Barrel Bending 101

[Geoff]

It worked for me and my TR77 nitro.  Mishap with a trigger install and surprise and just HOW hard the barrel will flip up caused it to slip out of my hand.

AT 20 yards I was several feet high.   Used your technique though my bender was a little more crude looking and I am back on track.

thanks Dave

[lefteyeshot]

Did one of my old B3's Sunday morning. Had to do an elevation bend as well as a windage bend. The gun has an old Mini 14 rear sight. Afterward just had to adjust the sight a little left and half a turn down and poi was right on poa.

[Mervyn]

apologize for digging this thread up.

I try to follow this way to bend the barrel. The barrel did bend initial but after i unscrew the C - Clamp, the barrel bend back to its original position. Besides I leave it bend for 24hrs. Still helpless.
My target is 10m, elevation set level(flush). All my shots groups are about 7inches away from my target point.
I guess im having a serious Droop.
using iron sights no problem.
BTW, why is it so that the further the distance my groups start to open up?
Can  anyone guide me on this.

[ezman604]

As stated in the instructions (possibly Tom's write up) the barrel will bend but will also rebound when you take pressure off. You have to carefully put MORE pressure on it to bend even further if it does not correct any. And as your distance increases, your groups will most definitely expand if it's not on target at 10 yards. You have to get on target at 10 yards and work from there. If it is off a little at 10 yards, it will be off a LOT at 20 and even more at 30 yards.
Just add a block as I showed in my pictures to give it more of a bend. And leaving it in the jig for an amount of time will not help. It has to be bent not just put under pressure. 

[Bullit]

Dave is spot on.  The barrel will rebound, so you must carefully go "past center", as it were.    Time won't help...you'll be pushing up daisies before it would make the total difference.

[Mervyn]

Ok understood
I will have to find a bigger clamp, my present clamp knob has been deformed due to the force I add.
Will update once I success.
Can I add force in the center of the barrel instate of what you have shown. As I feel adding force in the centre makes is easy to bend compare to the end point of the barrel near the rear sight

[Bullit]

It's best if you apply pressure to the area that is in error.  A straight edge probably told you if there was an error in the barrel.  I think that if it's just misalignment from the receiver,   that the earlier in the barrel that you bend the barrel would be better,  as it leaves you a straighter final travel for the pellet.  It won't be a drastic bend, after all.  Yeah, you'll need a decent C-clamp for this. The ones w/knobs are cool for glueing and stuff, but not for this job.   You can get cheap ones...or perhaps borrow one.

[lefteyeshot]

You wrote the open sights were ok and you might have a droop problem. I've bent the barrel on several rifles. My Benjamin Titan GP's POI was about a foot below POA with all the scope's up adjustment used.
Rifle has no open sights. I bought a  UTG scope elevation compensator mount from Pyramyd Air part # sku py-a-4191 $18.95. It fixed the problem easy fast and cheap.

Long story short, it tilts the front of the scope a hair down.

[Rocker1]

Great write up Dez . David

[Mervyn]

BINGO!!

Thanks so much for the great write up and the advices from Dave and the rest.
Manage to bend the barrel with success !!
Now manage to zero at 10m with about 5 clicks up from elevation flush.

[texgunner]

Great info here, Thank you spiralgroove for point this out to me, I think this simple technique is gonna help me get my Crosman Optimus with a bad droopy barrel shooting like it should.

[rokitman60]

Wow! The very idea of going after my gun like that scares the s@#t out of me! Not the concept of correcting the obvious misalignment of my Optimus (it's WAY out of wack, both low AND to the right), but having never attempted such a thing. Having no 'feel' for the amount of force needed, I'm afraid I'd end with calling Crosman for a new barrel! Nevertheless, now that I see how it's done, I have no doubt that I'll make the attempt. Tinkering should be a recognized addiction!

[OldFlyRod]

While waiting on my replacement scope to come in, I'm taking notes on scope centering barrel droop and now Im feeling ready to get to bending if needed. Thought, I had this gun setup only to find I'm back to the drawing board. What's that about addiction?

[roadfix]

I just throw the barrel in my milling round vise and lean it in the direction I need it to go in.

Since I didn't have a secure way to clamp my barrel in my bench vise I used a simple U-bolt jig.   I just kneel down and lean on the rifle to tweak the barrel.

[Rinkhals01]

Hi Guys.
Having grown up in Africa and spending most of my free time in the bush hunting I have had to "make do with what is at hand", and in this case I bent a barrel without any tools by simply using a forked branch in a tree.... it worked a treat! LOL   

[lefteyeshot]

Richard, that's the good old fashion way. With some of my old cheapo's I just bang the barrel on top of the porch or table I'm shooting off. Less trouble than getting out the old barrel bending jig and cheaper than a compensator mount.

[ezman604]

Don't think I'll be asking either of you to work on mine.
LOL

[Sfttailrdr46]

  ROFL

[Rocker1]

Jeez me either!!!!!    David

[lefteyeshot]

I'm talking about a gun about to go in the parts bin or trash.