NIB FILTHY barrel has been dirty since 6/2010, experienced opinion please?

[iLikeOldgunsIlikeNewGuns]

Alrighty, so yesterday I picked up a NIB 1911 that I've been drooling over for some time. After getting it home I eventually did the 'pencil check,' and of course that worked, but after that I took a peek down the barrel and was amazed at the fouling (just powder gunk, no copper of course). I wasn't planning on disassembling the gun until after its first range trip, but I saw that I had to clean the bore up. So I took it apart, and I could clearly see that this gun is indeed NIB, and hasn't been fired except for the two proof loads, but i ran SO many patches, hoppes-dipped brush, and boresnake through this thing, and it's still far from clean! Date on the envelope that holds the spent casings says that it was test-fired on 6/15/2010 (which happens to be less than a week after the day I received my carry license in the mail, and also less than a week from the day I picked up my first 1911!!!). So I'm going to guess that this gun was tested with dirty proof loads on that day well over a year ago, and was never cleaned or handled much ever since, as the rest of the gun is immaculate.

So all that being said, my real question is... since my preliminary cleaning was quite thorough, and yet it's still quite dirty, should I just shoot a few boxes through it when I get to the range? Will that heat up and loosen up the fouling in there so it'll come out with a good post-range cleaning?
Also is this normal????? My NIB SW 1911's bbl was not even CLOSE to being that dirty, which makes me wonder if they clean the bore after test-firing at the S&W factory?

Thoughts opinions and especially experienced advice will all be greatly appreciated. Have a great day and happy shooting y'all!

 

[481]

...since my preliminary cleaning was quite thorough, and yet it's still quite dirty, should I just shoot a few boxes through it when I get to the range? Will that heat up and loosen up the fouling in there so it'll come out with a good post-range cleaning?

Kinda hard to say. Did your "thorough cleaning" include cleaning (using brushes, patches and solvents, etc.) the dirty barrel? It is unclear if that was part of your "thorough cleaning".

If your barrel remains "dirty" after a thorough cleaning, that might suggest another problem (corrosion, damage, etc), but I'd recommend giving the barrel some serious attention before running rounds through it.

 

[JTQ]

The Schuemann barrels guys don't even put a brush down the barrel.

My Personal Practice has become to never clean the bore of my barrels. I do use a brass rod to scrape the deposits out of the chamber. But, I've learned to leave the bore alone and it very slowly becomes shinier and cleaner all by itself. Years ago I occasionally scrubbed the bore with a brass bore brush. But, doing so always seemed to cause the bore to revert to a dirtier look with more shooting, so I eventually stopped ever putting anything down the bore except bullets...

http://www.schuemann.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=3zZ4oir3t50=&tabid=67&mid=445

 

[Zach S]

I don't think I would worry about it.

I always detail strip, inspect, and clean a 1911 before I fire it. The oil used on new firearms is most likely for rust prevention, and not lubrication.

I quit using patches a long time ago, thanks to the boresnake. If the bbl is really dirty, I'll use a brass brush first.

 

[Sport45]

Gray streaks on the patch after a "thorough" cleaning might indicate leading. Sure it was NIB?

 

[tnxdshooter]

Gray streaks on the patch after a "thorough" cleaning might indicate leading. Sure it was NIB?

There is no damn way it was NIB if the barrel is that dirty. Soak the barel over night in Kano Kroil then take a wire brush wrap a patch around it and run it through there. Keep doing that and maybe even use some hoppes 9 until nothing but clean patches come out.


Sent from Droid Incredible on Verizon Wireless

 

[BCRider]

If you've done all that and there's no obvious rust or boulders of lead buildup when you look through it now then just go and shoot the darn thing. As long as it's not lumpy looking inside and you can clearly see the rifling twist then it's fine. Likely the original oil or whatever has polymerized to a sort of varnish like buildup. A few rounds down the the pipe will strip 'er clean soon enough.

 

[Fremmer]

They may have test fired the gun and then greased the barrel. So nothing to worry about.

 

[iLikeOldgunsIlikeNewGuns]

Ah nuts, I just wrote a whole response, and clicked submit but got an error and lost it. Ok, well Thank you everyone for responding, much appreciated. This gun is MINT inside and out, and it's a very shiny polished blued finish (see 1911 photo thread for recent post of pics), and I've also had another 1911, and know the signs of wear, I'm pretty sure they used dirty proof-loads/blanks, to test fire it, and it never got cleaned in the almost 2 years since it left the factory. No leading in the rifling, bore looks fine, just cruddy, so I think BCRider and Fremmer are close to home with their posts. I feel completely safe putting ammo through it after taking a few long looks at the bore, I'm going to see what a few boxes of FMJ and a post-shooting bore-snake will do as soon as I can

but my second question was 'is this common'... guessing from some answers that it's not.

 

[mljdeckard]

If you have scrubbed it to death, and it's still not mirror-like......what is it you think is going to go wrong with it?

 

[Mizar]

If this fouling is carbon build up just get a jar of diesel fuel and soak the entire barrel for several hours. Diesel works wonders even with very filthy weapons neglected for years. And it's cheep!

Boris

 

[tnxdshooter]

Ah nuts, I just wrote a whole response, and clicked submit but got an error and lost it. Ok, well Thank you everyone for responding, much appreciated. This gun is MINT inside and out, and it's a very shiny polished blued finish (see 1911 photo thread for recent post of pics), and I've also had another 1911, and know the signs of wear, I'm pretty sure they used dirty proof-loads/blanks, to test fire it, and it never got cleaned in the almost 2 years since it left the factory. No leading in the rifling, bore looks fine, just cruddy, so I think BCRider and Fremmer are close to home with their posts. I feel completely safe putting ammo through it after taking a few long looks at the bore, I'm going to see what a few boxes of FMJ and a post-shooting bore-snake will do as soon as I can

but my second question was 'is this common'... guessing from some answers that it's not.

I am sorry. I beg to differ. If the barrel is that dirty it was used more than just for a test firing. That is not Mint. I laugh when people say in adds only 100 rounds fired nib mint. That isn't nib and it damn sure isn't mint. If you are happy with it that is the important thing.


Sent from Droid Incredible on Verizon Wireless

 

[bigfatdave]

I always detail strip, inspect, and clean a 1911 before I fire it. The oil used on new firearms is most likely for rust prevention, and not lubrication.

same here ... for all guns (well, maybe not a detail strip for some things)

I'm guessing you have a combination of test-fire residue, linty crap, and shipping preservatives. Shove everything you can out with a tight brass jag and patch (not the silly loop thing, a bore-filling brass jag, like this one, with a patch or two on top of it)
Alternate with the jag and scrubbing, until the patches stop getting dirtier after a scrub, then shoot it.
A gun can be "new" and have been through a few test-fires, sometimes at the factory (legitimate re-work sends it back in the line for a tweak or repair), sometimes a dealer will use a gun as a "demo" or offer to let a customer shoot a gun before buying, which doesn't always result in a sale, so the gun goes right back on the shelf ... sort of sleazy

Of course, I'm guessing, if I had seen the bore out of the box and/or seen the crap you got out to start with, I could make a better guess. I am curious about how you got out of the store without taking a look at internals and bore, though. Maybe a little bitty flashlight and/or a fiber-optic chamber flag and bore light need to go with you?

little bitty light:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/715717/winchester-flexible-led-bore-light

fiber-optic inspection tool is IN this kit ... that's a good kit but overpriced at $45 right now:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/788293/otis-tactical-gun-cleaning-system

 

[Zach S]

Ah nuts, I just wrote a whole response, and clicked submit but got an error and lost it.

Its happened to me as well, many times. I always highlight my reply and copy it before hitting the submit button. This way, if you get an error screen, all you have to do is reload, paste, and re-submit.

same here ... for all guns (well, maybe not a detail strip for some things)

Since I started driving, I wouldn't own a car that I couldn't work on myself. I've about got to that point with guns.

Out of everything in my safe, I own one gun I wont detail strip, a Para LDA. I did it once, and will never do it again. As soon as I find a RIA Tactical 9mm locally, its getting traded.

 

[iLikeOldgunsIlikeNewGuns]

big fat dave (Don't Panic! ), ordered it from Nebraska and i'm in MA, a matter of price, I got it for $550 when others are selling it for over $600 and up. So I was unable to inspect it personally before committing, but ordered it from Phil Rezac, who comes highly recommended, and he said that it was not a display or used at all, NIB sat in the box til someone (me) bought it.

Zach, I'll do the copy before post from now on for sure! And I also love cars that I can work on, I'm partial to '79 continental coupes, I've owned two, and can't wait to own another When I bought my first 1911, after 1000 rounds or so, I took it all the way down to pins and springs just because I could, and wanted to

Not gonna waste my time arguing with people who think I was sold a used gun, I know guns well, I own over 20 at the moment, but have sold and bought many others, there is no way this one was used for more than the factory testing. Here's a few photos of this piece. (I threw the Ajax grips on there, came with walnut checkered panels)

(also, the spots are reflection of a leopard-print sheet on my living room ceiling that acts as a lampshade)

 

[NG VI]

The leopard print actually looks really good on that finish, weird how lighting can play tricks isn't it?

Good looking pistol, I'm with you and many others, there's nothing wrong with the gun, some bores just look different than others and the manufacturing/packaging process can leave some odd residues. Bore isn't obstructed or damaged, so go put a few hundred rounds downrange and see what it looks like after that.

CZ barrels look terrible, the way they make them makes them look weird and splotchy, but they shoot great and are as durable as you could want.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Pardon my saying but I always thought "new", with or without the/a box meant "new". Definitionaly there seems to be some discord perhaps.

 

[iLikeOldgunsIlikeNewGuns]

NG VI- thanks that's good to know, much appreciated,

and NG VI & Certain Deaf both just made me L-o-L

definitely going to put a few boxes through asap, hopefully tomorrow.. but in the mean-time....


(not my gun)

 

[bigfatdave]

That is a seriously good looking gun on the outside, the grips are good looking, too (although way too fat for my taste, I like slim guns)
Good price, too.

I still think you should run a jag through the barrel after giving it a good soak in a general solvent, scrub/jag to be sure the stuff is just a film on the barrel walls ... and then clean the barrel out with repeated applications of hot lead ingots coated in copper.

And I am now blind after seeing the abomination you posted in #18 ... please expect a bill from the eye doctor as soon as I can find my way to one

 

[NG VI]

Yeah if there is some obstruction, take care of it, but if the bore feels right and just looks like crap and produces crap when you wipe it, don't worry.

Pardon my saying but I always thought "new", with or without the/a box meant "new". Definitionaly there seems to be some discord perhaps.

You've obviously never seen a NIB CZ before, have you? They come in a plastic bag full of some horrible greasy oil. Takes forever to clean it out, if you aren't happy with just wiping the excess off and shooting it clean.

 

[bigfatdave]

You've obviously never seen a NIB CZ before, have you? They come in a plastic bag full of some horrible greasy oil. Takes forever to clean it out, if you aren't happy with just wiping the excess off and shooting it clean.

one of my Ruger mkIIIs came that way, and so do KelTec guns ... nasty, horrible bores full of mung and shipping preservative.

That's why I recommend the spear-tip jag, it should bulldoze almost all of the garbage out.

 

[iLikeOldgunsIlikeNewGuns]

Dave, if I can get my hands on one before I hit the range I'll give 'er a try, and bet you're right. I happen to like fatter grips, they fit my hands better, to each their own

NG VI, I've had the good fortune of playing with a CZ-75 and 97b, but never checked one out that was NIB.

You guys just helped answer part of my original post, which asked if this is somewhat common at all, so thanks a bunch for posting.

sorry about your eyes Dave, I live at 123 Fantasy Lane, Fakesville, JB 01234 apartment X, the name's Bob Smith, so send that bill on over, I only posted it cuz you said mine looked good in leopard-print

 

[bigfatdave]

I happen to like fatter grips, they fit my hands better, to each their own

well, I suppose that your gun's grips are allowed to fit your hand ... if they really have to

I only posted it cuz you said mine looked good in leopard-print

I only said it was a good-looking gun, I meant "in spite of the leopard print" ... not "because of the leopard print"

 

[NG VI]

I honestly don't even mind the way that... Thing... looks, but whoever put the tassel on it should be taken out back and used as a function test.

 

[iLikeOldgunsIlikeNewGuns]

Ahhh My bad! now I see that it was NG VI that said the leopard-print looked good on it, I am so sorry that you were just an innocent bystander! x-D

gut-laughs to NGs last post too, found that thing in a google search,