Crooked Barrel..?

[deerwhacker444]

.
I want to see what you guys think or if you've ever ran across one that's this bad. I bought this rifle 5-6 years ago off of Auctionarms, sight unseen.



Everything checked out and was great on the rifle until I mounted a WRGS and tried sighting it in. When I finally got it grouping where it should, the rear sight is way way way over to one side, off of the centerline of the bore.



If a stranger pics it up, they automatically think the sight has been bumped off, it's that obvious. Although it shoots real good, the rear sight has always made it look ugly. And I can't be seen carrying around an ugly rifle...

I took it to work and put the rifle in the mill, clamped across the receiver. I "eyeballed" the centerline of the bore with an indicator back on the action end. Then I ran the indicator in the X all the way down to the end of the barrel. Sure enough, it was approx. 150 thousandths out...! WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE..?

There doesn't appear to be 1 point in the barrel where there is a drastic change, like where it got bent at one time. I don't know how it could happen, but it's almost like it got threaded into the receiver crooked. Does that ever happen.?

Like I said, it shoots good, it's just ugly. Would you try to fix it or just live with it.? Is that something that Marlin would want to take a look at?

What say you.?

[J Miller]

Well, were it me, I'd contact Marlin's service dept and tell them the story. I'd want it rebarreled and double checked.
Yes barrels can be screwed in off straight. Threads can be cut crooked.
Lots of things can happen.

Joe

[cnjarvis]

Perhaps a machinist will chime in here but I suppose it's possible that the barrel threads themselves could be off a little or perhaps the receiver was threaded at an angle?

If you can sight it in properly and it shoots well, why change it unless it really bothers you?

[.45colt]

Fourty Years ago the "Old Posse" at the Gun club were always looking down the barrels of shotguns. . They would line up the chamber,forecing cone and choke to see if a shotgun barrel was straight or not. Any Yep some were crooked. They had good Eyes and alot of experience.

[Swampman]

I'd put a scope on it.

[papabear]

I had a 30-06 that was so bad it would hit the target of the guy shooting to the right of me my gun smith had to straten it out i didn't see him do it but he said he placed a rod down the barrel thats all he told me I sold the gun for $250 back in 92 wish i never did that

[86er]

Put the rifle out of the stock across two wooden blocks about 6" high. Stand on the barrel and bounce your weight a few times to bend it slightly in the direction you want it to go. Eyeball it and repeat as necessary, and adjust the force of the bounce. I recently did this to a gun that would not move the shot impact two more inches right without the sight going way to one side, like yours. It took a while and some trial and error but it eventually worked and did not spring back. It now shoots where it is supposed to with the sights centered on the bore line. It might be unconventional but it works.

[Don McDowell]

Don't go bending around on it.
It's probably threaded crooked either into the action or they mucked the threads on the barrel.
You might want to try drifting the front sight over a bit so you can bring the rear sight a little closer to zero.
Take it to a gunsmith (not a gunparts changer) and have him try and remount the barrel, or maybe just talk to Marlin and see if they want a stab at fixing it. Probably came that way from the factory and that's why it got sold?

[Gun Smith]

It's not unusual to have to straighten barrels at the factory. But they shouldn't leave the factory bent.

[Don McDowell]

Looking at the picture of your rear sight, the thing isn't fully seated and mating the dovetail. That would throw things off considerably.

[Hobie]

Looking at the picture of your rear sight, the thing isn't fully seated and mating the dovetail. That would throw things off considerably.

Yep, it is one way at the front of the base and another at the back!

Frankly I couldn't stand that gun even if it was a one of kind! I'd have it back to Marlin for a fix or I'd replace it.

[TedH]

I'd put a scope on it.

+1

[Chuck 100 yd]

I bought a used Marlin that had the barrel fitted into the receiver at an angle. No problem with the factory sights but with a peep it was just like your`s.
I took it back to the dealer where I bought it and explained what I found, He said , do you want your money back or credit on another. He just happened to have a sweet little 1895 Marlin .45-70 and it came home with me.

That said, SEND IT TO MARLIN!! They are GOOD people and will work with you. If you are honest and polite with them they will bend over backward to make you happy.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

If the barrel is crooked bend it back straight. It the receiver is threaded off send it back. I've seen Rossi's with both problems.
A barrel doesn't have to be straight to shoot good but the bore needs to be consistant from breech to muzzle.

[Don McDowell]

Still think if that rear sight was seated properly on its dovetails that would cure alot of the ills. Also looks like the base is hanging over one side and not the other. Maybe the screw holes are off? Or maybe just put a different sight on it.

[deerwhacker444]

Still think if that rear sight was seated properly on its dovetails that would cure alot of the ills. Also looks like the base is hanging over one side and not the other. Maybe the screw holes are off? Or maybe just put a different sight on it.

Don

The lighting makes the sight look funny in the first pics. The sight is in its proper dovetail. Here's some more views.

[Don McDowell]

Still looks like it's higher on the left than on the right.

[Malamute]

My Browning 92 and pre-64 Winchester 94 are like that, and I've seen other pre-64's the same way. It bothered me at first when I realized it on the 94, but the dang gun has shot 7/8" groups @ 100 yards(3 shot group). I decided not to worry about it.

[76/444]

Looks like a solution to a problem, hardly ever spoken of!!

Seriously!!


I had an injury to my RIGHT dominant shooting eye. Now I take and cut down the stocks/combs, of most of my go to rifles, so I can use my left eye.

This looks like the answer to my problem, or anyone else who shoots right handed with a dominant left eye. Maybe you should ask around, and if this piece fits someone with that problem, they will give you what you have in it!


Here is what I did to my "long shooter" stock to accommodate right hand shooting with my left eye.

[KCSO]

Barrels can be bored off center, they can be threaded off center the receiver could be threaded off center, hard to say without looking down the barrel. Yours is not too bad and if you move the front sight 1/2 the correction and the rear for 1/2 neither will look too bad. If the barrel is bent it can be straightened, You can jump on it if you like I prefer to use v blocks and a hydraulic press, but if the barrel is straight do you want to BEND it to fix the defect? I have always found that the folks at marlin were hapy to correct defects in their guns if you sent a nice letter to them. It takes a real eye and a lot of ractice to straighten a barrel and most folks can't do it, but the factories have one guy who does it all the time and they can do a good job.

[Nath]

I would speak to marlin first. Failing there I would go with 86er.
If you have access to a machine sho a press should not be far away!

With the bolt removed and sights centered you could bore sight it while bending.

Good luck.

Nath.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

Barrels can be bored off center, they can be threaded off center the receiver could be threaded off center, hard to say without looking down the barrel. Yours is not too bad and if you move the front sight 1/2 the correction and the rear for 1/2 neither will look too bad. If the barrel is bent it can be straightened, You can jump on it if you like I prefer to use v blocks and a hydraulic press, but if the barrel is straight do you want to BEND it to fix the defect? I have always found that the folks at marlin were hapy to correct defects in their guns if you sent a nice letter to them. It takes a real eye and a lot of ractice to straighten a barrel and most folks can't do it, but the factories have one guy who does it all the time and they can do a good job.

Yep,
Just since this post was started I ran into the same problem, sorta. I have one of the Taurus thunderbolt/lightning pump rifles here. They come a 26" barrel crescent stocked rifles. But my customer had me cut it back to 20". Well, I did but when I went to recrown it I found the bore is about .050" off center of the barrel O.D. I was going to do a tradition black powder flat in-the-white crown but it looked terrible. I ended up doing a rounded and recessed crown and cold blued it.