Mud Dauber damage….

[wiuprof]

A few years ago, I had an experience with mud daubers and one of my favorite rifles. I live out in the country and always have a rifle readily available with appropriate ammo ready to go….. not locked in the vault. On more than one occasion, I've spied a coyote, skunk or groundhog and not had to get a gun from the vault to get the job done. My house is across the road from my large garage. I typically have a rifle "ready to go" on each side of the road.

That summer, my Rem 788 in 222 Rem. was my "garage gun". It has a detachable box magazine and is ideal for this purpose. My "house gun" is an AR-15 for the same reason, box magazines are ready to go if needed and quick to deploy.

One day, I noticed what looked like mud plugging up the muzzle of the Rem 788. When I tried to put a cleaning rod into the barrel with the appropriate Sinclair cleaning rod guide, I could not push the mud "plug" out. There had to be 10"-12" of mud in the bore.

I did not want to damage my Dewey cleaning rod by forcing it, so I inverted the rifle and poured Kroil into the chamber, letting it soak "muzzle down". It took a few days for the Kroil to soften the mud sufficiently to get the cleaning rod through. The barrel was scrubbed for a few hours with all sorts of solvents and nylon and brass brushes. Unfortunately, it still did not look good to the naked eye.

Fast forward to last week, when I got a Lyman Borecam. Oh my!!!

This barrel is "toast". Some of the pitting looks very deep.

 

[savagedasher]

If it shoots don't worry about what you see .
Larry

 

[Dusty Stevens]

They have something in that liquid they secrete that is horrendous. Ive had brand new unchambered barrels look just like that but ive also seen a ton of 788 barrels that look like that anyway

 

[varminthunter1]

I feel your pain. I bet you wish you never bought that borescope........

 

[Toolbreaker]

I'd shoot it for group & see if it still does what it did previously. I know it's too late now, but the old G.I. "condom over the crown" trick might be a good idea in the future for your garage rifle.

 

[sean68]

I have borescoped some 788's and they looked very rough. My 1982 .308 M788 that I have had since new that has never had any rust, corrosion or mud daubers in the barrel looks almost that bad. It shoots fine and always has. It does copper up pretty bad though. I would shoot it and see if accuracy has changed.

 

[Mozella]

Just fill those pits with J.B. Weld. Wouldn't that work?

 

[Average joe]

Would you mind shooting that rifle for group, and let us know how it performs?

 

[wiuprof]

Would you mind shooting that rifle for group, and let us know how it performs?

I plan to do that as soon as it warms up a little here in western Illinois. I'm very anxious to see if it groups anywhere near what it used to.
When it came to me in the late 70's, it had a Canjar trigger which was the finest trigger I'd ever experienced at that point in time.
It was my favorite prairie dog rifle back in the 90's when we were still going to the Rosebud reservation.

Monday & Tuesday are forecasted to be in the mid 60's here. I'll test it then.

 

[SHootSTraight22]

We call them "dirt daubers" in the south..

 

[Tommie]

I'll go on record and predict your gun will still shoot fine. It will take more than some bore pitting to make a 788 in 222 shoot lousy groups. Been there and have the shirt.

 

[JohnKielly]

We used to put pasters over the muzzles of our rifles to keep them & rain out when we hunted. Was one place they'd build in your ear when you stopped for lunch if you weren't careful.

 

[hogpatrol]

When I was deer hunting with BPS MLs, these kept out the rain and snow and you could just shoot through them. I see they're discontinued but they worked.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2...-cot-universal-muzzle-protector-package-of-20

 

[alf]

 

[Darrel Martin]

I am glad you looked at the muzzle end before you fired it .Dirt dauber damage ranks second only to gasoline with ethanol as a cause for damage to various tools in my barn. I resent the gasoline more as the dirt dauber is just looking for a secure place to raise a family,so that their offspring can plug up more sockets, air compressor connectors,weedeater exhausts,water hoses,funnels,...........

 

[hogpatrol]

I am glad you looked at the muzzle end before you fired it .Dirt dauber damage ranks second only to gasoline with ethanol as a cause for damage to various tools in my barn. I resent the gasoline more as the dirt dauber is just looking for a secure place to raise a family,so that their offspring can plug up more sockets, air compressor connectors,weedeater exhausts,water hoses,funnels,...........

Extremely dangerous to aviation. Inconclusive evidence but here's one instance where the may have caused loss of life.
Birgenair Flight 301 was a flight chartered by Turkish-managed Birgenair partner Alas Nacionales ("National Wings") from Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic to Frankfurt, Germany, via Gander, Canada, and Berlin, Germany. On 6 February 1996, the Boeing 757–225 operating the route crashed shortly after take-off from Puerto Plata's Gregorio Luperón International Airport.[1][2] There were no survivors. The cause was a pitot tube that investigators believe was blocked by a wasp nest that was built inside it. The aircraft had sat unused for some time without the required pitot tube covers in place.

 

[wiuprof]

View attachment 976897

Hi Al, how have you been?

I have done that when out hunting in inclement weather. But I never imagined that the muzzle needed protection while
in my garage! My good fortune was that I saw the mud at the end of the muzzle. If Wily Coyote had shown up and I grabbed
the 788, it would not have been a good thing. (for me or the rifle)

A few years ago, while mowing in April, this guy showed up. My house gun was handy!
Joe

 

[alf]

Hi Al, how have you been?

Can't brag...can't complain....livin' large....

 

[wiuprof]

I had an opportunity today to shoot my Rem 788 at 100 yards with some proven loads and some
Hornady Superformance factory loads that I've not shot yet. There were also some Remington
factory loads with 50 grain bullets.

The weather was 70 degrees with moderate winds. I ran a target down to the 100 yard range and
shot several targets with the various loads. My old standard load of WW-748 and Hornady 50 grain
SX bullets were still on hand from a few decades ago. I also tried the new Hornady Superformance
loads and some standard Remington factory ammo with 50 grain sp.'s.

Overall, I'm quite pleased with the groups. It averaged sub-moa with the different types of ammo.
Maybe all those pits and holes in the bore don't have as much effect on accuracy as I had imagined.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Some of the best superformance groups ive seen