Fouling Ring Observations?

[Versanaut]

Evening all,

I am curious as to some of your observations regarding the chamber/breech area fouling ring development in your longarms.

I've picked up several rifles (45's/ 50's, caps and flinters) and a pistol along the way (all but 1 had previous owner(s)). I have always used GOEX, 2f and 3f, and either beeswax/olive oil or ballistol/water spritz to lube either ticking or a heavier canvas. Only 1 of the rifles demands to be wiped between shots to keep shooting. The rest can go all day without wiping. NONE of these rifles have ever developed a fouling ring where the ball seats.

UNTIL NOW.... A recently acquired a flinter is doing just that. I've tried my go to lube/patch combos, wiping between and not, and after each shot, there is a firm wall of crust. A couple passes with a wetted patch clears it up and it returns on the next shot. I have not scoped the barrel, but the only thing I can suspect is that there might be a ring of pitting/corrosion there allowing the crude to root up in that same spot. (I have not yet tried varying the load significantly to see if the fouling ring moves with the new ball seat location.

I realize that Swiss or OE might burn cleaner and have some recently acquired Scheutzen and OE to try next time out, but powder aside, have any of you all had that 'one' rifle that just likes to crud up? You ever figure it's cause?

 

[rafterob]

I guess some rifles do and some don't. Typically not an issue as it is behind the ball when loaded. I only swab when I start to feel the loading process getting a little more difficult. Then I usually detect a fouling ring down towards the bottom, but it comes out with the swabbing process. I think ambient humidity has a lot to do with fouling. Some days I can shoot all day and not swab. Other days I may get 6 or 7 shots and have to swab. Same powder, patch and lube.

 

[Grimord]

I have a heirloom rifle in 35 caliber that has a pitted ring right at the top of the powder charge. Fouling accumulates on this ring with every shot. I have since reduced my powder charge a few grains and place a lubed felt wad over the powder before seating the ball. It seems to have solved my "crud" ring problem. Maybe this solution will work for you.

 

[Versanaut]

Patches from the last cleaning. Seems there are still some sharp lands on one side in there. The patch does not feel like it’s catching on anything. Notice the fouling is associated with the sharp lands. I thought maybe at first it could be stuff in the inside of the vent hole, but I was careful to note the orientation of the patches at the muzzle and the rod twist towards the breech. The sharp lands and fouling are on the opposite side of the vent.

 

[SDSmlf]

I am curious as to some of your observations regarding the chamber/breech area fouling ring development in your longarms.

Hard to really tell what is going on until get a view from a borescope. Personally, have found fouling ring build up significant with subs like 777, and not near as significant with blackpowder....... though with heavier for caliber conicals, the fouling ring does build quite quickly, at least in my opinion.

Here are photographs of a new Green Mountain barrel with 50 shots out of it. 80 grains of Swiss powder (build up from Goex was quicker and more significant, but I have no photographs), felt wad, paperpatched bullet. First picture is after multiple cleanings and an overnight soak with MAP. No pictures, but started to feel tight spot from from fouling ring as I was shooting at the range, reason I took photographs after initial cleaning to understand what might be in the bore.

Second photograph is the same spot in the same barrel after cleaning with very hot water followed by a modern bore cleaner. Finding the borescope telling me things I don’t want to believe, but it is what it is.

 

[hawkeye2]

Great photos, what are you using for a bore scope?

 

[SDSmlf]

Using a Teslong WiFi borescope.

 

[Jim Nasium]

Did you have to use a brush to get the ring out, or the solvent and patches broke it down by themselves? Thank you for the visuals. Great to see.

 

[ord sgt]

If your cleaning patches are too tight, you may be pushing some fouling down the bore when wiping between shots. The cleaning patches should be a little loose. They will pick up some fouling on the down stroke but bunch up on the return pull of the rod. That is how it clears the fouling from the barrel.

 

[ZUG]

I have a GM .36 cal barrel in a flint rifle and it gets a ring of fouling on every shot which I have to swab out before the next shot. I use 35 gr of GOEX 3F with Dutch's dry patch system. I've not used any other lube since this combination has been VERY accurate for me.

 

[SDSmlf]

Did you have to use a brush to get the ring out, or the solvent and patches broke it down by themselves? Thank you for the visuals. Great to see.

I have found I need a bore brush to get the crud ring out. The digital borescope is a big upgrade to the old optical one I used for years. Now have clear digital photographs, where with the old had a not so clear look at things through an eyepiece with no photographic record.

 

[Jim Nasium]

I figured so much. If you didn't use a brush, I was about to ask what kind of solvent you were using! lol
I'll bet it is! Looks like a hell of an addition to the kit.

 

[Versanaut]

Boy, I do like new toys and that borescope picture had me looking today! I'd never get the barrel clean enough if I could see it myself!

The rifle stays as accurate as I am.. at least as far as I can tell shooting offhand between the 5th shot swab. In the end, only an annoyance as I do wipe during matches and if hunting, don't see me taking 4 follow up shots with a flinter!

I do need to be careful to clean up the barrel really good though as that fouling ring could still be there and my not know it according to that picture! Could make possible corrosion worse!

 

[Siringo]

I will get a crud ring in my flinters. More so than a percussion. It may be because the percussion has a higher chamber pressure allowing a more complete burn.

I have found to be careful seating a ball when the crud ring gets more pronounced. The patch stops at the crud ring and I can push the ball thru the patch tearing it. I’ll feel or hear a crunch. It’s not compressing the powder, but rather tearing the patch. Recovered patches show it.

 

[hanshi]

I get the breech area crud rings sometimes and they rarely interfere with loading. I get the impression weather may have an effect on any formation. They always clean out quite easily. Some of my rifles are more likely than others to form a fouling ring.