Beretta model 76P concern

g8rjoe

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51ED9E21-6BE5-4DEF-961C-03980A20DC94.jpeg Good morning all.
About a year ago, I won the bid on an old Beretta model 76P target pistol on Gunbroker. Got it for a great price based on Blue Book value. AF date stamp shows it to be 1980 manufacture. Took it to the range and it had no issues and it was super accurate as I expected. Afterwards on cleaning it, the bore brush and cleaning patch felt loose as they passed through a certain part of the barrel. Long story short, it appears the barrel is “ringed”, I assume from a bullet becoming lodged in the barrel followed by another cartridge being fired causing the barrel to bulge. This occurred before I purchased the pistol. This bulge is about 1 5/8” back from the muzzle. If you look closely at the attached photo, you can see the bulge. Upon contacting the seller and explaining the problem he immediately offered to take it back and refund my money or give me a generous cash refund if I kept it. I chose to keep it as I liked the gun and accuracy didn’t seem to be affected.
All that being said, am I facing any future safety or other problems that may be caused by this ringed barrel?
 
Well, it's hard to give a definite answer here. Conventional wisdom would dictate that you replace the bulged barrel, but if you're not running into any function or accuracy issues then you just might be fine. A more thorough inspection of the bore might be in order though. That would tell if you just have a mild, concentric bulge or if you're dealing with a potential BOOM

Take some of that "generous cash refund" the seller offered and start looking for a replacement barrel if you're bothered by it. :)
 
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Well, it's hard to give a definite answer here. Conventional wisdom would dictate that you replace the bulged barrel, but if you're not running into any function or accuracy issues then you just might be fine. A more thorough inspection of the bore might be in order though.

Take some of that "generous cash refund" the seller offered and start looking for a replacement barrel if you're bothered by it. :)
Thanks for your reply. I would love to replace the barrel, but this particular model was discontinued many years ago and I've looked for replacement barrels with no luck. Checked out Jack First, Brownells, and Beretta with no luck. The barrel is part of an assembly and under normal circumstances could be removed from the "Housing" it fits into. However, the bulge has jammed the barrel into the housing and I would have to replace the entire assembly if I could find one. I'll just keep shooting it as long as there's no safety issues.
Thanks again and best regards,
 
Yeah, those older Beretta rimfire pistols are hard to find parts for. Maybe SARCO might have what you need? Scratch that... just checked SARCO and NUMRICH with no luck.

You've got a nice piece there though... the predecessor to the modern Beretta 87T, which shoots like a laser
 
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Hold the phone Rodney!! If the previous owner had no knowledge and the gun shoots fine maybe it was MADE that way.

Example.... When I got my first CZ rimfire I took it out of the box to give it the initial cleaning before firing. I noticed that as I ran a patch from breech to muzzle it got tighter as it got within about 10" of the muzzle. This worried me until I checked on Rimfire Central Forum and found out that it's totally normal for a CZ. It seems to be one of the features that gives a CZ it's phenomenal accuracy. It seems that quite a few foreign made guns have some of these strange accuracy treatments.

See if you can find an owner of an identical gun and query them to this situation. Try Rimfire Central....
 
Hold the phone Rodney!! If the previous owner had no knowledge and the gun shoots fine maybe it was MADE that way.

Example.... When I got my first CZ rimfire I took it out of the box to give it the initial cleaning before firing. I noticed that as I ran a patch from breech to muzzle it got tighter as it got within about 10" of the muzzle. This worried me until I checked on Rimfire Central Forum and found out that it's totally normal for a CZ. It seems to be one of the features that gives a CZ it's phenomenal accuracy. It seems that quite a few foreign made guns have some of these strange accuracy treatments.

See if you can find an owner of an identical gun and query them to this situation. Try Rimfire Central....
That's pretty interesting. However, there is definitely a bulge in the barrel and housing which can be felt when you slide your fingers over the area. Also, the barrel is supposed to be removed from the housing and this can't happen because of the bulge. I'll see if I can find anyone with a similar gun and ask the question you mentioned in your post.
Thanks for your response and have a great day.
 
I have heard, so I'm simply repeating from a decent resource....take it with a grain of salt
If your buldge is in a rimfire barrel, not in a centerfire, of a modern well built firearm and you are happy with its performance that the buldge will not likely create a safety hazard since the barrel strength to pressure ratio in a rimfire won't create a safety concern....as for centerfire I think one is cautioned to be more leary....
 
I have heard, so I'm simply repeating from a decent resource....take it with a grain of salt
If your buldge is in a rimfire barrel, not in a centerfire, of a modern well built firearm and you are happy with its performance that the buldge will not likely create a safety hazard since the barrel strength to pressure ratio in a rimfire won't create a safety concern....as for centerfire I think one is cautioned to be more leary....
Thank you for responding. I intuitively thought the same thing which is why I posted my story. Based on what you’re saying, I don’t think I’ll have any problems with this firearm. I appreciate your input.
Thanks and best regards
 
I have owned 2 Ps and 1 W. They are slightly modified Model 70Ss. If you take the large grips off and replace them with ones from a 70S, you can use 70S mags in them. 70S mags are easier to come by.
I cannot imagine any set of circumstances that would come up from your barrel issue. Shoot and enjoy. The sights can be fragile.
 
I wouldn't expect, in a .22 the barrel will be a problem. Especially, it you're not going to be shooting any of the "higher pressure" loads like Stingers, Velocitors, etc. Plenty of stories about "damaged" guns that do great.

This thread is making me miss the Benelli MP95e that I somewhat regrettably sold. :(
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I agree with you about not shooting hot loads. I believe the model 76 I’ve got is rated for standard velocity rounds which is what I use in it. Thanks for your response and that Benelli is a sweet looking piece. Looking at the space(or lack of) between the trigger and the trigger stop, sure looks like it only takes very light pressure to fire. Can’t believe you let this one go, but I’ve let some good ones get away too.
Best regards,
 
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