[ShotgunPro]

Hello all,
I was recently given my grandfathers old Ithica pump 12 gauge, unfortunatly upon inspection of the gun it seems my gramp didn't take too good of care of his guns....

The problem: about 4 inches from the end of the barrel there is a small dent, it doesn't look like much from the outside but when you shine a flashlight down the inside of the barrel you can clearly see the dent is deep enough that it slightly bubbles inward into the barrel. Is this gun now unsafe to shoot?

i can take i pic if needed but its small and might not show up well.
was really looking forward to shooting some clays but i dont want my barrel cracking at the dent and possibly injuring myself or another person.
could i have a gunsmith cut the barrel before the dent? could i do this myself?

 

[ShotgunPro]

If you decide to cut the barrel, it is something you can definitely do yourself. I recently sawed off my old single shot. I wouldn't recommend using a hacksaw (unless that's all you have) they are hard to control and keep your cut straight. I used a grinder and a skinny wheel. I laid out my chalk line to follow, and then I put masking tape on the side of the line that's going to be the new end of the barrel, so as to protect the finish. Then with the barrel off and on a flat surface, I slowly rolled it and worked my way around the barrel cutting slowly making a groove all the way around the barrel. I kept doing this until i cut all the way through. This help insure that I had a straight cut and also didn't overheat the barrel as compared to just cutting straight through. When i was done cutting, I lightly filed the burrs off and gave it a slight rounded contour to match the original look. Then i just touched up the end using some cold liquid blue. It turned out pretty good. If you decide to make it a home defense length barrel, its a good idea to leave it a little longer, say a 1/2" or so just to be on the safe side, instead of cutting it right at 18".

There is a thread just below this one called "Home Defense." X'D4DEATH just shortened his barrel, (I believe he had a ribbed barrel) also Cuda66 had some pics of the one he shortened. They may be able to answer some of your questions, and give you some good insight into this process as well. Good luck!

 

[ShotgunPro]

I would suggest having a professional do the barrel work. While you COULD do the work yourself, you could mess up the barrel even further. A true gunsmith with a lathe will fix your barrel up and should have the know how to add a front bead for you as well.

 

[ShotgunPro]

thanks for the replies.
i took it to a local gunsmith.
he said the barrel is fine, small dings even if they are visable from in the barrel are not a big deal, and he said that the metal used in a shotgun barrel is softer than you'd expect and when you shoot the barrel actually expands like a snake eating a mouse.
he also said the choke tapered into the barrel end is way more slim than the little dents poking inward, he said if i use larger shot like slugs i may get a little more fouling than normal, game loads should be perfectly fine to shoot.
glad i didnt cut the barrel.
he also said that ithica model 37 shotguns are highly sought after and very well made/reliable.
Thanks for the shotgun Gramp! i'll enjoy and cherish it as long as i live, RIP

 

[ShotgunPro]

thanks for the replies.
i took it to a local gunsmith.
he said the barrel is fine, small dings even if they are visable from in the barrel are not a big deal, and he said that the metal used in a shotgun barrel is softer than you'd expect and when you shoot the barrel actually expands like a snake eating a mouse.
he also said the choke tapered into the barrel end is way more slim than the little dents poking inward, he said if i use larger shot like slugs i may get a little more fouling than normal, game loads should be perfectly fine to shoot.
glad i didnt cut the barrel.
he also said that ithica model 37 shotguns are highly sought after and very well made/reliable.
Thanks for the shotgun Gramp! i'll enjoy and cherish it as long as i live, RIP

Indeed, the Ithaca shotguns are VERY nice and VERY well made. I cant say I need to have one, but if I had one given to me...Id definitely appreciate it. Time to go shoot trap!