What the heck is in my barrel?

[Sleepnosis]

I bought this gun used heavily, almost never cleaned:banghead:. If the pictures arent working I'll try my best to describe what it looks like:

Almost a tar like residue or piting in the barrel, which looks undoubtably rough and splochy. It placement is approximately 4 inches in extending for 2 inches.



What is it?

Is it hurting my shotgun?

Is it making my gun harder to clean?

is it affecting accuracy?

And finally can it be fixed?

Thanks in advance,
-Mark

 

[Dave McCracken]

Hard to tell from the pics. Try scrubbing it out with 4/0 steel wool wrapped on a dowel and chucked into an electric drill.

 

[Al Thompson]

Dave's right. I have also added a light oil to the blob of steel wool with good results.

 

[PJR]

It looks like plastic wadding residue. It shouldn't hurt the gun's patterning. It is possible some moisture was trapped under the residue which may have caused some corrision in the steel although from the picture that does not appear to be the case.

A thorough cleaning with a good solvent and good scrubbing with a brass brush or Dave's suggestion of some steel wool wrapped around an electric drill bit should solve the problem.

Paul

 

[Sleepnosis]

Thanks for the help Dave McC, Al T and PJR. Getting set up right now. Thanks again.
-Mark

 

[Sleepnosis]

It worked!

It worked!
Shotgun: Benelli m1 s90 12 gauge

tools:
20 gauge bore brush
0000 steel wool wraped around it
Cleaning rod
Generic shotgun bore cleaner

about 50 runs through using my arm, a few spins on the drill, and now it shines like a MIRROR. Thanks again!

-Mark

 

[sm]

Yeah - what they said....



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