Sparkles in the end of my barrel

[flybyjohn]

Just was cleaning my SA 1911 barrel after a shooting session with my daughter and noticed some sparkles in the barrel after cleaning that I thought was dust. Well it defiantly is not dust. I can’t say that I noticed it the last time I had it out but might have been there. I haven’t had it out of the safe for a couple years. I have only been shooting cast hitek coated with it since I bought it. Powders have been vv n310?, titegroup, and bullseye.

The specks look like maybe pitting? But not deep pitting. I live in a dry part of Montana where the humidity is really low. During cleaning, I used copper choreboy for a few strokes and then hoppes no. 9. And then some dry patches until they were clean. The barrel looks really smooth looking through it, it’s just with a flashlight that I can see these specks. None of my other barrels have this.

Any ideas what it could be?

[JimB..]

I bought some patches that tended to leaves white dust behind, looked a lot like that. If you hit it with compressed air do they move?

I’d also try some foaming bore cleaner, give it time to work.

[Dom]

Did you shot cast bullets? Sparkles could be small granules of lead..

[Bazoo]

It looks like PC residue to me. I've experienced it in my Winchester 94 30-30. I don't know how Hitek plays into the equation.

[redhawk0]

Looks like it extends outside the barrel too. Looking at the muzzle...shows the same white speckles. I'm guessing it has something to do with the Hi-Tek.

Try shooting straight jacketed bullets for a hooting session...see if it goes away.

redhawk

[jdgabbard]

Hi-Tek / Powder Coat does leave behind a bit of residue. I most often notice it in my S&W revolvers with very shiny bores. After shooting they look "clean" but without the level of shiny that they have when actually clean. Scrubbing with a bore brush and some Hopp's #9 is enough to loosen it up, and then just hit with a patch, and a little oil until clean.

Whether that is what the OP is dealing with or not is another story. Just confirming that the Hi-Tek / Powder Coat does leave a layer behind...

[FergusonTO35]

Sometimes I get those or little tiny streaks of lead at the end of the bore. I just clean as normal and they never cause problems.

[.429&H110]

Granddaughters got glitter
it went everywhere and looks like that
sticky, shiny, tiny, and banned too late.
We are breathing plastic pollution, chopped mylar.

[flybyjohn]

I’m not too worried if it’s just hitek coating. Just didn’t want it to be pitting from rust or I would have to change my storage method. I do think that I’m getting some hitek coating film in the barrel because after cleaning for much longer than it would take to get powder residue out, with a really tight patch, I get brown glaze on my patches after a back and forth a few times. My hitek I’m using is bronze in color.

My 10mm Kim barrel cleaned up encredibly easy without any residue left behind.

[elmacgyver0]

Pixie dust

[Baltimoreed]

Pixie dust? Been fairy dog hunting?

[243winxb]

All Vihtavuori reloading powders produced today have an added decoppering agent. Today they're usually bismuth or a tin-bismuth combination.

This is whats let over after firing.