Damage caused by brass muzzle guide

[Jeff F]

I think your stressing over nothing. It kind of looks like fouling. What were you shooting ammo wise?

 

[JCMAG]

I didn't see anything in the pictures

Maybe I don't have a trained eye for these sorts of things, but it looks like fouling to me, too... Either way, unless the scratches are in the crown of the barrel, accuracy should not be greatly effected.

 

[44Magnum]

Here's what I don't get. If it truly was the bore guide why are there marks at three different depths? I don't know about your bore guide, but mine does not contact the barrel that far in either.

 

[Lurp]

cptmike03, my barrel had the streaks going all the way down the rifling. I can't tell that well from your pictures, but my streaks were more of a copper color and they followed the rifling in the barrel. I still haven't been able to get it all out and they come back everytime I shoot more FMJ's or SJHP's. When I looked at your photo's it's the first thing I thought of considering it bothered me for a while also...I originally thought it came from my copper bore brush, but it's just not possible because of hardness, then I noticed it got worse with FMJ's so I've come to the conclusion it must be copper fouling. Good luck!

 

[PRM]

Shoot it and then, shoot some more

The scratches should not bother the accuracy, muzzle appears ok - guns are made to use and are going to pick up "some character." Spend the money on ammo and enjoy it. If you have to have a perfect gun, replace the barrel and then put it in a safe. Soon as you start using it, some other "imperfection" will happen.

 

[John C]

I'd take a toothpick and run it over the scratches to try to get a feel of how deep they are. If they're not deep, it might just be fouling. As regular as they appear, are you sure they're not machining marks from the factory?

I agree with the suggestion to just shoot it and not worry about it. It sounds like you're a meticulous guy, so just the thought of them being there might bug you too much. You could try polishing them out with jb bore paste, or just pay a gunsmith to lop off the last 1/2 or full inch of the barrel and recrown. In fact, a 5 inch gp100 sounds awesome!

-John

 

[cptmike03]

Thanks Everyone

Thank you for all your advice!

I shot it over the weekend and the accuracy seemed pretty good. However, after cleaning it, I also discovered deep scraches in the crane (prob machine marks) and 3 of the 6 chambers will lock up tight with the trigger held and the hammer down, while the other 3 have side to side play movement. I also have a brand new, New Vaquero in .45LC that has side to side play when every chamber is in lock up. A small amount, but I am not sure that it should be there (you can hear it).

I called Ruger and they said to send them back, which I will after one more range trip this weekend. The women on the phone was very nice, and I am sure they will make it right. Believe me, I love Rugers and still refuse to buy S&W because of the locks and 2 piece barrels. I would love to have a single action Ruger .44 mag, which I can hopefully get soon.

Thanks again,
Mike

 

[WARDER]

hi, there is no way brass would scratch the barrel ,if these are scratches you will find this has been done in the makeing of the weapon and you have only noticed it when the barrel has been fowled.

 

[tipoc]

3 of the 6 chambers will lock up tight with the trigger held and the hammer down, while the other 3 have side to side play movement. I also have a brand new, New Vaquero in .45LC that has side to side play when every chamber is in lock up. A small amount, but I am not sure that it should be there (you can hear it).

Some play is normal.

tipoc

 

[MCMXI]

This is probably a stupid question but did you look in the end of the barrel BEFORE you shot and cleaned the revolver for the first time? Like many here, I don't believe that a brass or aluminum cleaning tool is going to make scratches like that in a stainless steel barrel. How was the revolver displayed in the gun shop? Could they have inserted something in the barrel as a way to display the revolver?

Good luck either way.

 

[cptmike03]

1858,
I did clean it prior to shooting it, but do not remember seeing those in the barrel. They could have been there, but I dont remember seeing them. Either way, it's going back to ruger after this weekend.

How much play is normal in the RNV? Is hearing a bit of rattle normal? I have a Uberti SAA clone that has much less play then the RNV.

 

[cptmike03]

Oh, and it was not displayed in the gun shop at all, it was ordered for me.

Thanks again

 

[MCMXI]

cptmike03, I recently bought a Ruger Redhawk in .45 Colt and it "rattles" too but it's not the cylinder that's rattling, it's the safety mechanism which Ruger calls a transfer bar if I remember correctly. It sort of sounds like the revolver has rounds in the chamber even when it doesn't ... if you know what I mean. I have a Colt Python, a S&W 629 and two USFA Rodeos and none of them have a transfer bar safety and none of them rattle. The cylinder does have a little play but nothing excessive.

 

[krs]

It's true that brass and aluminum won't scratch a barrel, but it's also true that tiny bits of steel or other hard material can imbed into brass and aluminum turning the soft metal into an impregnated file of sorts.

Saying that a soft metal rod or muzzle protector cannot scratch steel is like saying that sandpaper will not sand wood - It's only paper after all.