Just about had a really BAD DAY!

[hc18flyer]

Yesterday I went to shoot the Yugo Mausers. Decided it would probably be a good idea to take a quick peek down the bore prior to loading the first Round? Lo and behold there was a cleaning patch in the bore, just forward of the chamber! From now on, that will be ' standard operating procedure'! Could had a different outcome!

[LAGS]

Standard Procedure for me on All my guns.
I pull the Bolt and take a peek in the chamber and bore.
Yes, I too have found cleaning patches in the barrel, and other things like a leaf .
I had shot the rifle at the range, stood it in the rack, then whe I went to shoot it later, I checked the barrel.
There was a leaf halfway down the bore.
I dont know if someone had stuffed it in there when it was in the rack or what, But I am glad I saw it before shooting the rifle.

[Multigunner]

Several antique .22 rifles people brought to me to check out had one or as many as six rings in the bore. I asked one old timer what caused that last one with multiple rings and he said he had when a youngster cleared the bore of mud dauber nets by shooting them out.
That rifle , an ancient Remington underlever still printed well.

I'd seen mud dauber nests in old shotgun barrels several times, the mud dauber used to be far more common around here than in recent years. My dad had warned me when I was a youngster to always check the bore for obstructions so I was surprised that anyone would simply try to shoot out an obstruction.

In a very old article on use of the Krag in the Phillipines I ran across an account of a rebel escaping from his guard when he saw that a native mud dauber of a very large species was crawling out of the muzzle of the guard's Krag. When the guard fired at the escaping prisoner the barrel split.

Box Elder bugs have been a problem here in the past. Many times I've found them in the bore of a rifle left hanging on the wall for any length of time. These bugs aren't nearly as common these days, I think the Asian Shield bug has usurped their position as pests. The Shield Bug is too big to get into a .22 bore but can squeeze into a .30 or larger bore.

[country gent]

I watched one group at our club when the safety brief was done they exited thru one door and the bolts on their ars were all closed running a rod down the barrel. Proved the bore was clear and rifle was empty. I make it a point to run a jag and patch down the bore before starting the session. But then the patch is also saturated with the bullet lube I using to pre coat the barrel lightly