Some rust in my AR barrel... now what?

bkuether · Jun 29, 2015

Well, it appears that my barrel on my RRA upper developed some rust. I shot it about a month and a half ago, and for whatever reason neglected to clean it. Not really like me, I usually take care of them shortly after I get back. This one just got past me.

I pulled a swatch through and GRRRR out came some rusty brown color. I can see it as it occupies maybe an inch and half inside the barrel, about and inch in from where the barrel crown would be.

I did leave some Balistol in the barrel overnight, and some more of it seemed to come off.

So what is the prognosis for this type of thing? Can it be remediated? Or is it a new barrel for me ? I know a picture is best, can't get it to focus inside. This must have happened to someone else.

BradMacc82 · Jun 29, 2015

How would it rust if it was a chrome lined bore and chamber? I've left AR's uncleaned for a lot longer than that and never had rust issues develop in the bore.

If you can see down the bore easily, just shoot the rust out - it's what Mosin owners are accustomed to doing after cleaning like a man possessed and still getting dirty patches...

BlackBart · Jun 29, 2015

Clean as best you can then shoot.............. look for pitting, may be nothing at all to worry about.

md123 · Jun 29, 2015

I worry about rust a lot. Sorta off topic but I'm curious what condition it is stored in. Conditioned space? Musty basement? garage?

My storage location doesn't get great circulation from our AC and it hovers at 50 pct humidity in the summer no matter how much cilica I put in there.

AssMan · Jun 29, 2015

I doubt it's rust. Run a few patches through the bore, clean the gas tube and shoot it. I bet the "rust" disappears.

edit: also if you were using a copper brush and Ballistol, that accounts for your "rust." The Ballistol dissolves copper.

BlackBart · Jun 29, 2015

snallygaster said:
I doubt it's rust. Run a few patches through the bore, clean the gas tube and shoot it. I bet the "rust" disappears.

edit: also if you were using a copper brush and Ballistol, that accounts for your "rust." The Ballistol dissolves copper.

Could well be, that's why I said look for pitting.

AssMan · Jun 29, 2015

BlackBart said:
Could well be, that's why I said look for pitting.

Yup, if he sees pitting, that's a problem. Just making sure the OP is aware that Ballistol dissolves copper, so that may be what he's seeing.

BradMacc82 · Jun 29, 2015

Dissolved copper would come out blue...

BlackBart · Jun 29, 2015

snallygaster said:
Yup, if he sees pitting, that's a problem. Just making sure the OP is aware that Ballistol dissolves copper, so that may be what he's seeing.

I think you're on the right track..........maybe not copper but just plain dirt and powder contamination. I don't buy the rust........ unless he found pakistani junk ammo or something.

bkuether · Jun 29, 2015

BradMacc82 said:
Dissolved copper would come out blue...

Yep, blue green patches after I ran more....

Regarding the conditions, this is a basement that is dry. I would say low humidity.

I was thinking about the chrome lined barrel and how this would happen. But definitely know it isn't normal.

Maybe to the range to try and shoot it out. Get the barrel nice and hot, see what happens.

Good to know Mosins have their issues solved this way.

Boom Boom · Jun 29, 2015

How much have you shot it? How thoroughly has it been cleaned before? Two of my then-new S&W barrels had a crap ton of petrified grease in them that took a lot of effort to remove. My first cleaning with Ballistol didn't get any out and I didn't realize it was there. Before I shot either rifle, I think I used Gunzilla the night before and that's when I started pulling out the grease. At first I thought it was rust, but after way longer to clean than I expected there was no sign of pitting anywhere in either barrel.

clandestine · Jun 29, 2015

If you need me to check it out I can meet you and look at it with my Hawkeye Bore Scope and see if it pitted anything you cant see with the naked eye.

I can also run a bore gauge to see if the putting raised any material. I can test it with my muzzle erosion gauge as well.

I doubt it will fail ANY of my gauges.

inkd · Jun 30, 2015

bkuether said:
Yep, blue green patches after I ran more....

Regarding the conditions, this is a basement that is dry. I would say low humidity.

I was thinking about the chrome lined barrel and how this would happen. But definitely know it isn't normal.

Maybe to the range to try and shoot it out. Get the barrel nice and hot, see what happens.

Good to know Mosins have their issues solved this way.

Take Clandestine up on his offer, it's pretty cool to see a barrel through a bore scope. Just don't get freaked out by how "bad" it may look. That thing makes a scratch look as deep as a dry river bed.

bkuether · Jun 30, 2015

clandestine said:
If you need me to check it out I can meet you and look at it with my Hawkeye Bore Scope and see if it pitted anything you cant see with the naked eye.

I can also run a bore gauge to see if the putting raised any material. I can test it with my muzzle erosion gauge as well.

I doubt it will fail ANY of my gauges.

Thank you sir. Let me see if it isn't something else as others have indicated, and if not, I may run it by. Doesn't seem like something should build up that quickly. Wondering if maybe I used it this winter and didn't clean it, but I don't remember that......

friendlyhippo · Jun 30, 2015

is it a standard CM barrel, a chrome-lined, or a stainless?

clandestine · Jun 30, 2015

bkuether said:
Thank you sir. Let me see if it isn't something else as others have indicated, and if not, I may run it by. Doesn't seem like something should build up that quickly. Wondering if maybe I used it this winter and didn't clean it, but I don't remember that......

If you want my assistance, well meet somewhere. Let me know.

fidelity · Jun 30, 2015

inkd said:
Take Clandestine up on his offer, it's pretty cool to see a barrel through a bore scope. Just don't get freaked out by how "bad" it may look. That thing makes a scratch look as deep as a dry river bed.

Ha, I remember you freezing up a bit when scoping yours (even though the barrel looked pristine to my eye).

BlackBart · Jun 30, 2015

clandestine said:
If you want my assistance, well meet somewhere. Let me know.

Do you have the silver stallion attachment for your bore scope, xtra large. I suspect my lower GI tract has a problem. :innocent0

BradMacc82 · Jun 30, 2015

BlackBart said:
Do you have the silver stallion attachment for your bore scope, xtra large. I suspect my lower GI tract has a problem.

Paging teratos, paging teratos...

babalou · Jun 30, 2015

yes

clandestine said:
If you want my assistance, well meet somewhere. Let me know.

Yes, take Obi-Wan Clandestine up on his offer.

Some rust in my AR barrel... now what?

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