What is a "frosted" barrel?

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  • Neutron

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 20, 2014
    1,532
    severna park
    I would like to know what that means. Is it a form of rust or wear or both? I know what it looks like, I just don't know what it is.
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,731
    Socialist State of Maryland
    Frosted usually refers to light pitting. Sometimes it is called salt and pepper corrosion. Most bores that are lightly frosted can still be good shooters. Assuming the barrel still has good rifling, some important things to make sure of are 1) the barrel lead is not eroded, 2) their are no deep individual pits and 3) the muzzle and crown are not damaged.

    I have made fine rifles out of WWII bring backs that had frosted barrels from the Clorate primers in use at the time.
     

    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    I identify as a combination of rust/ wear or suffering from the effects of corrosive priming.
    Also at the end of the neck portion of the chamber, and at the leade, geometry of the throat sometimes affected with a heat checked anomaly like glazing, ( most likely from heat) and fine pitting through the bore diameter.

    Lack of a finely burnished/mirror finish.

    A deferential term for neglect or poor maintenance, without using more harsh terminology like roached or toast.
     
    Jul 1, 2012
    5,711

    day-um... the pic (3rd and 5th posts) he uses as an example of "frosty" is what I would call pitted !

    To me from a collector perspective, frosted is "cloudy" but not yet having noticeable wear or pitting (ala Doco's "Lack of a finely burnished/mirror finish"), but what John From MD said is what I'd expect to see.

    To others, frosted sometimes means you might still be able to see some rifling between the craters :)
     

    Melnic

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    15,282
    HoCo
    Lots of old Mosin surplus rifles have frosted bores. Yea, may shoot decent but with all those thomas's english nooks and crannys they are laborsome to clean.
     

    K31

    "Part of that Ultra MAGA Crowd"
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 15, 2006
    35,632
    AA county
    Barrels that were made by the Betty Crocker Corporation during the war when traditional gunmaker's capacity was maxed out.
     

    Magnumite

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 17, 2007
    6,561
    Harford County, Maryland
    I bought and shot an Argentine (Colt made and marked) 1911 upper on one of my frames once. It had a text book frosted bore, a molted appearance. With ball ammo it would shoot into 3.5" standing handheld all day long. I should have kept it.
     

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