Rust or bluing residue on barrel - question

[gunsrfun1]

I have an older Remington 700 that is like new, but when I wiped the barrel down today and happened to shine a flashlight on it, I noticed what appear to be very light red streaks that are longitudinal to the barrel, intermingled with the bluing. (It's somewhat hard to describe in words.) The barrel bluing is somewhat of a semigloss. Under a normal lightbulb, you can't notice it, and everything looks fine. I wouldn't call it rust; the gun has never even been outside and has been kept in normal dry conditions. It almost seems like it was part of the bluing process where perhaps some red residue was left.
I've done some reading and I believe this is referred to as "plum" or something, and that it can occur if the bluing process was not done perfectly. Is this somewhat normal, or at least not totally abnormal?
PS - I am talking about the outside of the barrel, not the bore.
Thanks

 

[BSA1]

Maybe copper fouling from jacketed bullets. Have you tried cleaning it?

 

[gunsrfun1]

Sorry if I was not clear. I am talking about the outside of the barrel, not the bore. Thanks.

 

[BCRider]

If you wiped it down with an oily rag the rust would no longer look red. More like a very dark brown. So I'm thinking that it's not rust.

Also rust doesn't occur in streaks normally.

It wasn't a trick of the light? The streaks didn't move with changes in light direction?

 

[gunsrfun1]

No but I am probably not explaining this too well. Think of the outside of the barrel being blued. But when I shine a flashlight on it, you can see very small "micro" scratches that look reddish. The entire barrel has the "scratches" but I know that they are from the machining. I am thinking the oxidation or plum got into the scratches or something. Sorry I cannot post a picture but again, you can only see it with flashlight shining right on it.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I understand what you are saying. I have several 50+ year old guns that appear brownish red if you shine a light on them....The secret is quit shining a light on them and studying them like a dermatologist....Keep your gun oiled and don't worry about it.

 

[rcmodel]

+1

Bluing is controlled rust.

Black iron oxide, Magnatite to be exact.

Red rust is closely related, being red iron oxide.

Over time bluing reverts to the original red rust under color.

Try cleaning it with 0000 (Super-Fine) steel wool and oil.

That was done when it was factory blued to get the red rust off of the black under it.

What comes off is red oxide, and what stays on is black Magnatite or bluing.

What stays on is you got what you got, but it isn't rusting anymore.

rc

 

[gunsrfun1]

Thanks all. I figured this was "normal" but wanted to be sure.