GPR barrel ringed near breach?

[TexasMLer]

After reading Bob58's post about his ringed barrel, I started wondering if MY barrel is ringed.

When I push my ramrod down to the breech, I feel less pressure on the ramrod the last 3-4 inches. I am pretty sure it has always been this way. Is this normal or could this mean that I have a ringed barrel near the breech? I am always careful about seating the ball on top of the powder. Like the rest of you, I have a mark on my ramrod and on my rangerod.

Thanks!

 

[jdhiii]

Same thing happens with my T/C .50 Hawken. Maybe an inch or two before the charge it gets easier to move the ball. Though I have had the rifle for 25 years I am certain it has never been fired with the ball not seated on the charge, as I have loaded it with a marked ramrod from the beginning. I would be interested in what the recommendations are to address this if it is a problem.
-d

 

[shunka]

Gentlemen -
If you are experiencing slight percieved "looseness" near the breech, it is possible that you may have a bit of "chamber erosion" which appears to occurr with age. It is difficult to confirm without pulling the breech or a really good borescope (perhaps you could borrow a Doctor's sigmoscope? LOL!)

Pulling the breech on a T/C can be rather difficult without the breech wrench due to very tight factory installation, and I expect it would probably void the forever warrenty as well.

There has been some discussion in the past by scholars with knowledge far superior to mine regarding breech area erosion. A very good case has been made (based on empirical evidence - the best kind in my book) that it is exacerbated by use of fine grain powder in large bores.

IMHO, I have generally felt "no worries" until accuracy is affected, or the load is no longer tight.
Then it becomes time for a new barrel, and either "freshing out" the old one or making a smoothy.

best
shunka

 

[RiverRat]

I shoot a GPR flinter and I have about 200 round balls through it. I too have noticed that it is easier loading as you get down near the powder charge. I am careful to always seat the load down to the powder charge. I have just dismissed the ease of pushing the rod the last 6" inches due to the powder burns
more completely at the point of ignition rather than further up the bore, where deposits are left causing more effort needed to push the next rb through it. I hope this makes sense and if I am wrong....I welcome any replys that could shed some light on this.
Gerry

 

[Slamfire]

The sigmoidiscope my doctor used wouldn't fit down a rifled barrel, 'cept maybe that .62 caliber underhammer job.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Do you guys clean with a wire brush? Where it reverses direction at the breech it will cause wear after a period, especially the *cringe* stainless-steel brushes one occasionally encounters, or an oversize brush. I know several shooters who like to use oversize brushes for some unknown reason. More = Better, I guess??

If you can remove the barrel and sight down the flats any visible "hump" could indicate a ring (or a harmless machining imperfection). If you see a hump where you feel an "easy" spot, then it's probably been rung.

 

I have 2 new rifles: a Lyman Trade Rifle .50 caplock and a Lyman GPR .54 flinter that have both been fired about 200 - 300 times. In both of them I notice that that when cleaning (and loaing) that I need to use less force the last 3 - 4 inches from the bottom and they have been this way since day #1. Both rifles shoot great (except for when I don't) and I can not believe that there is any barrel erosion or damage from the bronze brushes I uses from time to time. Has anyone contaced a manufacturer about this? If not, let me know and I will try to call Lyman tomorrow when I get back to work and ask someone there the question.

 

Bronze brushes MUST be pushed THROUGH the barrel before reversing. This is common knowledge amongst modern ctg. target and bench rest shooters alike. Reversing the brissles inside the barrel will ruin the barrel, causing wear and damage to the lands. A match shooter will not knowingly purchase a barrel that has had a bronze brush reversed inside it ONCE, let alone several times. They will not buy a barrel that has had a stainless brush used period!
: Muzzleloaders are less suseptable to 'fine accuracy' damage from this happening once, but due to somewhat softer steels, will show wear if this is a common cleaning practise. A stainless brush reversed inside, will remove material with one use.
: If you want to use a brush, use one that is undersize and doesn't touch the bore itself, but is only to hold the cloth patch.
: Many muzzleloading barrels get 'rough' in the breech, due to loss of material from minor rusting while cleaning improperly, or ineffectively with chemicals instead of water?- Just a thought. My breeches remain as tight as the rest of the barrel, so I expect my methods work- for me as many other's methods, work for them.
: Repeated flash-rusting may have an accumulative effect for those insisting on using "Boiling" water, then drying the outside BEFORE patching & oiling the inside of the barrel.- Just a thought.

 

[swquiro]

Another new GPR barrel with release of pressure the last couple of inches at the breech. I wondered about that when I was cleaning the gunk out of it before I ever shot it. It shoots great however. Keep us posted on what you find out. I suspect it must be a common occurrence, but with no deleterious effect.

 

[roundball]

Another new GPR barrel with release of pressure the last couple of inches at the breech. I wondered about that when I was cleaning the gunk out of it before I ever shot it. It shoots great however. Keep us posted on what you find out. I suspect it must be a common occurrence, but with no deleterious effect.

:agree:
Surely a real problem related to this would have been nailed down and of common knowledge by now...heck, it hasn't even gotten the respect of an old wives's tale yet, "like 1:48" won't shoot RB's accurately", etc.
I reckon I'll just keep on cleanin' & shootin' like I do...(particularly those 1:48" barrels)...would love to be able to claim I "wore out" a muzzleloader barrel before I die!
::