Rifling damage question

CarolinaColtCollector

CarolinaColtCollector

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Recently picked up a .357 barrel that has this damage to it, appears to have a couple small chunks missing from the lands about an inch and a half from the muzzle. Is this something I should be concerned with?

9C8FDE9F-7629-417D-87C5-417C0CBF9213.pngBD572E6B-A550-420B-93EE-AE766546166F.png
 
It’s a 10” Dan Wesson barrel, I’ll check again this evening but it was cleaned multiple times. The land to the left of the 2 chunks missing seemed to lose about a 3/8ths strip when I pulled a bore snake through it, ended up on my cleaning mat.
 
Shoot it and see how it works out.

Then inspect it again.

There are imperfections in everything, but not every imperfection affects the practical bottom line.
 
I swear that looks like built up lead fouling to me.

Take a bit of a brass/copper chore boy pad, wrap it around a 38 cal bore brush, and force it down the barrel a half dozen times with a lot of solvent.

A bore snake won't remove built up lead fouling. That stuff is tough to get out.
 
RedneckFur said:
I swear that looks like built up lead fouling to me.

Take a bit of a brass/copper chore boy pad, wrap it around a 38 cal bore brush, and force it down the barrel a half dozen times with a lot of solvent.

A bore snake won't remove built up lead fouling. That stuff is tough to get out.
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I’ll try it a few more times with a new brush and some chore boy, maybe/hopefully I’m wrong and it cleans out.
 
4E2A2B4A-C996-4627-BBA6-40BB8461108B.png‘Finkin this barrel might not be long for this world, cleaned it up more and discovered a wire thin piece of the land has broken off and won’t come out with a brush. Still gonna shoot it, but I’m interested to see what’ll develop. I’m sure I’ll start seeing leading in the areas with pieces missing.
 
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I agree that that may be lead buildup. Note that it's all on the leeward or secondary side of the lands, assuming the pics are taken from the muzzle.
 
Pictures are from the cylinder and muzzle end of the barrel with a camera phone, sorry they suck. It’s not leading, there are chunks of the lands missing and a wire piece coming off towards the cylinder end. I’ll just shoot it till it doesn’t want to work anymore or keep an eye out for a lone barrel.
 
I would use foreceps to remove the “wire” and then test it with a magnet. If you shoot it you lose that opportunity. I hear you, but I’m still betting it’s going to be nonmagnetic.
 
When lead fouling comes out during the cleaning process......it looks like shiny pieces or chunks metal.....because it is. Its easy to mistake it for a piece of the rifling. Try a section of one of the lead removal cloths as a cleaning patch, kroil, one of the cowboy shooter lead removal products, or stainless brush. It will break loose! Its very unlikely the lands are breaking off. Dont be afraid to shoot it as is.
 
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I'm not a metallurgist, but I don't believe barrel steel behaves that way. Even so, the barrel might still surprise you with how well it shoots.

516100038_2-500x500.jpg
 
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I had a 10/22 barrel I thought was toast. Remmy thunder turds. Couldn't get a thin rod through it after like 25 rounds.
Much hand wringing later: chunks of lead. Huge chunks. Used a foaming lead remover and plugged barrel and let it sit.

The difference in your two photos is dramatic, showing that you removed a bunch of lead fouling and it seems you may need to remove a little more. Just my opinion.
 
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BowWow said:
I used to think the same , but the stainless bristles are softer than the steel barrel. Its common for the cowboy shooters to use them for lead removal.
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Lots of different grades of stainless. I'm guessing these barrels are forged and pretty damn hard, what could chip or peel off the edge of the rifling, Maybe a squib and someone jammed something in it?
 
I think it was @RetiredUSNChief in another thread that pointed out the root cause of all of this is really the rifling itself. If the rifling is too sharp, it will actually leave rifling marks on the bullets. No bueno.

You need to hit the inside of that barrel with a round file. Chucking it up in a drill will make short work of the rifling.
 
frakncylons said:
I think it was @RetiredUSNChief in another thread that pointed out the root cause of all of this is really the rifling itself. If the rifling is too sharp, it will actually leave rifling marks on the bullets. No bueno.

You need to hit the inside of that barrel with a round file. Chucking it up in a drill will make short work of the rifling.
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Yes.

I'm this case, I would recommend tamping the barrel full of brown aluminum oxide blasting media, then firing a round compression loaded with Bullseye under a 135 grain Speer Gold Dot JHP.

This should do a good job rounding of those sharp edges.
 
Does that area happen to be under/near the roll markings on the barrel?

How does it shoot? I've seen and owned barrels worse than that and they shoot fine.
 
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