Fox Collectors

I have a dent in a 26" barrel, about an inch back from the muzzle. There are some smaller ones elsewhere, but this is the only one that is visible inside the barrel as well. Can dents in the choke areas be pressed out? I remember being told no before, but wished to confirm.

I just talked to Jon Hosford,who makes a dent raising tool, and he says dents near the muzzle can usually be removed, but they're more time consuming to raise.

GradeIII wrote:I just talked to Jon Hosford,who makes a dent raising tool, and he says dents near the muzzle can usually be removed, but they're more time consuming to raise.

Thank you. I'll look for someone to talk a look at the upcoming Southern perhaps.

Prior to the Southern, is there harm done shooting it as-is? Thanks.

whgraham wrote:

GradeIII wrote:I just talked to Jon Hosford,who makes a dent raising tool, and he says dents near the muzzle can usually be removed, but they're more time consuming to raise.

Thank you. I'll look for someone to talk a look at the upcoming Southern perhaps.

if Jon is there - he will do dent raising for what i have thought was a very reasonable fee

What impact can dent raising have on the barrels finish?

whgraham wrote:What impact can dent raising have on the barrels finish?

as Mom got to say often when I was a kid "that's going to leave a mark"

it will depend on a lot of factors- how much rework of the metal it takes - how good the finish is before raising
and the skill of the gunsmith

if the dent has been there a while there already might be wear on the edges

in any case- having the dent out is better than shooting with it in IMHO

John Hosford did a great job of fixing a Damascus barreled Westley Richards of mine at Hauseman's Hollow a few years ago. It was not so much of a dent but really the end of the barrel got pressed out of round and was more oval in shape. It only took him about 10 minutes.

The trouble with the choke area, especially on a Fox is the long taper. A standard anvil does not fit correctly. One should use a tapered anvil, and that would be pretty much custom made. This was told to me by others who are very skilled in this work.

I saw Mr. Hosford for three dents, in two different guns, and they came out beautifully. The dent in the 20ga Sterlingworth ejector left no real mark in the finish of the barrel, at least none that the eye can see.

Thanks for the tip to see Jon,