Ok guys I have benelli super black eagle with a little over 50,000 rounds through it. Recently I sent it to Benelli for a minor repair and they fixed it but also included a note saying it had a bulge in the barrel. I don't know how or when it happened and gun still patterns great and feels like an extension of my body so I hate to get a different one. Barrels are expensive and won't match my aftermarket camo job so how dangerous is a LIGHT bulge? I know I know I but what are y'all's opinions??

If you are shooting heavy steel loads down the tube, buy a new barrel. If you are using it for dove hunting, think about replacing it with a dove gun.

I have other shotguns but its my duck, goose, dove, turkey, skeet and dog training gun. Who knows how I long its had that bulge since its never had any work done on it and I haven't noticed it, even now that I know its there I can barely find it. I know what I should do but I guess I was wanting someone to tell me its safe to shoot another 15 years. Ha

If you're shooting goose and turkey loads in it, I'd get a new barrel.

It may be safe, but just knowing it was there would wig me out shooting it. A new barrel is cheap compared to trying to fix your face or (Heaven forbid) a funeral. It's not worth the risk to me.

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Illegitimus Non Carborundum

It may be cheaper to have a gunsmith fix it. I have seen ads by Gander Mountain gunsmithing to remove dents in shotgun barrels, not sure if they can fix a bulge.

I will probably just buy a new Benelli I guess

A guy at work brought in an exploded shotgun barrel for us to see.

After seeing one in person, I wouldn't want to risk it blowing up in my hands!

Those Super Blacks are way expensive. I'd just stick a new non-camo barrel on the old one and not worry about it looking funny. My guess is a new barrel will be a third the cost of a new gun.

Black barrel is 850 :-(

Well, I'd say 850 for a barrel is much better than 1700 for the whole thing. Assuming you are buying NIB and thus likely the Super Black Eagle 2.

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Ill see it when I believe it!

IMHO, Call Briley in Texas (800-334-5718) and discuss possible 'iron out' of the bulge. But, I for one, wouldn't hesitate to continue to shoot the shotgun and disregard the slight bulge. Just make sure that you never shoot again with an obstructed barrel. ............... Big Cholla

How does Benelli justify 850 for a barrel when Remington barrels last a lifetime at about 250.

I'd shoot it. How long has the bulge been there? Could have been since new.

Just curious to know, what makes a Benelli so great as opposed to a Remington 1100?

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

It has been a while since a friend let me fire 100 or so rounds through his. It is extremely well balanced. It feeds 2 3/4", 3", and 3 1/2" shells. Three and a half inch 12 gauge rounds takes you to 10 gauge capability. All of this will feed through the same semi-auto action. I did not try it, but I understand you can stack different length shells in the mag and the gun will function just fine. My short experience with a Super Black Eagle made me want to buy one, but I had just bought a new O/U and never got around to adding the Bellini to the mix.

Ive never shot it with an obstructed barrel, its was more than likely caused by too many 3.5" buckshot at coyotes. I've had them ALL and this is by far the longest I have had a gun. In 50,000 rounds I've broke one ejector that would have cost 21$ but benelli fixed it for free as well as upgraded some other parts. I clean it once a year before dove season, I guided duck and goose hunts so its not a safe queen, before I had it dipped I sprayed it with truck bed lining to keep the shine down. I've used it as a boat paddle, to break ice and a club and never any problems I will NEVER shoot anything else, and neither will any of my buddies

Swamp,

After saying that you have to buy a new barrel and not a new gun. I know the attachment that one develops for a particular well use shotgun, and what you said is indicative to that attachment. Get a new barrel and the story will get better. I always worry when duck hunting in the rain. I try to keep the water out, but if I get a shot I'll take it.

I would check the diameter of the bulge with a micrometer and shoot
the gun for a while and then check the bulge again. If the diameter
had not increased I would just go ahead and use the gun.

yea but what if me and the new barrel don't get along? ha its kind of like losing part of my family

Give the new barrel a chance to "break-in"... you never know, she might be better than the old barrel. For safety sake and peace of mind, I would suggest getting the new barrel.

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"Life is short, hunt hard"

One of the best shotgun barrel docs is Mike Orlen in MA. Google his name and give him a call. I would trust his judgement completely on repairing, replacing or ignoring the bulge.

I never read here exactly WHERE the bulge is, in the barrel.

Diagnosing how it happened (which is what you seem to be after) makes where that bulge is, important.

Near the muzzle usually indicates a slug shot through a too-small choke.

In the middle usually indicates a stuck wad, hit by a follow-up load.

Do you reload shotshells? If you had a round with no powder in it, the primer can blow the wad and shot out of the hull but the wad can become lodged in the barrel. A subsequent full power load could bulge the barrel.

Can't believe it took this long for this post. If the buldge was so slight you didn't notice it-and is close to the muzzle I's continue shooting it. If is is back close to your face-I'd replace it. Now if the buldge is more than 18" from the breechface of the barrel(where the breech locks into the barrel-not from the end of the extension) I's make that puppy a wicked sawed off and buy another hunting barrel. Can't believe the SBEII's are going for $1700-I paid $1100 for mine

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Forum consigliere

its up towards the end, but I have never shot slugs through it, my buddy made a good point, Benelli was the one who pointed it out but they replaced the parts it needed and didn't say anything about not shooting it, so maybe they didn't think it was too bad?

If the bulge is up by the choke tube, my guess is it may have been caused by over choking steel waterfowl loads. I'd keep using it, but I generally use nothing tighter than modified chokes. Most of the time when I use steel I use Skeet or IC chokes. I like more smaller pellets and a bigger spread. I've seen folks goose hunting using steel Ts and who knows how the gun was choked.

Briley can remove *some* bulges from shotgun barrels for $95 and up. It might be worth discussing it with them. See

Briley Shotgun Gunsmithing - World Class Shotgun Gunsmithing

yea I know, I cant figure it out because I always keep a IC in it, infact it wont even come out and duck hunt with 2 3/4" 7's so its not big pellets usually I did shoot a few 00 buckshot through it at coyotes but not much

thanks Cowart

50,000 rounds .... I'd say you got your money's worth out of that barrel. But I would sure have a hard time paying 850 smokes to buy a new barrel when you can get a darn nice shotgun for that price. I guess a Benelli is kinda like a Rolex, you have to pay 500 bucks just to get one properly cleaned!

Yea that's why I'd buy another Benelli I have had great luck with it, as well so have my 7or8 buddies with one

That seems like a lot of rounds but I usually shoot 2,000 rounds at skeet a year for 15 years, kill about 500 doves a year so that's probably 800 rounds a year and shoot several cases every duck season then few more cases snow goose hunting and I train dogs for field trials so I shoot another case or two shooting ducks and pigeons so I guess it adds up pretty quick. Like I mentioned the only problem I had in 15 years is a broken ejector They seem high but for 100 bucks a year or less you can shoot a fine gun

I doubt you plain wore it out. It probably comes down to a minor barrel obstruction at the wrong time. If you have other shotguns that will tide you over, get old faithful to Briley for an evalution. They are about five miles from where I live and will be honest with you. I own some of their chokes and trust them.

A pressure ring (bulge) in a shotgun barrel can be caused by something as minor as a little water or oil in the bore. If it is nice all the way around pressure ring bulge; water or oil are very likely the cause. A stuck shot wad can be a cause. Separated base wads (watch out for this with some cheap promo shells) tend to cause more catastrophic failures. Another rare thing that can cause bulges often mid barrel are incomplete burn and residual powder detonation occurring. I've also seen some interesting dimple outward dents from poor crimps on reloads that allowed a little loose shot into the barrel before firing. A steady diet of over pressure loads can cause rivelling which is series of small bulges that almost look like waves down the barrel.

Always run a patch or bore snake down the barrel and remove any oil before going out to shoot. Check your bore and check often is the lesson.

Here is the good side of this, on a single barrel gun like your Benelli shooting it with a slight bulge will do no harm. It isn't likely to swell more or fail. Heck the Russians builders and a few others like jug chokes. Unlike our more normal tapered chokes they machine a section with a wider inside diameter (just like your bulge) and then bring it quickly back to the normal ID.

If you were shooting a double gun then I would be worried the bulge may have separated the ribs but it is Benelli. I say pattern the thing and not worry.

and link worth reading a on the subject of steel shot, pressure rings and such.

Possible Effects to Guns - Department of Environment and Primary Industries

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Bill Bates

Thanks Mr Bates, that's why I asked here because of the wealth of knowledge!!