Rust pitted rifle bore

40 years ago as a Nasho in the army - we would occassional run a pullthrough with steel wool inside the barrel - but the army frowned on it. In Vietnam there was no limit on your ration of condoms. Once it was cleaned and oiled we then put a condom over the end of it (the barrel) to keep the dirt and moisture out.

Yep run a wire brush through it OR fire a couple of rounds...that should clean the rust out....lol

Kim,
As you probably know many people keep firearms in a locked cabinet enclosed in a gun bag which is zipped up with no air to breathe.This is the worst thing you can do in a tropical or humid climate which will quickly lead to rust or corrosion both inside and outside the barrel. It maybe ok in a dry type of climate but better of keeping firearms upside down in the cabinet so as to reduce any moisture gathering within the barrel.In my opinion if rust or corrosion has already set in Iwould seek professional advice if it is a valuable firearm as home remedies can make the situation worse.

What calibre is it.....smooth bore(shotty) or 22 rimfire ...ok....but I would be having it checked by a gunsmith if it is a centrefire

Bronze bristle brush on a cleaning rod - and soaked in Hoppes number 9 solvent.

Add a pull thru patch to the end of the bristle brush and keep replacing the patch until it comes out clean...and the rust / pitting is gone as best you can.

Where is the bulk of the pitting and rust? is it immediately in front of the chamber ie, the throat of the rifled bore immediately ahead of the chamber?

What cal rifle?

I once had a guy in a similar sit with a old lee enfield that had been rebarelled down to a .22 hornet round, some of the very old mercuric primers from old days had eroded the throat area badly so we did what we could and I ran up some mild hand loads to test her out - it hadn't been fired in anger for many years.

Put a target on a hay bail - and fired a shot from 100 yards into the centre..

Couldn't see a hole with the binocs - so we walked down to the hay bale - to see 5 separate holes spread all over the paper! Yikes!

The projectile had disintegrated mid air - it was definitely beyond time for a re-barrel again.

It s not uncommon in high powered rifles that have seen 5 or 6 thousand rounds or more to develop an area of throat erosion just ahead of the chamber, where the hot gasses of combuston and particles of as yet unburnt cellulose exit the cartridge, as the gasses expand all the way down the barrel behind the accelerating projectile specially with double base powders.

Such throat erosion will effect accuracy - as the barrel develops quite a noticeable whip cycle as it returns to battery - since it has to centeralise the projectile to line up with the axis of the bore - because the projectile exits the cartridge neck into the area containing the void of throat erosion - and then has to be lined up to the remaining true axis of the bore as it accelerates down the rest of the bore which still has rifling lands intact.

Anyway - the advice about having a gunsmith look at it is sound.

There are a couple different methods used to make the rifling lands (button rifling and Madrell rifling) and a couple methods of attaching a barrel to an action (pinned or screw threaded) and each affect accuracy and each can be cheaper or dearer depending what make of rifle it is and if you want to keep it original.

Good luck - I'd get good advice from a gunsmith if I were your mate.

Cheers

Kim
What calibre ?
If it's that rusty, you maybe better using it as a garden stake.

I have resurrected a couple of old mausers, to reasonable condition, by soaking them in diesel for about 3-4 weeks, to soften thing up, and then giving them a bloody good scrubbing.

There are lots of good barrel conditioners, and copper solvents out there. Hoopes products are probably the best. You maybe need an aggressive one first, and scrub like the peverbial !. Dry patch it out. Have a look up the barrel.
If you can clean the rust out, and oil it up, run more patches thru it till they come out clean.

Have another look down the barrel, and make up your mind then.

If in doubt, take it to a gunsmith.

Cheers
Bucky

ps let us know how you went !

Just get a new barrel fitted, a rusty , pitted bore is only good for a garden stake as previously mentioned.
Regards
Krakka

Kim,
The barrel is pitted .There is no way to undo what has happened as far as I know.
You should be able to get rid of the rust in the "pits", but the pits remain the problem .
Willie

you could try a extended version (you will need to make it) lead remover like these which are available in australia ...let me know if interested and i'll find the link for you

Thanks for the replies.

I'll print this sting and pass it on to the Fella.

PS The rifle is a CZ 30-06.

Regards

Kim

G'day Kim
Get your mate to post on here too: www.australianhunting.net/
I would suggest that if truly pitted the barrel is stuffed.
Cheers from the Moose