Disclosed are a method for measuring deformation of metal cylinders under an internal explosion effect and a device. The device consists of an exploder, a priming device, a plurality of electric probes, a multichannel detonation velocity meter and signal recording equipment. The exploder is arranged on an axis of a metal cylinder, the priming device detonates the exploder and outputs a priming time signal, the electric probes are arranged outside the metal cylinder, by the aid of the multichannel detonation velocity meter, pulse response is generated when measuring points of the electric probes contact with the wall of the metal cylinder, the signal recording equipment is used for recording output pulses of the multichannel detonation velocity meter and the priming time signal, gap values among the measuring points of the electric probes and the wall of the metal cylinder form a non-equivalence sequence, and when one of the electric probes contacts with the wall surface of the metal cylinder, a deformation value measured at the position of the corresponding measuring point of the electric probe corresponds to radial deformation of the metal cylinder. The method and the device have the advantages of simplicity, directness, reliable measurement results, easiness in operation and the like, measurement of deformation of different ranges is realized by means of changing mounting positions of the measuring points of the electric probes, and the method and the device are particularly applicable to measuring large-deformation parameters.