Could I have damaged my crown?

[41 Colt]

I was cleaning the barrel with a patch and brass jag from the muzzle (I know bad) and had a hard time getting the jag in on a pass and it suddenly gave while I was forcing it and the lower edge of the jag near the threading hit the edge of the barrel where the crown is. There appears to be a tiny mark on the jag, and possibly a T-I-N-Y mark on the edge of the barrel/crown. Am I just being paranoid because this is my first rifle? How badly damaged does the crown need to be, quite noticeable?

Thanks

 

[JaysonCraig]

i doubt you did any real damage. By the way you should be pulling through, not pushing through. it is a much easier action to perform. Also despite what people say i highly doubt that the direction that you clean from makes any significant difference. The marks you are seeing are probably the metal/plastic from your cleaning tool rather than your barrel actually haven marked or worse scraped. I wouldnt sweat it.

 

[41 Colt]

How do you pull the jag through with a patch? Doesn't it need to sit over the jag?

 

[CanAm]

Brass isn't going to harm steel. Bullet jackets are made of brass.

 

[JaysonCraig]

How do you pull the jag through with a patch? Doesn't it need to sit over the jag?

dont use the jag, use the one with a slot in it.

 

[bearhunter]

Save yourself a lot of hassle and get a decent Dewey or knock off cleaning rod, with a proper jag for the bore. Then get a bore guide. If your rifles' bore is accessible from the rear, there are aftermarket guides for around $10. They make life so much easier, you don't get any oil or cleaning solvents into the action or bedding of the rifle that can and will ruin accuracy as well as the finish on your rifle, even the synthetics aren't impervious to some of the cleaning solvents, especially the copper removeing types. Also, drape a cloth over the stock, just behind the receiver to protect it from drips of solvent when inserting the patch into the guide. There are also muzzle guides available at low cost but can be easily made up from such things as the little plastic runners that are used on containers to stop them from marring surfaces. bearhunter

 

[41 Colt]

Thanks guys, I feel better.

 

[sunray]

Like CanAm says, brass will never do anything to steel. Brass is much, much softer. You're likely seeing a bit of brass rubbing off on the steel. No big deal.
Anything harder than the steel can cause a 'nick'. Said 'nick' will be very obvious. The steel literally will be cut or otherwise damaged. A dent caused by inadvertently smacking the muzzle on concrete or other hard surface is crown damage. If the crown steel is smooth, you're fine.