Tight spot in 20 ga Smoothbore

[Appalachian Harry]

I was swapping/cleaning my barrel after shooting it once the other day and noticed that my cleaning patch (using a jag) before it reached the breech, came to a stop and I had to use a little bit of force to get it to the bottom of the barrel...

thinking it was crud I pulled out my bronze brush and scraped a little bit and then swabbed and it was still tight..

My gun is a 20 gauge flintlock fowler that was made by Mike Brooks... it is also a octagon barrel transition to a circular barrel...

Is this something that I have to worry about? Fix? A seasoning bore? Or is this part of the design of the barrel?

 

[rich pierce]

Seems unusual to me. I’m guessing a fouling ring. I’d talk to Mike about it.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Yeah, this is what happens when hot water was not used and mineral oils used.
Get a wire wool mop fabricated down there and spin it via a pistol drill.
When you clean it next use hot water.

 

[Appalachian Harry]

Is this “fouling ring” very bad for te gun for me to worry? Or is it minor?

 

[Grenadier1758]

Very bad, no. But bad enough to be a place for rust to form so the crust ring should be removed.

By the way, seasoning is nothing but a crust ring of fouling and grease that does nothing good for the barrel.

 

[SOLANCO]

Is this “fouling ring” very bad for te gun for me to worry? Or is it minor?

I don't know. Requires knowing if you are going to get rid of it? See Brit above.

 

[SDSmlf]

Is this “fouling ring” very bad for te gun for me to worry? Or is it minor?

In my opinion not a ‘real’ problem until you can’t seat everything on the powder and there is an air space, or it’s thick enough to create a breeding ground for corrosion underneath the crud. For a smoothbore, agree with @Britsmoothy and his hot water and wire wool mop cleaning method. You could try JB paste or something similar if you have it. Below is something I’ve posted before, though it is about a rifled bore, believe it still applies.

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.

 

[ohio ramrod]

If cleaning and polishing with steel wool or scotch brite doesn't solve the problem ,there could be a constriction in the barrel. Lapping or a brake cylinder hone will remove a small constriction. The early CVA kentucky rifles all had a constriction in the barrels. It did not effect accuracy but made cleaning difficult. I lapped many of them to remove the constriction. I assume it was from clamping durring manufacturing.

 

[Appalachian Harry]

How does a fouling ring form?

 

[Grenadier1758]

The fouling ring forms as the firearm is shot. The burning powder and the lubricant combine to form the crust ring as the ball starts to move.

 

[oldwood]

We used to see plastic build up just ahead of the chamber onctg. shotguns. That one was plastic , caused by the newer , 1970's , non-roll crimp shot shells. There is an over the shelf chemical you can buy to remove the plastic substance. .......Now , I would try acetone , and a brass brush and steel wool wrapped in it. ......... Also , if it is a smooth bore , make a rotary lap out of a piece of 3/8" steel rod with a slit cut in the end to hold a flap of emory cloth. Run the lap w/an electric hand drill. I guarantee the constriction will be gone ....oldwood

 

[flntlokr]

yup, as everyone has said; it's most likely hardened fouling. Over a long time; it will cause a rough ring to form under it. Best to get it out. For range shooting, use a water-based lube, and you should see very little, if any, fouling ring. Greasy patch
(or wad) for hunting, when your gun may be left loaded for a while, and you will most likely only be taking one or two shots, and the ring will be minimal. If you think about the tarry stuff left in a frying pan if you cook your bacon a bit too long, that is what happens with your greasy lube under the intense heat and pressure of a shot; hard to get clean without hot water and detergent and scrubbing.

 

[Appalachian Harry]

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.

Do you swab the barrel with the very hot water or soak it (how long)?

Do you mind posting a detailed instruction on your method of cleaning the crud ring?

 

[rafterob]

If you have a hooked breech rifle, remove the barrel and put in in a bucket of hot water with just a few drops of dish detergent, let it sit a few minutes and then swab the water up and down. I then use my bore brush and give it 10-15 strokes, then back to the patched jag for a few more strokes. Then rinse with warm clean water and a patched jag. If you have a pinned barrel plug the touch hole or nipple and pur some hot soapy water in the barrel and let is sit a few, then dump it out. Give it some scrubs with the bore brush. Add some more water and swish it around and dump it. Then swab it with a wet patched jag. Rinse with clean hot water and swab. Dry and oil it. When doing a pinned barrel I hold the rifle at an angle with the trigger pointing up. That way if there is a leak out the touch hole the fouling water does not run on the stock or any brass trim.

 

[Doc]

Yeah, this is what happens when hot water was not used and mineral oils used.
Get a wire wool mop fabricated down there and spin it via a pistol drill.
When you clean it next use hot water.

I go one further, and use boiling water. Many years ago I was working at a place that had chemical researchers. Gave them a problem, oil for BP guns, Their answer was silicone based oil. Asked others to also try it. Now many of us use a silicone based oil. Doesn’t run down a barrel in your safe and has kept my Damascus doubles and others completely free of rust. I’m a happy camper.
Doc,

 

[Britsmoothy]

I go one further, and use boiling water. Many years ago I was working at a place that had chemical researchers. Gave them a problem, oil for BP guns, Their answer was silicone based oil. Asked others to also try it. Now many of us use a silicone based oil. Doesn’t run down a barrel in your safe and has kept my Damascus doubles and others completely free of rust. I’m a happy camper.
Doc,

I do use just boiled water.
Veg or animal fats for my firearms.
Glad your happy.

 

[Brokennock]

I finding very interesting how many people, here, advocate using one thing (lube quite often) in practice (range time) but something different for practical application (hunting usually).

I'm thinking these are the same people who only shoot in one position (usually bench or standing/offhand) and then hunt in such ways that would have them most likely shooting from a sitting or kneeling position.

 

[54ball]

I was swapping/cleaning my barrel after shooting it once the other day and noticed that my cleaning patch (using a jag) before it reached the breech, came to a stop and I had to use a little bit of force to get it to the bottom of the barrel...

thinking it was crud I pulled out my bronze brush and scraped a little bit and then swabbed and it was still tight..

My gun is a 20 gauge flintlock fowler that was made by Mike Brooks... it is also a octagon barrel transition to a circular barrel...

Is this something that I have to worry about? Fix? A seasoning bore? Or is this part of the design of the barrel?

This could also be the vent liner being just a little proud, catching the jag.
Have ever ran a jag down it before this?

 

[Appalachian Harry]

Hello again everyone! I tried to use dish detergent and very hot water after using numerous method with little to no fix!!!

Anyways, this is what I got after using very hot water and dish detergent...

I assume this is rust... what is the next step that I should take?
Also is this alarming and something to be worried about?!?!?

 

[rich pierce]

Is the tightness gone? If so you can polish the bore if you want. Saturate a patch with mag polish (Mother’s is my fave from auto parts store) and give it 20 strokes.