Toasted Barrel at 750 Rounds

[Old Navy]

My Savage 12 Benchrest in 6mm BR has died a premature death. When I bought this gun new back just before Xmas it was shooting all the standard 6 BR loads in the .1 to .25 range. I was thrilled. Told myself I lucked out and got a good production barrel. At about 550 rounds is started with the shoot two good groups and then throwing one shot out in the next group. Now at 750 it shoots all over the target. I have attached a couple photos. The first I took at 200 rounds when I received my Teslong. It looked rough compared to my Shilen 6.5X47 but it was shooting. The second photo I took last night after 750 down the tube. Looks like the inside of a galvanized pipe. Called James at NSS this afternoon and ordered a 28" Criterion bull. Already have a tracking number. Should be here in Utah early next week.

 

[sawcarver]

If you want to sell that barrel let me know, I've got a project it may work for

 

[rwj]

This should be an interesting thread. It looks there is a lot of carbon buildup in the third pic, might be worth a thorough cleaning to see if it “recovers” any accuracy. You’ve got nothing to lose having a new barrel on its way!

 

[chop house]

just carbon... that'll clean up. but hey, you are getting a new barrel - sooner rather than later...

 

[old_heli_logger]

The first two photos look the same to me; typical Savage tooling marks, for whatever reason they still shoot good. The third photo looks like the tooling marks are gone, but it has a bunch of carbon buildup with some copper too. I'd give it a good thorough scrubbing and try it again. Good luck!

 

[Old Navy]

just carbon... that'll clean up. but hey, you are getting a new barrel - sooner rather than later...

I did the cleaning route about a week ago. Scrubbed it down good with a bronze brush. It actually made it worst for about 30 rounds. Those are the good pics. I have one showing some serious pitting.

 

[Old Navy]

If you want to sell that barrel let me know, I've got a project it may work for

Probably will. Have another in 6.5X284.

 

[SierraCJ5]

Unless there's a bunch of damage we can't see, that's a completely normal looking Savage barrel in need of a proper cleaning. There's no reason it won't go back to delivering the performance you experienced when the round count was lower.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Yep a proper cleaning and itll go right back to where it was. Its just getting broken in besides the lack of cleaning. You can get it back pretty fast if you own some bronze brushes, proper rods/guides, and some iosso and butchs. Wont take an hour even if you let it soak good

 

[dolek]

If it does not shoot,it is not the barrels fault.

 

[Old Navy]

You guys are right about the carbon and the copper. Both are embedded pretty good. Butch told me to get after that carbon back at the 200 round mark and I did and it came back immediately. My normal cleaning with my Kriegers and Shilens have always been wet and dry patches and they go 2K plus without a problem. I just cleaned this barrel the same way so I could show the pits and gouges in the second half of the barrel. Tell me what you think. I am an armature with the bore scope for sure.

 

[mike a]

I can't believe no ones flamed you yet. Allow me. If your barrel was your car I'd write WASH ME!!! You piggy.

 

[jepp2]

My normal cleaning with my Kriegers and Shilens have always been wet and dry patches and they go 2K plus without a problem.

But this isn't a hand lapped barrel and you are going to have to go after it differently. That is a LOT of carbon, and until you get it off, you don't know how much copper is underneath.

 

[Ranger188]

Factory Savage barrels are notorious for chatter marks, but still somehow shoot.
They are a carbon, copper magnet.

 

[mike a]

I'd use Isso on a wet patch with a jag and elbow grease. Or Hydroxychloroquine. What do you have to lose? Mike

 

[Stan Taylor]

No pun intended that barrel is filthy.

 

[gman47564]

run a couple of wet patches of clr through it slowly and let it sit for 10 minutes then take a good brush to it a few times and patch it out and take a look at it... just needs a good cleaning...

 

[savageshooter86]

There’s so much crap build up you can’t see the notorious railroad tracks marks in the barrel of Savage. You need several days and sessions of scrubbing her really good. IOSSO. Carb remover. Copper killer. More IOSSO. More carb remover. More copper killer.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

A patch alone wont get that clean in the next year. Youre going to need abrasives and a bronze brush

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

Clean it. It's foolish to replace it unnecessarily. It needs cleaning.