rimfire4969 Posted January 21, 2019 Report Share Posted January 21, 2019 Somehow on Saturday at our little syndicate I managed to dent the rib of my gun. I don’t have time to get to a gunsmith and I am shooting a couple of times this week and all next week till the season ends. I am thinking a screwdriver under it to ease it up, then get it properly sorted after the season. Anyone had a go at it any other way with success? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted January 21, 2019 Report Share Posted January 21, 2019 4 minutes ago, rimfire4969 said: Somehow on Saturday at our little syndicate I managed to dent the rib of my gun. I don’t have time to get to a gunsmith and I am shooting a couple of times this week and all next week till the season ends. I am thinking a screwdriver under it to ease it up, then get it properly sorted after the season. Anyone had a go at it any other way with success? Be VERY careful if you try this. The rib 'pillars' can become detached (not sure if they are spot welded, brazed or soldered), but I have one that needs these repairing - possibly because someone in the past has raised rib dents this way? It isn't cheap as re-blacking is going to be needed afterwards. Barrel blacking specialists can carry out these repairs. For obvious reasons you also don't want to risk denting the barrel - and I'm not sure if you would have enough room to use a wooden or similar piece to shield the barrel from the screwdriver. I would be inclined to live with it until the end of the season. I doubt you will notice it when the action starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westward Posted January 21, 2019 Report Share Posted January 21, 2019 You can get neat little device specially made for this but I made up a small pair of folding wedges from hardwood, inserted from each side and used a clamp to squeeze them together gradually. These apply expansion pressure between the barrel and the rib, but unlike a single wedge or lever such as a screwdriver, these chaps apply balanced pressure so there's no risk of distorting or twisting the rib. I'm sure there's a ton of stuff about folding wedges on t'internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunman Posted January 21, 2019 Report Share Posted January 21, 2019 I assume that you have an O/U ? One very good reason why side by sides or O/U's with solid top ribs , should be used for game , but thats another topic 🙄 Screw drivers with a very long taper can be used but with great caution . Problem is that dependent on the rib construction and the fact that may guns have the rib fitted and then machined , that it can "stretch" when dented . The result is that when the dent is lifted it ends up with a"hump". I have lifted many dented vent ribs with varying degrees success and you can never guarantee the out come . I had a set of very thin tapered wedges which used from both sides a bit at a time had a fair degree of success but that came with long practice . As it will not affect your shooting I would leave it to some one with experience , as it it is often better on jobs like these to start from scratch than to fix something that has been worked on before . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexBee Posted January 21, 2019 Report Share Posted January 21, 2019 Wooden wedges are a little kinder than a screwdriver 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkfanz Posted January 21, 2019 Report Share Posted January 21, 2019 when i dented my 20g i ground down a pair of long nosed plyers to fit under rib then with a piece of quarter in steel along top of rib,gently sqeeze both together and work along dent,it worked ok for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sabel25 Posted January 21, 2019 Report Share Posted January 21, 2019 Carefully clamp a piece of wood along the top of the rib, two small wedges in from either side of the dent and nip them in with a clamp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 21, 2019 Report Share Posted January 21, 2019 I would live with it .then when you have spare time take it and get it repair professionally by a gunsmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted January 21, 2019 Report Share Posted January 21, 2019 If it's shootable still, carry on and take a trip up to Somerset at the season's end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted January 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2019 All done, I expect I was maybe lucky, I used two wedges of wood and slowly brought them together. It looks fine, not quite perfect but I did not want to push my luck. After the season I will drop it in for a well deserved service and get it professionally finished. Thank you all for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted January 22, 2019 Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 I've done a few with thin fox wedges or a tapered wide blade screwdriver. I used a bit of tape on the barrel so didn't damage the finish. You only bending back a soft piece of steel, if it was tough steel.it wouldn't have been so easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted January 22, 2019 Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 I have a dent lifter, which a couple of people on this Forum have successfully used. I am at the other end of the country from the OP, but if it isn't sorted by August, I will be in Cornwall for the 40th time and would happily take the tool with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted January 22, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2019 19 minutes ago, Gordon R said: I have a dent lifter, which a couple of people on this Forum have successfully used. I am at the other end of the country from the OP, but if it isn't sorted by August, I will be in Cornwall for the 40th time and would happily take the tool with me. Thanks for that. Fingers crossed it will be sorted by then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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