Barrel pitting?

[Gollywomper]

How bad is this?
Finally bought a cheap camera to take a look down my barrel as I suspected something was going on. Always felt a bit rough from day one when it was new. P pulled some rust out of the barrel after shooting it the first time and have seem to be dealing with it consistently.

They were a bit worse, I cleaned it up with scotch brite pad. This is in about the first 6” of the barrel.

 

[Gtrubicon]

What’s the target say?

 

[Banjoman]

Yeah, how does it shoot?

 

[Gollywomper]

It shoots great!!!
Really concerned as to how I am cleaning and storing.
I know when I shot it the first time, I know I should have cleaned it first, I broke the #1 rule and shot it before a good cleaning. Anyway, I could not get a patch down the last 6” or so. I found a lot of brown came out with a wet patch that first time out. Cleaned and put it away. I have shot and cleaned it a couple times since with only this last session I found some slight brown on my patch before shooting. So I think most of the damage was done before I got it?
Guess they didn’t clean after test firing?

I had been swabbing between shots with windex, I see it has sodium hydroxide, so thinking I will just go with some soap/water followed by a dry patch. Guess I will have to monitor the barrel.
Really kind of bummed since I don’t have a lot of shots on this gun.

 

[SDSmlf]

It shoots great!!!
Really concerned as to how I am cleaning and storing.
I know when I shot it the first time, I know I should have cleaned it first, I broke the #1 rule and shot it before a good cleaning. Anyway, I could not get a patch down the last 6” or so. I found a lot of brown came out with a wet patch that first time out. Cleaned and put it away. I have shot and cleaned it a couple times since with only this last session I found some slight brown on my patch before shooting. So I think most of the damage was done before I got it?
Guess they didn’t clean after test firing?

I had been swabbing between shots with windex, I see it has sodium hydroxide, so thinking I will just go with some soap/water followed by a dry patch. Guess I will have to monitor the barrel.
Really kind of bummed since I don’t have a lot of shots on this gun.

Well, you could always toss the thing, but to be honest, I have seen plenty of barrels in much worse shape perform just fine. My only suggestion now that you know what have, is to consider using a bore cleaning paste like JBs (there are others) to stay ahead of things, even if not every time you shoot. Those small pits/rough surfaces seem to be magnets for collecting stuff that isn’t helpful for your bore long term. Once cleaned, I prefer a rust preventative that drys to a film (think Eezox or Barricade for example), then storing the gun bore down for a day or two to make sure there is no buildup in the breech.

 

[Gollywomper]

Well, you could always toss the thing, but to be honest, I have seen plenty of barrels in much worse shape perform just fine. My only suggestion now that you know what have, is to consider using a bore cleaning paste like JBs (there are others) to stay ahead of things, even if not every time you shoot. Those small pits/rough surfaces seem to be magnets for collecting stuff that isn’t helpful for your bore long term. Once cleaned, I prefer a rust preventative that drys to a film (think Eezox or Barricade for example), then storing the gun bore down for a day or two to make sure there is no buildup in the breech.

I have reached out to Traditions on a replacement barrel. I am not looking to fight with this thing forever.

Just a bit bummed I didn’t take more notice on that first cleaning when I found all the brown crude coming out. Lol

Live and learn I guess.

 

[SDSmlf]

I have reached out to Traditions on a replacement barrel. I am not looking to fight with this thing forever.

Will be interesting response considering it has been loaded and shot. Can’t hurt to ask, worst they can answer is NO. But even then, the gun ‘shoots great!!!’ (your words), so you are already ahead of quite a few playing this game.

 

[Gollywomper]

Will be interesting response considering it has been loaded and shot. Can’t hurt to ask, worst they can answer is NO. But even then, the gun ‘shoots great!!!’ (your words), so you are already ahead of quite a few playing this game.

To be clear I do not expect a warranty. Just would like the option of buying a new barrel. I would imagine this will be a life long fight to keep those rough spots from getting worse.

Will see if a replacement is available, if not I will make it work for now.

 

[SDSmlf]

Just would like the option of buying a new barrel. I would imagine this will be a life long fight to keep those rough spots from getting worse.

Will see if a replacement is available, if not I will make it work for now.

While the following statement may cause a few individuals hair to catch on fire or possibly cause their entire bodies to spontaneously combust, but if you are using Pyrodex, consider using blackpowder. I found it a lot easier on bores corrosion wise compared to Pyrodex, particularly in a bore with preexisting pits to act as holding places for powder residue. Just my personal experience.

 

[morehops52]

Well at this point you have a shooter. That's great!! So do your best to maintain what you have and not let it get worse. I have read many posts about folks having badly pitted bores that shot accurately. If you want to feel much better, ditch the camera.

 

[Gollywomper]

While the following statement may cause a few individuals hair to catch on fire or possibly cause their entire bodies to spontaneously combust, but if you are using Pyrodex, consider using blackpowder. I found it a lot easier on bores corrosion wise compared to Pyrodex, particularly in a bore with preexisting pits to act as holding places for powder residue. Just my personal experience.

I have only used real black, I intend to continue to do so as long as I can get the stuff.

 

[Gollywomper]

Well at this point you have a shooter. That's great!! So do your best to maintain what you have and not let it get worse. I have read many posts about folks having badly pitted bores that shot accurately. If you want to feel much better, ditch the camera.

Yes, I agree. I may just shoot this thing until Kibler makes a Hawken with a quick twist barrel for my needs. lol

 

[Harry Marinakis]

Here's what my bore looks like. Shoots fine. 35 year old rifle, new to me.

Your barrel looks fine. Keep the bore oiled well when you put it away.

 

[Banjoman]

Gollywomper’s rifle bore looks much better than the bore on my Thompson Center Hawken which will put all shots inside a 4” circle at 75 yards if I can do my part. It was neglected by a former owner and looks like a sewer pipe but I don’t loose any sleep over it.

 

[Frontier's]

Not bad, just need to clean it better. Get a 50cal cleaning jag and green scotch Brite pad, give it a couple hundred strokes.

 

[Gollywomper]

Not bad, just need to clean it better. Get a 50cal cleaning jag and green scotch Brite pad, give it a couple hundred strokes.

Those photos are after the Scotch Brite treatment. Lol

 

[Eric Krewson]

A Teslong bore scope with drive you nuts and make you think your barrel is toast.

I have a wonderful rifle with a Bill Large barrel, it is just about a one-hole shooter at 50 yards with anything I put down the barrel. When I looked down the barrel with my Teslong I was shocked to see so much pitting, the rifle is from around 1972 and is choke bored.

This is when I decided it was the way they shoot not the bore condition that determines the quality of the barrel.

 

[TrophyGuy]

My experience with pitted and corroded barrels is largely in smokeless unmentionables, both milsurp and civilian. What seems to matter more than pitting is the last six inches of rifling at the muzzle and the muzzle crown. That said, I have replaced some badly pitted but good performing barrels simply from the pride of ownership. Barrel makers should subsidize borescopes to stimulate business same as gunsmiths should hand out Dremel tools.

 

[nhmoose]

More bores are ruined by cameras