identifying copper fouling, rust and pitting

Mungo

Well-Known Member
Probably a question that gets asked a lot but...

... I'd be very grateful if anyone had any 'dummies tips' for telling the difference between copper fouling, rust and pitting in a barrel.

I'm fairly certain I can identify copper fouling (and I know it's there if wet patches come out blue), but the others I'm not so sure.

I know that in many cases, it actually doesn't make much difference - but it would be nice to know what I'm looking at.

Thanks
 
Mungo you forgot two other issues to look for - wear to the thrust faces of the lands & heat crazing.
I suppose the only way to tell the difference is to use a good quality bore scope - then you should be able to see what is there.
It won't however tell you is if a barrel will still shoot well. - There's only one way to find that out & that is shooting it.
What you may be able to gauge (guess) is how much life there may be left in a barrel - not much more.
I had my 223 bore scoped a couple of years ago - there are pits in it, the first few inches up from the chamber is crazed, the front thrust faces of the rifling are well worn back & the lands are worn down ---- It still shoots ok - sub inch 20 shot groups at 100yds with undeveloped loads. My only problem is when do I decide to rebarrel it!

Ian
 
Mungo you forgot two other issues to look for - wear to the thrust faces of the lands & heat crazing.
I suppose the only way to tell the difference is to use a good quality bore scope - then you should be able to see what is there.
It won't however tell you is if a barrel will still shoot well. - There's only one way to find that out & that is shooting it.
What you may be able to gauge (guess) is how much life there may be left in a barrel - not much more.
I had my 223 bore scoped a couple of years ago - there are pits in it, the first few inches up from the chamber is crazed, the front thrust faces of the rifling are well worn back & the lands are worn down ---- It still shoots ok - sub inch 20 shot groups at 100yds with undeveloped loads. My only problem is when do I decide to rebarrel it!

Ian

Thankyou for a very interesting and helpful post. If decent borescopes were available as standard issue I think most shooters would be horrified to see the avoidable damage they inflict.

.223 rifles probably suffer the most abuse as there is so much military surplus & dirt cheap crappy ammo around. I simply wouldn't touch a used .223, but would go for a .222 as this needs reloads or expensive commercial SP.

I've witnessed .223's shot so rapidly with FMJ that users have burnt themselves touching the barrel. Moderators exascerbate this situation. The internal temperatures are so high that heat crazing and cracking of the bore is inevitable, or in worse cases the forward part of the rifling is just washed out & eroded.
 
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