I recently had someone try to change barrels on a sako sporter. The deal was to do it without marking or cutting or not at all. Using ally collets and paper to prevent marring the smith managed not mark it but there was no way that factory barrel was coming off without cutting.

I've got the rifle back - no marks but there is a tight spot in the bore that I hadn't previously noticed. Is it possible to crush the bore of a 308 sporter without marking the bluing. The tight spot is about 12-14" from the chamber. If I look very carefully along the exterior of the barrel I can see 2-3 very very faint rings but the bluing is pristine. It's still accurate.

Unless the gunsmith is a complete idiot, and there are some out there, there would be no reason to hold the barrel that far out to remove it. Your best clamping power to remove it is as close to the reciever as possible. Assuming your gunsmith is not an idiot the barrel issues were probably already there.

It was held about there as holding by the chamber caused the barrel to back out (no parallel section on a sako sporter)

I've seen heavy handed barrel stamps move metal into the bore. As long as the barrel didn't spin in the collet, no bluing would have been damaged. What you are talking about is crushing damage. If there are faint rings on the outside, where the collet was, that correspond to a tight area in the bore then you have to wonder. It is certainly possible to crush any kind of tube given enough pressure. Probably should have used a barrel vise with proper bushings to spread the force over a larger area.

Wow..I find this bizarre...I once "crushed " a Luger barrel..even with darn close fitting aluminum bushings..no real loss in this case, a new barrel was to be installed

But to crush a rifle barrel would take some serious horespower...maybe a very light weight barel? As far as stamping telegraphing into the bore...wow again! Godzilla the Gunsmith!

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe:
...As far as stamping telegraphing into the bore...wow again! Godzilla the Gunsmith!

Bill Calfee has written he can feel the stamped/rolled logo, etc on a barrel when he slugs the bore.

I suspect crushing the bore is possible if you used a barrel vise powered by a hydraulic jack and some smiths do. KDF shop comes to mind.

If powered conventionally by a big screw I doubt you could generate that much force. Unless you were Hulk Hogan with a big cheater bar.