What are you using for patch lube? Try #13 thompson bore cleaner with some water soluble machine cutting solution! 1part machine solution to 6 parts #13 bore cleaner Bore butter is crap! Thank me later
Not a rifle for serious range competition? I beg to differ! Back in the 80s my mentors son shot one amd won 1st place in state finals i shoot one as well as my buddy i placed second last year behind my buddies 1st place! Just a fyi
I recently purchased one and your right the screw is very cheesy. I had to locktite the threads a tad to keep the thing from coming loose but it works well!!
From the research i have foumd the maltese cross stampimg is a barrel produced by TC in their early years. Theres info here on the M.L. site Nit Wit wrote a piece on this subject in Jan 2022 or 2023