My shotgun barrel blew up!!!!

KingFisher85 · 02-12-2003, 07:22 PM

Not really, it did not blow up but it could of.

It all started in duck season but I'll get right to it.

Yesterday out skeet shooting, I had to try out my Winchester model 1300
Well I was taking out my mod choke and it would not move. So I put a little gun oil and WD-40 and let it sit for a few minute's. Got back to it and POP, OK, the choke is coming out now. Must be really dirty. WOW, its coming out way to easy. WHAT THE........... I just busted half my choke tub off, where's the other half, oh no, its in side the barrel of the gun still on the threads.
So I tell my shootin buddy to come look at this. He has no problem getting the other half out, but when he was getting the other half out he found a little problem. A lump in the side of the barrel, right at the top, about an inch and a half from the top of the barrel.
You can see this little lump just looking at the area. You can sure feel it to. With the choke out you can sure feel it to on the inside of the barrel.

So we got to talking and he has never had this happen to him in 20+years of shooting. He has never even heard of it ever happening to anyone before. So, the only way he can think of this happening is when I was duck hunting and shooting steel shot, my choke came lose and was hitting that lose choke tub and not doing the gun any good, and then when I was cleaning my gun and did not notice my choke lose and just put it away, then when I wanted to change it, something went wrong.
I can put another choke tub in no problem, the threads are not messed up. But if you look at a Winchester choke tub, the lump is dead center but on the barrel, get what am saying?

Anyone ever had this happen before? Anyone know what I should do? He said for me just to watch it really close and if the choke keeps coming lose, then it looks like I gotta get a new barrel.

I'll try to get some pictures of what the lump looks like and where it is.

Mike H.

1pump · 02-12-2003, 07:51 PM

Does this "lump" or bulge go completely around the barrel or is it just on one side? A friend of mines' Beretta had a similar problem but it was on mid-barrel, and it made a "ring" or bulge all the way around. It was a common problem (at the time) with some guns that shot a lot of steel. I think it's called "ringing".

KingFisher85 · 02-12-2003, 08:10 PM

The bulge is on one side but there is a small bulge on the other side. You can see a ring, no bulge but just a ring that goes all the way around the barrel. Its hard to say.

Beer Waggin · 02-12-2003, 08:23 PM

I always remove the choke when I clean my gun. Am I just anal or is that not the norm?

KingFisher85 · 02-12-2003, 08:44 PM

I take the choke out when I clean my gun but what I was trying to say is that I must not have known that it was lose, cause a lot of time I'm not even looking at the choke when I'm taking it out (gotta love them win choke system)
So when I was done cleaning my gun I put the choke back in and never really thought of it.
Get what am saying?

I just hope this does not get any worse cause I was looking at a new T/C barrel but I need my shotgun to though so, there goes that new T/C barrel. :depressed:

Beer Waggin · 02-12-2003, 08:53 PM

Quote:

(gotta love them win choke system)

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">Sounds like it!

I see what your saying.

Chum King · 02-12-2003, 11:48 PM

KF,

What a bummer. I would suggest that you see about sending the barrel back to the manufacturer to see if they will replace the barrel. There is always a chance that you had a defective barrel.

I had a barrel show up with a bulge (ring) several years back. When I contacted the manufacturer, they said it was most likely from having a wad hang up in the barrel on a "blooper" shell. I couldn't recall ever having a "blooper" where I didn't check to make sure that the barrel had cleared, and they (American Arms) eventually replaced the barrel free of charge... but it took a whole year.

If your choke tube was loose and you had a "blooper" I would think that the odds would increase on having a wad hang. As you are undoubtably aware, any obstruction in the barrel will dramatically increase pressure and could result in "ringing" or worse. Be thankful that it didn't blow.

Good luck!

Drakeblake · 02-13-2003, 06:35 AM

Alright now you guys have got me worried. At the end of this last duck season I had a "blooper" the shot all came out but the wad was still stuck in the barrel of my 870. First time this had ever happend to me. So what do you think the odds are that there will be some damage? Im away from home now so I cant check the barrel emediatly but would like to know what to expect. Thanks.

-blake

Grantspastor · 02-13-2003, 07:32 AM

DrakeBlake...I'm not an expert, but I'd think that if there wasn't enough pressure to blow the wad out of the barrel, there wouldn't be any damage (assuming you didn't fire another round with the wad still in the barrel)

Clamman · 02-13-2003, 07:53 AM

NorRiv,

If you're anal for taking out the choke tube for every cleaning then so am I and the bulk of my friends! After every time shooting whether it be skeet hunting, on the water or not, I break the gun down and clean all moving and non-moving parts.

Clam

[ 02-13-2003, 08:54 AM: Message edited by: Clamman ]

DriftR · 02-13-2003, 10:27 AM

I was a devoted trapshooter for many years and competed all over the western states. I have shot what I felt was the best guns in the world at the time. I had numerous modifications done to the trapguns for that extra target. I had barrels bent, choke tubes modified, custom stocks made to fit me, ported barrels, special machining done to correct any holes I had in my pattern test shooting. All this for getting that extra target. I have seen and been around shotguns that have had bulged barrels, blown up, blown out the choke tube basically i have seen all most all of the problems you can with a shotgun.
The choke tube needs to be tight but not over tight. I always used a Remington oil on the threads. Listen to this advice. I always cleaned my guns after every day of competition. That was three guns once each day for upwards of a week if I was at a big shoot. As we shoot, the plastic wads leave minute particles attached to the walls, threads, spaces, ports of any shotgun barrel. Add to that the powder residue coupled with the lead residue and you have buildup. Always, always run a brass brush numerous times down your barrel at cleaning. Then run lint free cloth down. Then visually inspect your barrel(s) before and after cleaning. Run you hand down the barrel and use your sense of touch to locate any bulge. If you use factory ammo loads then check the patterns on pattern paper. Very seldom in my shooting did I ever have a misfire from factory loads. It does happen but luckily very infrequent. Reloads are the problem. Many times the load is to hot, or a blupper. To hot it exceeds the bursting strength of the barrel. A blupper just fires the primer and the wad will sometimes hang in the barrel. Always carry a wood dowel with you or have one available to remove the wad. Check you barrels for any obstructions. You would be amazed at the gunk you can get off your barrels inside walls from shooting a box of factory loads. On my ported competition guns I had to take a small drill bit and hand ream the ports just to remove the platic residue. A real job to do but nescessary. When you constrict your barrel, be it from residue of lead, plastic, powder or whatever you increase the potential for additional interior barrel pressures. It also has a tendency to throw off your pattern. Funny you say, what's this guy talking about. Well, shooting an average of 10,000 practice and competitive targets over a few years you learn the benefits of keeping your guns clean. Hitting that extra target meant that I would either win that shoot or tie and have to proceed on. Sometimes I would shoot 500 to 600 rounds in a weekend. Any small obstruction in a gun barrel, be it rifle, pistol, airgun or shotgun is a accident waiting to happen. Add heavier loads or what we called "RHINO LOADS" and you have a potential fatality on your hands. Send any gun that has a defect, either factory or error induced to the factory of origin or a qualified repair gunsmith. ITS YOUR LIFE.

Hook-up · 02-13-2003, 09:25 PM

I used to have trouble getting the chokes out of my Beretta. Then I found this stuff called Choke tube lube. It a thick graphite type product with what looks like some fine copper particles in it. It is almost like a runny tooth paste consistancy. I was told that some thinner oils can either blow out from the pressures or burn from the heat leaving the treads cooked/sticky. The choke tube lube kind of fills in any tiny spaces between the threads (so no place for water to gather) and does not blow/burn out. It also keeps chokes from coming loose as it is thick, so they will not back out. If an oil is to slippery some chokes have a tendency to work their way out. The down side is it is a bit messy but other than that, it works great. I used to take my chokes out each time I used my shotgun and clean the lube off, then reapply new stuff. But I found I did not need to do it as often as the lube still looked great.
Just thought I would pass this on in case others have had this problem.

[ 02-13-2003, 10:28 PM: Message edited by: Hook-up ]

chummer · 02-14-2003, 08:44 AM

Kingfisher, I would definitely be sending your barrel into winchester for replacement, should be free unless barrel was made before early 70's. Remington offers lifetime warrenty on thier barrels made after 1970.

crabbait · 02-16-2003, 04:00 PM

Have you shot large steel shot (BB, BBB, T, F) with the full choke in? If so, I think I found your problem.

Large steel shot does not compress and when it passes through a choke tube somtimes something has to give. [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] :shocked:

KingFisher85 · 02-16-2003, 08:26 PM

crabbait,
I don't have a full choke for this gun so I have yet to shoot anything really big out of it. My choke I use for ducks is a mod choke and the biggest steel shot size that I have shot out of it has been #3 shot 3 inch mag. I have not even shot slugs out of this barrel, but buck shot yes. Copper plated buckshot. Don't know if that has anything to do with it but who knows.
I got a hold of Winchester and they said that they will replace the barrel. So I'm gonna send it in one of these days I think.

tnbdk · 02-17-2003, 12:53 PM

My shotgun barrel didn't blow up but it got its end shot off.

My buddy was hunting with a double with a short barrel and I was shooting my almost brand new Benelli Super Black Eagle. He was on my right in the blind. A group of broadbill came to stool from right to left (I love that shot). We each took a bird with our first shot. I learned long ago to stay on a bluebill until his feet are up so I kept my barrel in position.

Unfortunately, my buddy kept swinging on the flock and his second shot resulted in what you see below. The last 10 inches of the rib (minus the bead and the last 1/4 inch) were at a 90 degree angle to the barrel (bent back in place for the photo). The finish was blown off in a patch in which I could see where each one of his steel #3's hit the barrel and rib.

Thankfully no one was hurt and Benelli has agreed to replace the barrel assembly for a nominal (yeah, right) fee.

tnbdk · 02-17-2003, 12:57 PM

All right. I'm going to try this picture thing again.

salmurai · 03-01-2003, 09:43 AM

I just read DriftR's post. Do yourself a favor and BELIEVE HIM. Follow his suggestions. I have a gunsmithing background and know that he is right on. Imagine trying to tie a knot with a couple of fingers missing.
A note to tnbdk: Why not add the barrel to your trophy case and just buy a new one? What a great conversation piece!