bore scratches...

[daspag]

I was cleaning my RIA 1911A1 recently and noticed when looking through the barrel there were a few scratches concentrated on one side of the bore. They don't appear to be too deep- mainly hairline scratches, nor did seem to affect the accuracy last time I was out at the range.

This is the first time I have ever noticed scratches in the bore on ANY pistol I've owned. Any reason to be concerned?

[Mr310]

Can you put up a photo or three?

[CK_32]

You sure they are just scratches and not cracks?

I've never really looked that hard or don't think I could to all my dam barrels being so shiny when I look through them. But your probably just freaking of nothing.

[daspag]

Can you put up a photo or three?

This is the best pic I could pull off at this time. You will notice the scratches on the left side of the bore. As I stated earlier, the gun doesn't seem to suffer any in performance. I'm not sure if this could be a sign of the issues to come...

[meaty-btz]

Those appear to be cracks, not scratches.

[daspag]

Those appear to be cracks, not scratches.

The lighting is a bit deceiving, it gives off a far worse appearance then if you were to look down the barrel in person. I do a fair share of metal fabrication for my business and I'm pretty confident these are only surface scratches- not cracks. I'm just not to educated in gun smithing to know why it's happening or if it's considered normal wear...

[Vampyredark]

YO! I was watching some videos on the Hoppes web page about cleaning guns a long time ago. According to what they state, those are scratches from using a brass bore brush and not following through all the way till the brush is completely out of the other end. So, if you use a brass brush and only go half way inside the barrel then pull it out, it will get those scratches. However, if you use a nylon brush, they state that will not happen.

go figure.....

Have you not completely pushed the brush all the way through?

[mvpatriot]

brass brushes dont do that to my barrels

[Jet Setter]

I might agree with Vamp. Looks like scratches from bore brushes/rod. Might be time to change your brush and rod just in case.

[Vampyredark]

I dont notice any scratches in my barrels; I use both nylon and brass - whatever I grab first in my tackle box. But, I only push it through about three times. I dont over do it.

I would consider switching to nylon.

[Press Check]

For my 1911, I used a brass Dewey rod, and nylon bore brushes exclusively.

If those aren't fractures, I would grab some J-B Bore Bright (finishing compound), and go to work on those areas to relieve the scratches.

I got some from the Angeles Reloading Store:

http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-chemicals/solvents-degreasers/bore-cleaning-paste/j-b-bore-bright-prod1161.aspx

[ClarenceBoddicker]

A brass brush can't scratch a steel barrel. Even a stainless steel brush takes a lot of work to scratch a barrel. If you are worried you can have a auto machine shop magnaflux the outside of the barrel where the scratches are. From the pics shown they do look like cracks to me.

[meaty-btz]

The lighting is a bit deceiving, it gives off a far worse appearance then if you were to look down the barrel in person. I do a fair share of metal fabrication for my business and I'm pretty confident these are only surface scratches- not cracks. I'm just not to educated in gun smithing to know why it's happening or if it's considered normal wear...

I have never seen "scratches" in a pattern like that before. Ever. The lighting might be deceiving me but I see a flaw line ragged like how a metal fracture should be and it even crosses from groove up on to the land. A Brass brush is not capable of damaging steel in that fashion.

The only time I have seen anything similar to that is when a bullet became lodged in the barrel and then was removed but the pressure was not enough to actually bulge the barrel, you ended up with small stress cracks on the inside of the barrel and no marks outside. The stress fractures were not 360 degrees and only appeared where the barrel metallurgy was weaker allowing more stretch during the event.

If they are scratches then the barrel is fine, but something "steel" caused those. When did you first notice the scratches? How many rounds have been through that barrel?

[curtru]

Mine looks similar to that didn't think much about it but iv been thinking about calling armscore in nv cuz it dose throw off the accuracy over 25 yards

[meaty-btz]

Mine looks similar to that didn't think much about it but iv been thinking about calling armscore in nv cuz it dose throw off the accuracy over 25 yards

How?