Loose spot in rifle barrel

[Ken3134]

Just cleaning my rifle tonight I noticed that there is an area of the barrel that the rod is more easily pushed through for about 2 inches. Anyone ever experienced this? Is it a problem, if the gun still shoots accurately?

[Sashi]

I had the same concern with a 22 win mod 68, the gun was sill very accurate, so not a problem.

[Smokinyotes]

Sounds to me like carbon build up in one portion of the barrel.

[rembo]

Sounds like a bulge.

[xxclaro]

Originally Posted by rembo

Sounds like a bulge.

Yeah, i have an old 99 in 308 that has the same issue, was pretty disappointed to discover that after I bought it. I shoot it open sights and it still shoots pretty good.

Can you feel the bulge by running your fingers down the barrel?

[Don_Parsons]

Hello Ken

I'd like to ask a Question if I may, where abouts do you notice this loose spot, how fouled do you think your rifle barrel might be.

What caliber are you working with, and are you "or" have you shot lead tip bullets out of this rifle.

Did you notice this the last time you cleaned it at all.

Don

[Ken3134]

Originally Posted by rembo

Sounds like a bulge.

I don't think so, can feel anything.

[Ken3134]

Originally Posted by Don_Parsons

Hello Ken

I'd like to ask a Question if I may, where abouts do you notice this loose spot, how fouled do you think your rifle barrel might be.

What caliber are you working with, and are you "or" have you shot lead tip bullets out of this rifle.

Did you notice this the last time you cleaned it at all.

Don

I just got the gun haven't shot it yet, it is very clean. Also it is a newer rifle has only shot about 20 rounds. I think it may be just a matter of breaking in the barrel?

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Ken3134

I just got the gun haven't shot it yet, it is very clean. Also it is a newer rifle has only shot about 20 rounds. I think it may be just a matter of breaking in the barrel?

Answer Don's questions.

How do you know the rifle is clean? Did you look with a borescope?(not the silly flashlight attachment)

You are freaking out about something that even in your own words still gives good accuracy.

Keep shooting!

[papirus]

how old is the rifle and how many rounds so far it has been fired... there are few things can cause that... where exactly is the spot if we say the chamber is 0 inch...

[Ken3134]

Originally Posted by papirus

how old is the rifle and how many rounds so far it has been fired... there are few things can cause that... where exactly is the spot if we say the chamber is 0 inch...

The rifle is only about a year old, fired about 20 rounds (none of them by me since I just got it). The spot that it seems a bit loose is about 4 inches from the muzzle, or about 18 inches from the chamber.

[Pathfinder76]

I’ll bet it’s missing some rifling

[smokeeter]

shoot it and see how it groups it might be fine

[1899b]

Originally Posted by xxclaro

Yeah, i have an old 99 in 308 that has the same issue, was pretty disappointed to discover that after I bought it. I shoot it open sights and it still shoots pretty good.

Can you feel the bulge by running your fingers down the barrel?

I too have a bulge in my 99 in .308. Rifling is interrupted 3.5” from the muzzle. Grandma dropped it in the snow once. Lol. Still shoots ok

[Don_Parsons]

Shot off some ammo Ken, might take a few rounds to build up some fouling, of course each person looks at this differently.

If it shoots nice groups, I'd think your ok.
Be careful to not over do the cleaning "over brushing" stuff since I've heard of the rare cases that a few barrels have been damaged purhaps by over doing it.

I'll send you a pm if things aren't working out for you Ken, I'm no pro at this stuff, but my friend has a pretty good handle in that area.
The call if you choose, would hopefully address all of your concerns.
My good friend will ask a few questions, but at least it will give you some ideas to try or look at.

Pm is on its way my friend.

Don

[roger]

my only contribution was i cleaned a guys gun who had the bad habit of putting the barrell down in the pickup or groundblind without electrical tape covering the bore, and it must have packed with debris or snow and it had a blunderbuss shaped barrel after it was shot, so he just hacked a few inches off the end was back on bullseye in no time.
not sure if this applies to your case or not

[papirus]

Originally Posted by Ken3134

The rifle is only about a year old, fired about 20 rounds (none of them by me since I just got it). The spot that it seems a bit loose is about 4 inches from the muzzle, or about 18 inches from the chamber.

Seems like previous owner pack the groves with bullet copper but he only managed to clean first 5-6 inch of the barrel, almost hard to worn out the barrel with 20 rounds but soft copper bullets can damage the barrel in short time if its not cleaned properly... im assuming bullet make a new bedding bcoz of the sudden drop thinned bullet in the barrel or some groves still packed... I would take it to gun smith who has borescopes to see condition of the rifling... not worth the take a risk firing with that rifle...

[Full Curl Earl]

Guy asked a serious question, I see no "Freaking out"...
Your concern over a loose spot is appropriate. That's why lead slugging a barrel is performed, to see how true the rifling and dimensions are internally. It's not uncommon to pick up tolerance problems in factory barrels while slugging, but to feel it on a cleaning patch to me is an unsafe situation in a modern firearm with under 100 rounds.
You likely won't feel a bulge in the barrel externally until its significant, without special tools.
I personally would not shoot this rifle with scoping it, I suggest taking it to your Smith.

Originally Posted by Dick284

Answer Don's questions.

How do you know the rifle is clean? Did you look with a borescope?(not the silly flashlight attachment)

You are freaking out about something that even in your own words still gives good accuracy.

Keep shooting!

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by papirus

Seems like previous owner pack the groves with bullet copper but he only managed to clean first 5-6 inch of the barrel, almost hard to worn out the barrel with 20 rounds but soft copper bullets can damage the barrel in short time if its not cleaned properly... im assuming bullet make a new bedding bcoz of the sudden drop thinned bullet in the barrel or some groves still packed... I would take it to gun smith who has borescopes to see condition of the rifling... not worth the take a risk firing with that rifle...

[Don_Parsons]

Glad I could help you Ken / via PM.

Wizer minds as its been known that the enemy is listening in. LOL

Don

[qwert]

Make of barrel?
Is it fluted?
Is it button rifled?

[Donkey Slayer]

I had a savage that shot great. However once on a scouting trip we were shooting long distances 500 yards and the bullet holes showed the bullets were tumbling. At 400 yards the bullet holes showed no tumbling. I got an inspection camera / probe with an end small enough to slide into the barrel. I observed a section of the barrel (middle area) with no rifling. Savage did end up replacing the gun (model 111). I did also noticed that when I cleaned the barrel, there was an area where the rod would not spin at times.

[Ken3134]

Originally Posted by Full Curl Earl

Guy asked a serious question, I see no "Freaking out"...
Your concern over a loose spot is appropriate. That's why lead slugging a barrel is performed, to see how true the rifling and dimensions are internally. It's not uncommon to pick up tolerance problems in factory barrels while slugging, but to feel it on a cleaning patch to me is an unsafe situation in a modern firearm with under 100 rounds.
You likely won't feel a bulge in the barrel externally until its significant, without special tools.
I personally would not shoot this rifle with scoping it, I suggest taking it to your Smith.

Thanks for the advice guys. I have inspected it and done some research and would speculate that there is a small bulge in the barrel that is a result of being fired with an obstruction in the barrel. But I really don't know for sure so will take it to the Smith that Don has recommended. Thanks Don. I haven't "freaked out" yet but am likely looking at a couple hundred bucks for a new barrel. You win some, and you lose some, the risk of buying used! Earl, you are correct about not being able to see or feel any kind of a bulge and the bore visually appears to be like new.

Ken

[Ken3134]

Originally Posted by qwert

Make of barrel?
Is it fluted?
Is it button rifled?

Savage
Not fluted
Not sure

[Full Curl Earl]

Glad to help, it's a Savage so the fix isn't that expensive, no way you could have known.