What the hell is in my barrel?

[Lawyer]

Any idea what this build up is inside my barrel? It looks like some kind of grime, melted plastic or metal. It's hard to photograph. It's caked on pretty well, and I cannot get it out. It's about 1/4th down the barrel from the breech. The rest of it is nice and smooth.

Is it safe to shoot temporarily?


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[Lawyer]

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[NapalmCheese]

What have you been shooting?

I'd say break out the solvents, the cleaning rod, the drill, and the bronze wool, but that's just me.

[Loubot10]

Could be the piston cup (white plastic), nylon threading from cleaning patches, or If you were shooting old shells, maybe wax.

[slunk0844]

Yeah definitely run a cleaning rod through there a couple times

[faris1984]

Barrel finish maybe, what kind of barrel is this?

[NapalmCheese]

Could be the piston cup (white plastic), nylon threading from cleaning patches, or If you were shooting old shells, maybe wax.

I could potentially see how it could be wax from paper shells?

I've never seen plastic wads foul a barrel like that. I've seen melted plastic in or near the forcing cone, but not built up like that. No matter, I'm interested in finding out what it is!

[Lawyer]

I'm shooting slugs, primarily, and 00 buck.

I've been at this thing with the cleaning rod for hours at this point, and the solvents are giving me a headache.




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[AreWeFree]

What solvent are you using and are you using a proper brush?

For shotguns a foaming bore cleaner is best.

[NapalmCheese]

Chuck that cleaning rod in a drill and wrap a bit of Chore Boy around your brush and go to town. Easy at first until you get a feel for how quickly you are removing the fouling.

Lead slugs?

I'd wager you're leading your barrel. A chore boy should fix it right up.

[Jeff213]

could be lead fouling from slugs? I've never seen a lead fouled shotgun but that looks a lot like lead fowling to me..

[Lawyer]

I'm starting to suspect lead. I'm getting tiny metallic flakes now. I'll try the drill and see where I get.


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[Win231]

I'm starting to suspect lead. I'm getting tiny metallic flakes now. I'll try the drill and see where I get.


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If they're shiny & chrome colored, it's lead. Wrap some copper mesh (chore boy) around a bronze brush & run it DRY up & down the barrel. Works well for leaded pistol barrels too. You can't damage any barrel that way; the copper is much softer than the barrel.

[Lawyer]

Still safe to shoot?


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[Lawyer]

If they're shiny & chrome colored, it's lead. Wrap some copper mesh (chore boy) around a bronze brush & run it DRY up & down the barrel. Works well for leaded pistol barrels too. You can't damage any barrel that way; the copper is much softer than the barrel.

Thanks I'll try that tomorrow morning. Someone suggested trapping boiling water in there for several minutes first to loosen it up.


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