Did I ruin my barrel?

[Tango2020]

Hi...It's me again

With the help of the wise on this forum I have almost gotten my PPQ to stop leading. I noticed that there was a roughness (looks like sharks teeth) on the rifling at the 5 o'clock position which is where the leading seems to accumulate.

Now at this point I decided to give it a good scrubbing with Chore Boy which I have used many times on the barrel to remove buildup. After scrubbing it seemed to be worse even further down.....Visually just after cleaning. I thought that perhaps I was causing this by scrubbing and had damaged the rifling.

I took it out today and shot about 100 J-words through it to see if it would help and I think it did a little but it is still there.

I don't change direction inside the barrel when cleaning but I may have wrapped a little too much chore boy around the brush.

The barrel on this PPQ slugged out at .401 which is a full .001 larger than my XDM. I have opened my Mold and Sizer die to .402 to accommodate. These bullets shoot awesome in my XDM now at .402.

Did I ruin my barrel?????

[leftiye]

If it doesn't cause any problems, maybe more leading, then maybe ignore it. There's about zero chance that you did what you're describing with a chore boy. Any possibility it was there all along? Fire lapping could result in a too big bore, but could be a solution. Maybe send it back to the munufacturer.

[largom]

A dozen or so fire-lap boolits with fine grit will not open your bore.

Larry

[geargnasher]

If it was a copper chore boy and not a copper plated steel one, I don't see how there is any way that it would have even smoothed out a burr. It takes many hundreds, if not thousands of J-bullets to make any noticable difference in a barrel. Even if it WAS a steel chore boy a few swipes is going to do nothing.

I do have a Cimmaron Arms 1871 Open Top in .45 Colt that's about as much fun to shoot as a pistol gets, but it shoots high and right. After studying and checking the barrel wedge, barrel/frame alignment, and a variety of other things and finding nothing wrong, I noticed something didn't look right about the rifling and the bore was starting to get rough. Turns out, they deep hot-blued the inside of the barrel, and a few hundred rounds was starting to break through the bluing. It looks like paint chipping off, and snags a brush noticeably. I don't think this is the issue you're having, but it is possible that strange things can go on in gunbarrels. The rifling was also cut poorly, and is almost non-existent on the top right of the muzzle end, which would explain the tendency to shoot badly. This pistol has never seen a J-bullet unless one was used for proofing.

Gear

Gear

[Tango2020]

Thanks for the replies. It was copper chore boy Gear.

Funny you should mention the POI. The gun out of the box was shooting about 4" left. Thought it was me but my XDM is dead on with the same rounds.
I moved the rear sight and have it dead on now but it is obvious the rear sight is off center now.
Maybe I should call S&W about it.

I

[jblee10]

I can't see copper chore boy ruining a barrel. Unless you used case after case of it and finally just wore the barrel out. And I have never seen a blueing job, either hot caustic blue or cold rust blue flake off. Maybe some manufactors coat their gun bores with something for a rust prevention. Did you clean your PPQ before shooting it? Maybe whatever was in there got ironed on and is just now coming loose. I always clean a new gun before firing a single shot.

[Tango2020]

Yes. Cleaned her good when I got it home.

[fecmech]

I'm wondering if you don't have a chrome plated bore in which the plating is coming off.

[303Guy]

In which case fire-lapping is not indicated. Do call S&W about it. Maybe mention the folks on the internet suggest talking to them. That might make them think hard about making good on a dodgy barrel. And it looks dodgy to me.

[40Super]

When pushing the brush with chore boy down the barrel.you weren't hitting the barrel with the cleaning rod itself or the connection point(if being real aggressive and not holding things straight? Just another way to damage barrels(usually the muzzle),and a thought.

[CATS]

At this point I suggest that you call S&W, politely get the persons name at the beginning of the call so that he/she knows that their name is attached to the solution. Then do as 303 Guy suggested and tell them a bunch of people on the net told you to call them and report back. And do let us know the outcome.

[Tango2020]

Ok...I'll call S&W and do as you guys say. I'll report back. Thanks

[badgeredd]

Ok...I'll call S&W and do as you guys say. I'll report back. Thanks
If you don't get any satisfaction from S&W, there is a possible solution to your barrel problem, but it isn't easy. That solution would be to HAND lap your barrel. Let me caution you that you can indeed ruin your barrel if you don't do it correctly and it is hard work. I used the procedure as a last resort in a rifle thinking that if I ruined the barrel it wasn't a great loss since the horribly inaccurate barrel was useless to me as it was. My barrel had a bad area in the middle where it was both rough and tight. I fixed it with hand lapping.

Edd

[Pete P]

I cant see scrubbing with brass would hurt that barrel.

[Tango2020]

I called S&W. They are sending me a return label to send the gun in. I told the S&W rep that I was also shooting J bullets as well as Lead. He said "We have had problems with these barrels when shooting lead because of the polygonal rifling". ???????

Maybe he didn't know what he was talking about. This isn't polygonal is it? It's going in anyway so I didn't argue. He also said the barrel isn't chrome lined so it isn't the chrome coming off.

[badgeredd]

He said "We have had problems with these barrels when shooting lead because of the polygonal rifling". ??????? OBVIOUSLY he is a service rep with no knowledge of this firearm!!!!!

Maybe he didn't know what he was talking about. This isn't polygonal is it? It's going in anyway so I didn't argue. He also said the barrel isn't chrome lined so it isn't the chrome coming off.

You're 100% correct...it very apparent that the rifling is Land and groove, not polygonal.

Edd

[Tango2020]

Thanks Badger. I'm not familiar with what polygonal looks like (don't own a Glock) but I didn't think I was that uneducated.

I guess the guys they put answering the phones just know enough to be dangerous.

[badgeredd]

Thanks Badger. I'm not familiar with what polygonal looks like (don't own a Glock) but I didn't think I was that uneducated.

I guess the guys they put answering the phones just know enough to be dangerous.

Simply put, polygonal rifling resembles an hexagon or octagon, kinda picture a STOP sign with a continuing twist. Right on with your assessment of the knowledge level of some customer service reps!

Edd

[40Super]

Maybe he used to work for glock.:veryconfu