Saw a heavy duty at a gun show. Finish worn to 80%, decent diamond magnas, not reamed to 357. Price $485. Ah, but the barrel is bulged right above the ejector lug. Tempting but, I already have so many projects.Just how hard is it to find a decent barrel for one? I have heard it is possible to press out the bulge, by making dies and squeezing with a big press. I may offer a Taurus 431, nice blue 5 shot 44 special that functions flawlessly.

I got plenty of N frame 357s and up.

Thoughts.

Were it me I'd buy a replacement bbl and change it out. To much trouble to press out a bulge. Now it may shoot fine even though the bbl is bulged, but why not just change it.

If it was me I would pass, but that's just me. (Unless I knew I had a source for a good barrel at a reasonable price.)

Jim,

If only you had another barrel, say 45 caliber…

Kevin

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Unshared knowledge is wasted.

I have several fixed sight 45 barrels and several fixed sight 45s. I really don't need another LOL. But, then I also have a bunch of 38s and 357 so why wonder about one more LOL

At my age I don't buy other people's problems.

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S&W Accumulator

Buy it ! I'd buy it, barrels are not that hard to find. There are still some out there in the white that are replacement barrels and have never been fitted to a gun!

I happen to have 2-3 6.5in HD barrels

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38-44heavyduty.com

OK, maybe a stupid question, but what would y'all suppose caused that barrel to bulge? Gun not reamed to .357, so would it be hot +P ammo?
I saw in another thread for a 50's K-38, of which I also have, that there was a split verdict if +P is OK to shoot in these older guns.
If it is the culprit for bulging barrels in older guns not designed to shoot them, then I would say that is a good reason NOT to.
What say ye experts?

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A Future and A Hope.

I'm certainly no expert on any subject, but I believe the usual cause of a bulged barrel is low-powered ammo, not overpowered ammo...A squib can lodge a bullet in the barrel, and unless the shooter is paying attention, the next shot can follow the stuck bullet, sticking both in the barrel...After extraction, a bulge is the evidence left behind......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

You pretty much have to have a barrel obstruction to bulge it. A double powder load on a handload would destroy the cylinder before it bulged the barrel, IMO.

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Guy
SWHF #474 SWCA LM#2629

Today, I took a nap instead of going back to the gun show and I am good with my decision.

Hard to beat a good nap!

Good decision. Buying a barrel. Having it fitted and rebluing. Probably would add several hundred $$$ to the original cost of the gun.

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S&W Accumulator

..is a Colt 1917 I paid $25.00 for Back in 1964. It came with two half-moon clips. I bought some 45 ACP ammo and shot it a bit but ammo was too expensive. When I joined Uncle Sam's Army, I joined the post Bullseye club and got some free ammo. I eventually discovered the bulged barrel but I still have the gun and it shoots OK.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821

The only gun I ever saw bulged live action was a Shotgun.
The Dad says, you have never shot that gun with a Slug.
Take a shot at the big spot on that tree.
When he pulled the trigger it sounded strange From my in the rear observer position.
We all looked at the muzzle. It has that Blunderbluss look.
What surprised me was it was evenly opened up with no splits.
Please pass the Hacksaw!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

The skirt from a hollow-based bullet can break off and stick, especially if driven too fast.

A gunsmith (and former National pistol champion) once described a Model 15 a marine had taken out to shoot. When turned in, he said the barrel looked like a popsicle that had been attacked by four kids. One squib followed by three or four good rounds left multiple bulges in the barrel.

One of Kuhnhausen’s shop manuals has a picture of a cutaway barrel with five or six bullets lodged in the bore.

I removed four .38's from a Model 19 once...They were fired on a qualification round by an elected constable (who did all his policing from his desk) on his yearly trip to the range...The gun looked like it had stayed in the plating tank over the weekend at the local bumper shop anyway...I advised him to relegate that one to wallhanger duty, and carry something else...But I've seen it on his belt afterward at election time BBQ's......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

You or I might give up after a couple of shots with no hits on the target, but some people never say die!

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You're shy a few manners.

HDs make good .44 Specials and .45 Colts.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I am sure they do. But I already have 2 Brazilians and a couple off model 28 project quality guns waiting in line. I do have a 44 special cylinder and need to look around for a ribbed 44 special barrel to fit to a model 28 frame

Maybe they did die after emptying their gun

Believe it or not, it’s air that makes the bulge. The stuck bullet sits there, the follow up bullet charges forward at it and the column of air is trapped and compacted and that air does everything that it possibly can to attempt an escape, barrel steel be damned.

I own one revolver that came to me with a bulged barrel — H&R Sportsman, and it shoots beautifully. And I’m very familiar with bulged barrels on two different guns owned by good friends. One is a Ruger Mk I pistol and the other is a S&W Model 10, not sure what dash, but with a 4-inch heavy barrel. And both of those bulged barrels are tack drivers.

The owner of the heavy duty said it shot fine and I have no reason to doubt him. Funny thing about me. Modified guns are ok, finish challenged guns are fine by me, refinished guns too. Messed up barrels not so much.

I understand -- ya want what ya want.

If I were in the same position and I could handle it in person -AND- be out the door for $485 final price, I'd probably do it. And I likely wouldn't do anything about it other than shoot it.