Barrel Question

686 Shooter

686 Shooter

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Good day fellow Nutz.

I purchased a Savage 10T-SR from Cabela's. I looked down the barrel and was surprised by what I saw. Chatter marks like crazy. They were visible but you could not feel them wen you sent a cleaning rod or bore scope down the barrel. Here are some photos.



So I did some online research and the consensus was that this was normal for Savage barrels and is caused when the button is pulled through the barrel for the rifling. I was advised numerous times to do the fire one, clean one break i procedure and it will shoot just fine. (I was advised numerous times to get rid of the bore scope as well). I was also advised numerous times to polish the inside of the barrel with something like Flitz before starting the break in procedure. I could not find Flitz but found Autosol liquid polish. I was told it will be the same. So I proceeded to saturate a bore mop with the Autosol and run it up and down the barrel. Did this for 200 strokes, replenishing the Autosol every 50 strokes. The barrel now looks like this.

24547533017_2638afb5d2_o.jpg


The bore definitely looks better. I have now been told to do the break in procedure and all would be good. It's -30 so the break in is not happening till things warm up.

Now here is my question. Some folks are saying that by doing this I have ruined my barrel and/or crown. A visual inspection of the crown shows no visible damage.

Do any of you have any experience with polishing of the bore like this? Have you done it? Did I in fact cause damage to the new rifle?
 
I also own a savage 10TR and am changing barrel out soon.
I don't own a bore scope so don't know how rough it is.
I know for having shot 1200 rounds, my worst 5 shots groups we're 3/4 moa.

What bore scope do you have?
Something i'd like to tinker with someday.
 
686 Shooter said:
Now here is my question. Some folks are saying that by doing this I have ruined my barrel and/or crown. A visual inspection of the crown shows no visible damage.

Do any of you have any experience with polishing of the bore like this? Have you done it? Did I in fact cause damage to the new rifle?
Click to expand...

Describe your procedure more accurately...

For instance did you use a quality one piece rod with a barrel bearing handle and a quality guide that fits your action and go from the breech through the muzzle? If you didn't you may have done some damage but you will never know... no before and after test targets...

You have polished the marks somewhat, but you have also polished the sharp edges of the rifling somewhat...

Many barrels receive damage from poor cleaning procedures than from shooting them.
 
guntech said:
Describe your procedure more accurately...

For instance did you use a quality one piece rod with a barrel bearing handle and a quality guide that fits your action and go from the breech through the muzzle? If you didn't you may have done some damage but you will never know... no before and after test targets...

You have polished the marks somewhat, but you have also polished the sharp edges of the rifling somewhat...

Many barrels receive damage from poor cleaning procedures than from shooting them.
Click to expand...

I used a one piece Tipton carbon fibre rod with a Dewy bore guide. Went from the breach through the muzzle.
 
It's a factory barrel, don't worry about it, shoot the thing and if/when you're not happy and want better accuracy put a good barrel on it.


Fyi, those are feed lines, not chatter. At the speed and cost they make these things there's no surprise to be had there.
 
looks better is not always better. Square edges on the rifling is more important then chatter marks. Might have copper fouled a little sooner rather then later and took a little more to clean but its not any indication that it wouldn't have shot good or looking the way it does now will make it shot any better. Keep us posted
 
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Agreed.
A barrel with residual machining marks may metal foul faster, but will probably shoot just fine.
Might take more cleaning; might take fouling shots after cleaning.
Just go ahead and shoot the rifle. It will probably be entirely satisfactory.
 
The break in is a good idea. I fire a shot and clean x 5
Then 2 x 2
Then 3 and clean
Then 5 and clean

usually by the time I get to the 5, the fouling has stopped.

I have "fire lapped" Savage factory barrels. makes them foul much less. This is more aggressive than what you have done.
 
686shooter,
I doubt that you have hurt anything and you have probably helped. The marks are not caused by the button rifling process per se. These marks exist because the barrel was not smoothly reamed. The button will iron out the reamer marks to a certain extent but not entirely. It has come to be common practice to lap or hone the barrel prior to buttoning to eliminate the marks prior to this operation. I don't know if the old line makers like Hart do this or not. I'm quite sure, when Clyde Hart was making barrels, he simply didn't leave marks after reaming and all custom barrel makers strive for the same, no doubt.
If the barrel is cut-rifled, these marks will only exist on top of the lands. Ultimately, regardless of the rifling method used, I figure a smoothly reamed barrel is always preferable. As far as break-in is concerned, I used to fire one shot, wipe the bore with a damp patch, followed by a dry one, then inspect. If there was sign of any fouling, I kept shooting until I got a flier. Then I would clean thoroughly and start again. I must confess, I have had two or three barrel over the last forty years which started fouling and would quit no matter what I did. I chalked it up to bad karma.
 
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