30 or so years ago there was frequent mention of barrels that had been "Shot Out". this meant barrels that had fired off their 1.500 rounds and were now showing their age by producing ever increasingly open groups. Te to put old Bettsey over the fireplace, a place of respect for fond memories.
A Polce chief of a smallish town or suburb wrote me complaining this being "Shot Out" had ruined his rifle.
I thought that if he only used brass jags and lead balls there was little likelihood of the rifling being of harder steel being warn away so wondered what could possibly be changing.
I asked him how old his jag was that he had been using all these years and he reported it was the original jag he had always used.
AHA!
We use brass jags because the brass is softer than steel and will not harm it. Good thinking but look at this from a different point of view. What is the hard steel rifling doing to the soft brass jag?
It was wearing down and the head of the jag was getting smaller and therefore was exerting less pressure against the barrel walls and doing a less complete job in removing the residue und schmaltz from the barrel. allowing it to build up and effectively change the size of the bore as far as the patched ball was concerned.
I went out on a limb here and suggested he replace the jag with a brand new one that was more like the old one when it was new.
Biingo! I got a reply that the new jag seemed to have solves problem and the barrel wasn't "Shot out" anymore.
The littlest things that change inside your barrel can make differences in how the rifle performs
Dutch Schoultz
A Polce chief of a smallish town or suburb wrote me complaining this being "Shot Out" had ruined his rifle.
I thought that if he only used brass jags and lead balls there was little likelihood of the rifling being of harder steel being warn away so wondered what could possibly be changing.
I asked him how old his jag was that he had been using all these years and he reported it was the original jag he had always used.
AHA!
We use brass jags because the brass is softer than steel and will not harm it. Good thinking but look at this from a different point of view. What is the hard steel rifling doing to the soft brass jag?
It was wearing down and the head of the jag was getting smaller and therefore was exerting less pressure against the barrel walls and doing a less complete job in removing the residue und schmaltz from the barrel. allowing it to build up and effectively change the size of the bore as far as the patched ball was concerned.
I went out on a limb here and suggested he replace the jag with a brand new one that was more like the old one when it was new.
Biingo! I got a reply that the new jag seemed to have solves problem and the barrel wasn't "Shot out" anymore.
The littlest things that change inside your barrel can make differences in how the rifle performs
Dutch Schoultz
