the dent(s) out. On the other hand if you like 16 gauges and use them pretty much exclusively, maybe the cost would be justified. Silvers

you can buy a set of gage pins ground and hardned from many suppliers such as msc or on ebay. A set from .625" to .750" will set you back about 150$....well worth it and I preffer plugs to the lifters brownells sells, I have both kinds. Its my preffered method of removing dents. Depending on the dent, the repair can be nearly invisible.
Steve

Thanks Silver and Steve!!!! I have not used the "gauge pins". I'll try to locate some and give them a try.
Bob Jurewicz

Bob,
While commercially available 'gauge pins' are a easy source of various sized pins, you'll need to generously round the front edge to ensure the edge doesn't gouge the barrel as it's pushed under the dent. I've made many a plug, usually from a tool steel like drill rod (because tool steels are fine grained and machine to a nice finish). Hardening is not required. I weld them to the end of a long 1/4" rod and round the end and polish with a hard Scotchbrite wheel. Grease up the plug and drive it under the dent. Then use a small hammer (I use a steel hammer on barrels that are being refinished and a brass hammer on barrels that I'm trying to save the finish on.). You just need access to a lathe and about $2 worth of material.

I have used a plug that is split like an X and it has a tapered section that is fed in with a screw, for years with great sucess. I believe Mitmermier sold them for about $10 30 years ago but he is long gone. You expand it till it is tight and then tap the outside of the dent with a polished hammer, bump the plug out, inspect and do it again until it is right.
bill

Thanks again everyone for the great suggestions. I've located some pins and will get them. I also like Bill's split plug concept and believe I can locate those as well. Thank you!!! I really enjoy the guns but tinkering with them is a blast as well.
Bob Jurewicz

I read here that Colonial Choke tube pilots work well. I emailed them and got the following response...

Good Afternoon!
The 12ga pilots go from .720 to .745; the 16ga go from .658 to .668; the 20ga go from .614 to .626.

The cost is $9.65 each. There are approximately
9 in a set. Thank you and have a great day!
Traci Denson
Colonial Arms

-----Original Message-----
From: Recoil Rob
To: colonialarms@bellsouth.net
Subject: Installation pilots?

I understand you sell sets of choke tube installation pilots made from
steel. Could you provide more info as to how many in a set, what sizes
and cost, for 12-16 & 20ga?

Regards,
Rob Di Stasio

I forgot to mention that the gauge pins I get made in a machine shop have a 1/4" long taper on both ends. That's so the pin doesn't gouge the barrel as Chuck cautioned. The reply from Colonial that's copied here doesn't say the pins are in small incremental diameters, only that there are about 9 in a set. If they are in something like .003" increments, I'm not sure how effective the set will be. Try this some day... put a .001" undersize pin in a bore and look through it at a light source. Plenty of light passes around the circumference of the pin. You'll be surprised. Also, there's no way a .001" oversize pin will go through the bore. That's why I think it's best to measure the bore and get three pins made up starting about .003" undersize. Be sure to put a taper on both ends and oil before using. Silvers

SUCCESS!!! Got my gage pins yesterday. This AM removed 5 small dents from a set of 16 G VHE barrels. I didn't weld to drill rod or additionally bevel the already slightly beveled edges. I used progressively larger pins driven by a 1/2" wood dowel. Tapped barrel area (with final insert pin) with small brass hammer. Thank you all for sharing the concept and technique!!!
Bob Jurewicz