black ring forming in barrel

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InSoMNiaX23

New member
I just bought an Benelli M1 and have since put 250 rounds through it. I have always been very good about cleaning the barrel of all of my guns after each use, but after using it this weekend, I noticed a black ring forming inside the barrel probably somewhere between 3-5 inches from the breech. I have tried using Hoppes 9 which has always worked well for me in the past, CLP, and even gasoline. None of which seem have had any affect although the rest of the barrel is exceptionally clean. On a previous post, someone recommended using a section of cleaning rod in a cordless drill with a bronze or tornado brush on the end. I tried both and niether worked. Does any body have any suggestions on what else I can do to remove it? I have never encountered such a build up on my 870 and did not expect it on a new barrel after only 250 rounds. Your advice it greatly appreciated.

Thank You
 
That is a tough one.. I may be way wrong but if you have a chrome lined barrel it might be the metal turning color from the heat of the shells. If you can't clean it out then it must be IN the metal and heat coloring is all I can think of. I use some fine steel wool in a bore brush chucked in a drill and occasionally some JB compound applied liberally on a bore mop.Good luck and I hope you figure it out
 
Probably plastic from the shotgun wads. Gunscrubber or a similar product will loosen it and it will come out with a patch. HTH
 
Thanks for the tips. I'll have to give them a try. The ring almost seems to have a texture to it so it does sound like it might be plastic. We'll see....


Thanks again.
 
I tried some Remington action cleaner with a steel brush and still no luck. I'm not to sure of what else I can do so does anyone have any more suggestions?
 
It sounds like the metal has "stained" from heat. Maybe you can find a gunsmith with a borescope to look at it and determine if it is some real resistant crud (doubtful after all the cleaning) or staining.. One last thought... are you sure you are not looking at the forcing cone area?? it will look different than the bore because of the angle and it most likely will look black or darker. You said 3 to 5" up the barrel which makes me think all is ok, just the way the light is reflecting back to your eye.
 
Lose that steel brush

Instead of steel, may I suggest a good copper brush to get rid of the residue from the plastic wad, or buffering material.? Get a chamber brush, and a bore brush. Use solvent and twist the brush into the chamber and keep turning it as you pull it back out. That will get rid of residue. Use the smaller bore brush in the usual manner--push all the way through. Pull all the way back. keep repeating. Saturate the bore with slovent and let it sit before you brush.Steel brush? Egads! :eek:
 
Rather than go cheap on an expensive gun, why don't you just spend the nine bucks and use Gunscrubber. I have seen those rings lots of times. Plastic residue. I repeat plastic residue. The bore is most likely chromed on a Benelli. The Gunscrubber will allow you to push out the fouling with a single patch. Trust me.
 
I am 99.9% certain that this is a build up and not just the way the light is reflecting in the barrel. I think I am going to have to try the Gunscrubber. I haven't been trying to cut any corners; just doing what has worked for me in the past. By the way, I was hesitant to use the steel tornado brush to begin with and after using it (and listening to the terrible scraping sound it makes) I don't think I'll be using it again. Anything that sounds that bad probably can't be good for the barrel.

Thanks again for all the advice.
 
I still haven't been able to get rid of it. I am going to the skeet range today and hopefully will get a chance to pick up some Gunscrubber. If that doesn't work, I think I will have my gunsmith look at it. I don't think whatever it is is hurting anything, but it is annoying that I can't get rid of it. A guy that I work with recommended trying kerosene. Any thoughts on that one?
 
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Both of the shooting ranges I go to were closed today for special events so I didn't get to shoot but I did get some Gunsrubber. Between that and a tornado brush, I still can't get the mystery build up to come clean. I think I might have to accept it as a new part of my gun.....
 
Kerosens certainly can't hurt it.. Iguess I would go back to my original suggestion and try some JB compound. It is a non embedding abrasive that I have used in shotguns and rifles too. It won't hurt the gun or bore at all as it is not all that abrasive. Good luck again and keep us posted as you really have my interest it what it is in your gun barrel.
 
Are you sure you are not looking at the forcing cone? I've heard it described as a black ring as you look down the bbl.

The forcing cone is the constriction at the end of the chamber that forces the load down from chamber size to the size of your shotgun bore. If you hold the barrel up, point the muzzle toward the light and look through it from the chamber end, the forcing cone will appear as a short, dark ring, dark because the angle of the short forcing cone is severe and is hidden from the light. The distance from the beginning to the end is about 1/4". Most barrels come from the factory with this abrupt constriction, or forcing cone.
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The ring seems to have a texture to it and its edges are not even. When you look down the barrel and point it towards various light sources, that portion does not change color or shape. It would be nice if i could get a good picture of it, but I don't think my camera would be able to capture it. Back to the drawing board....
 
Scrub it out and be done with it

Have you been shooting buckshot? Last night, I cleaned the same ring out of my shotgun just in front of the chamber--as I always do when shooting buckshot loads. I suspect the buffering material, which looks like a plastic (gradex?) might be the culprit. Just take a copper bore brush and twist it slowly down the bore and keep twisting as you pull it back out. Look in there and see if you don't see the black sooty looking stuff start to break up. It might take some work, but it will come out. Let the solvent soak in once the bore brush loosens it.

I think Big G has the right idea--melted plastic. Maybe it's from the wad, or the buffering material in buckshot, but just scrub it out and be done with it. Just keep twisting the bore brush the same direction going in and back out. Just that portion of the bore where the buildup occurs. Clean the rest in the usual manner. For the chamber, I use a larger chamber brush, but that may be too tight to run down the bore. :cool:
 
I haven't been shooting buckshot, just 1 1/8oz target loads. I appreciate the additional advice. I have yet to try using a chamber brush. Would a 10 gauge brush work for the same purpose? Aside from the camber brush, I have done basically everything you described. I just put 100 rounds through it today and while I was going through my regular cleaning process, I spent an extra half hour or so just scrubbing on the ring with a steel tornado brush and some Gunscrubber. Whatever it is seems to be tougher than anything I have to throw at it.
 
by any chance did you shoot Federal Top Gun shells through the gun? I am asking because I know guys that reload them (myself included) and one told me that if you load them too many times then the paper basewad can come out and get stuck in the barrel. If you would then shoot the gun without clearing the barrel it can form a ring similar to what you seem to be having. I think if there is a chance of a basewad left in my barrel a ring around the inside of my barrel would be the last thing I think about :)
 
Since I've bought the gun, I have predominantly shot Remington Nitro 27s. They have always seemed cleaner to me than other shells I have tried (especially the Federal 100rnd econopack ones I have picked up at Walmart). As far as a stuck basewad goes, I have yet to get into reloading so my shells are all only fired once so I don't think that would be an issue. I am not really all that worried about the ring being there. I noticed it at about 250 rounds and now with 400 rounds through it, it hasn't gotten any worse. It just baffles me as to why it won't go away.
 
Would a 10 gauge brush work for the same purpose?
Click to expand...

Don't use too big of a brush, or it could get stuck. I tried to run a long stiff chamber brush through and got it stuck when the brush broke off when turning it. Than I had a hard time getting it all the way thru. :rolleyes: Use a softer and shorter chamber brush or a regular bore brush in 12 ga.

If you try the 10 ga. brush, go easy and bring it back out as soon as it feels tight. I'm going to wrap some Scoth Bright cleaning pad around a smaller brush and see if that works, next time. Don't want to scratch the nice polished bore on my new Scattergun Tech/Wilson Combat Shotgun. :D
 
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