Hi:
A firearm with a bulged barrel safe to shoot??
A firearm with a bulged barrel safe to shoot??
Budged Barrel Safe?
- Thread starter jimmyj
- Start date
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Maybe. If a bulge in a .22 RF barrel that can hardly be seen, it is safe to shoot, but may have lost accuracy. If a bulge in a .357 mag, near the frame and is noticeably bulged, may not be safe and may crack, split, or break off when fired. Have inspected by a qualified gunsmith before shooting. In either case, this assumes you have verified there are no longer any bullets lodged in the barrel that caused the bulge.
Alk8944
US Veteran
A bulged barrel is completely safe to shoot, in any caliber. It survived far higher stresses when the stuck bullet was shot out of it, if it didn't fail then it isn't likely to.
It may have an effect on accuracy, but not likely. I have a S&W .32-20 with a badly bulged barrel, not to mention generally rough from being "Rode hard and put away wet". This is one of the most accurate revolvers I have! I had a brand new, never fit, barrel that I thought would improve the guns accuracy. After installing it the gun, with an apparently perfect barrel, was not nearly as accurate with the badly worn and bulged one.
It may have an effect on accuracy, but not likely. I have a S&W .32-20 with a badly bulged barrel, not to mention generally rough from being "Rode hard and put away wet". This is one of the most accurate revolvers I have! I had a brand new, never fit, barrel that I thought would improve the guns accuracy. After installing it the gun, with an apparently perfect barrel, was not nearly as accurate with the badly worn and bulged one.
