doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ring bulges

Looking for examples in doubles, as a result of steel shot. (Or even lead shot, for that matter.) What loads, through what guns, have caused problems that you've observed? On the other side of the coin, what loads have worked out for you through what guns? Wondering here in particular about older American guns, plus European guns that are CIP standard rather than superior or magnum proof.

When referring to chokes through which you've shot steel and which have (or have not) resulted in bulges, if possible please specify the constriction if you know it (rather than just mod, full, etc). Thanks!

Larry,
I picked up an old beatup LeFever Single barrel trap gun a few years ago. The trap range I shot at required steel shot, I had the gun rquipped with thin wall choke tubes so I could use modified at the trap range that required steel shot and Full at all the other ranges. One night the modified choke tube came loose while shooting steel shot causing a huge ring bulge and it also blew the choke tube right out of the barrel.
Steve

Good way to get a ring bulge is to leave oil in the barrel before shooting . A close examination of many guns will reveal a slight ring bulge behind the choke cone .Having said that I have measured a lot of Spanish guns [new] that appear to have again slight ring bulges behind the chokes as a result of the way the chokes are formed by swaging or from lapping into the cone . These will I'm sure increase in severity with prolonged use especially if using maximum loads.

I had a Stevens M311 20 ga that I bought new in 1963 or 64. I sold it in the early 80's. It never ever had any steel shot run through it, only lead loads and virtually all one ounce field loads. Way less than a box of three inch 1 1/4 ounce loads. A grand total of maybe 300 shells, probably much less. Both barrels had a very slight ring bulge about one inch back from the muzzles. They were quite slight but nevertheless easily visible. And oily barrels were definitely not the cause or a contributing factor in this case.

How would oil in the barrel cause a ring bulge?

I guess kinda like a garden hose , when you turn the Tap on n you get those hard squirts before everything evens out???
Just a long shot?
But it makes sense, kinda.
franc

To add: the chokes were IC/Mod on 26 inch barrels on the M311. Or so they were marked as I never measured them.

That's where much of the trouble lies; most of the time chokes are much tighter than marked.

Browning still recommends no steel in any of its Belgian-made guns. Chokes, in addition to some guns with fairly thin barrels, probably contribute to the likelihood of ring bulges. I had an A-5 16ga (Standardweight, not a Sweetie) from 1951. Marked mod, but the choke miked out at .025 constriction.

ttt