3F is your friend. Crud ring is normal if you don't use a proper wet lube to prevent it. Mark your rammer so you are sure the ball is fully seated every time.
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Question about a ring around the barrel.
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Just powder with patched ball. Work up your load on a hot dry day, using spit patch. Increase until the fouling is blown clear of the barrel. If you AREN'T getting the ring, you may wish to reduce the load until you do, then work back up. This method gives you the most effective charge for a smoothbore. Any thing more is a waste, and anything less, means more fouling.
I've not experimented with this load method with shot, as I think it has different parameters to working up a load influenced by how you build your load.
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A more sure and accurate method of working a bore into match shape is lead slug hand lapping with various grades of lapping compound. This will tell you exactly the diameters and texture of your bore as you can actually feel a ten thousands of an inch change in diameter.Allow me to start with a word of background, the rifle was bought new and has been exhibiting what I'm about to say since day 1.
I'm the kind of guy who likes to swab his barrel between shots. What became immediately apparent is that there is a spot in the barrel where the resistance to the patch increases then abates as the point is passed. As if a ring has formed within the barrel. If I swab a clean barrel it isn't there, only after shooting. I have a therory but would like to hear what others may think, I've always used olive oil as a lube. The last is what my theory is based on. I'd have to chew leaf to get enough spit, and I gave that up years ago.
Depending on what my bore scope reveals as to bore surface condition I usually begin with 220 grit aluminum oxide progress through 320 grit and finish with 400 grit. I cast a new lap slug every 250 cycles and recharge the lap with fresh lap compound every 50 cycles. A cycle is one trip up and back. When a tight spot is felt the lap is given a back and forth "shoe shine" motion so as to blend the tight and loose areas.
I like to profile my bores level until the last 3 inches of the barrel and then work in a few tenth of taper up to the crown.
The progress is checked with plug gauges until satisfied.
There is no need to progress past 400 grit in my opinion because as the grains break down from wear they become increasingly fine and round edged making an exceedingly smooth bore surface in both land and groove, just about the right texture for best accuracy. To smooth of a bore makes accuracy deteriorate! As with most things there is a law of diminishing returns that if exceeded make desired results head in the opposite direction.
Some bores like those I have lapped in Green Mtn barrels only take a few hundred cycles to get right but than I have had some other brands of barrels take around 3000 to get evened up. In those jobs one feels like there arm is going to fall off before the job is completed !
Then we get into barrel run out orientation to be in the vertical and if bent needs to be straightened which is a whole other very interesting barrel adjustment.
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A bulge, which is the "ring" mentioned above would be detected by feeling the cleaning jag loosen as it entered the bulged section of the barrel. The buildup of a crud ring is detected by an increase in the effort to get the cleaning patch past the crud ring. The ring mentioned by @Trgt is most likely to be a crud ring caused by an accumulation of fouling about where the ball and patch are located when loaded. It's common and can be easily removed by a dampened cleaning patch. You want a slightly undersized jag and patch to pass through the ring then bunch up to pull the fouling out. We don't want to push fouling down in ton the firing chamber to block the flash channel.
user 54092
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Yesss, I pick often.
Vintage Gunsmith
32 Cal
Scota@4570 is on the right track---polish the entire bore and, although the burnt powder ring will continue to form on firing, it will be much easier to remove. In fact, it should be gone as you sent the next lubricated patched round ball down on the charge. From personal experience, I found that making a long leather lap and loading it with rouge (very fine abrasive) and lapping my barrels, loading and cleaning became much easier. No significant amount of metal is removed but with enough trips up and down the barrel with the lap, the bores become notably brighter.
I have a Rice barrel with two loose spots in the bore, it was like that new, I have a Boby Hoyt rebore that is very loose at the breech and has a loose spot at mid bore. None of the "loose spots" were the result of firing the gun or improper cleaning, they were there from day one. Both barrels will shoot a cloverleaf at 50 yards so I don't worry about them. Miking the barrel outside shows no bulges of any kind.
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The other thing is the position of the fouling ring in the barrel as most pressure bulges are generally farther up bore where as a fouling ring will generally be in the same area as a patched ball is seated over a fresh powder charge.
pour in powder, soak patch with 40-60 dawn dish soap water patch lube, load, and never ever get another "crud ring" and never swab again in your life, but hey what do i know,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
