cleaning question

[pharmvet]

I hope I can get my queation answered without getting bashed for looking down the barrel of my gun but Im going to try. Please keep in mind that I am in full agreement with all gun safety measures. Here goes. After removing the lock, scraping the breach area with a scraper, plugging the vent liner with a tooth pick, pouring a hot cup of soapy water down thte barrel and then pouring it out, swabbing repeatedly with paper towels / black powder solvent etc., I wanted to see how clean I was getting my barrel so I took a flashlight and yes "looked down my barrel" My barrel was shiny clean all the way down, including the breach plug except for a black line in the general area and direction of the vent liner. At first I thought it had to do with the light coming in from the vent "shadow effect" but it is there with or without the vent plugged with toothpick. Also, it is there when light is shined in throught the vent. I repeatedly tried to remove it with rags and worm. What is this, Is there a groove in the breach, is this an optical illusion, or is it just my gun. Anyone else notice this?

 

[musketman]

No one will bash you after taking all the safety precautions first, sometimes these things need done...

I would say the "line" in question is a soot line scar from the pan's flash, remember it is a hot jet of gas that shoots through the vent...

Can't say for sure if the metal is eroded in the "line" unless you take the breech off and have a closer inspection...

Other possibility may be that the barrel has a mill mark that you have just noticed or has developed a weak spot, again, closer inspection may be needed...

 

[riarcher]

One other thing comes to mind besides a "soot ring". Could it be the end of your breach plug? I had a CVA where the plug extended up past the drum area and didn't match perfectly. Could even feel it with a patched jag. Never hurt anything, just "the nature of the thing".

 

[Bill41]

I don't know if yours is a custom gun or not, but some times the breech plug has to be notched so that the flash hole liner can be installed. Sometimes it's also done to help direct the "flash" of the priming. Course I could be full of :bull:

 

[roundball]

"...except for a black line in the general area and direction of the vent liner..."

My guess would be that it's just the inside of the hole that was drilled & tapped for the vent liner...since you can't 'see' a 3D view of the hole, what you may be seeing is simply the front or rear 'edge' of the hole...dunno