Author Topic: Leading in new barrel...! What the....!!?? (Read 593 times)

tallyho · « **on:** July 28, 2005, 03:44:09 PM »

I was planning to head out to the range today and play with my new 357 mag barrel and 30/30 barrel.

I already tried out the 357 mag a month or so ago, so I focussed on getting the 30/30 barrel ready.

I put a scope base on it, and before mounting a scope I figured I'd give it a good cleaning and scrubbing before going shooting.

I looked down the bore (from the breech) and saw it was kinda dusty looking so I just ran a clean patch down and of course it came out a bit dirty.

I wasn't exactly surprised, I expected to have some stuff in a new barrel.. then however, I happened to notice some tiny silver bits on the patch. I looked down the bore again...more carefully. Well danged if it didn't look like there was something in the grooves, not far ahead of the chamber.

I cut a small piece of kitchen cleaning pad (the plastic scrubber thingy) thick enough to be tight, and pushed it through the barrel... lo and behold... definite bits of lead stuck to it!!!

What the... :?:

This is an accessory barrel, brand new from the factory (supposedly) ... ordered and received May! :?

I ran some more scrubby patches through it, and a bronze brush (alternating with clean patches) until I didn't get any more signs of lead.. then scrubbed with JB's bore cleaning compound and patches until it all came out clean.

As it turned out all this scrubbing took up the balance of the afternoon, and I never did get to the range... :cry:

And though I did get a nice clean bore out of the experience, I'm still wondering what the "bleep" was lead doing in that barrel in the first place!??

I didn't send the stock with the frame to have the barrels fitted, and didn't expect them to test fire it because of that.

Is it possible that they test fired it anyway? And would they test it with cast bullets?

I would prefer to believe that, than to let my imagination go to the place where the "new" barrel I purchased was actually a used one!

That would annoy me no end! :x

I don't object to buying used barrels, but not from the factory as a new barrel at a price for a new one.

If I truly wanted to spend extra money on barrels, I'd just buy them off eBay! :noway: ... NOT!

Anybody else have such and experience or hear of it?

Cheers
Kerry

quickdtoo · « **Reply #1 on:** July 28, 2005, 04:00:35 PM »

Yup!! I believe that you probably got a barrel that someone else sent back due to problems and H&R is just recylcing it, hoping it will shoot good on a different frame. I don't know that for a fact, but you're not the first to get a "new" barrel that appeared less than new. Does it appear to have been remarked on the underlug?

Tim

870 expressmag · « **Reply #2 on:** July 28, 2005, 04:08:10 PM »

quick...what exactly do you mean by "remarked" on the underlug? because now that he mentions it my .308 barrel is pretty marred up on the underlug and seems odd for a new barrel...and my 270 UC was real nice on the underlug

also the 270 was nicely tight..the 308 was sloppy as all get out

quickdtoo · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2005, 04:18:08 PM »

The last 3 digits of the frame serial number should be etched on the left side of the underlug which denotes that the barrel has been fitted to that frame.

Tim

870 expressmag · « **Reply #4 on:** July 28, 2005, 04:35:09 PM »

ok..so what should i be looking for? the numbers are there...but harder to read on the 308 than on the 270

quickdtoo · « **Reply #5 on:** July 28, 2005, 04:37:47 PM »

They don't mark them well, it could be easily removed and remarked since it's not a smooth finish. The last 25-06 that I bought wasn't marked at all!!

Tim

870 expressmag · « **Reply #6 on:** July 28, 2005, 04:43:21 PM »

well the whole underlug is gouged and really rough...to me it seems more than normal for a new barrel since the 270 looks nice...i will take a digital pic and post it tomorrow and show ya

quickdtoo · « **Reply #7 on:** July 28, 2005, 05:06:55 PM »

That's what I mean, that's normal, it's an unfinished surface, so changing a serial number there would be real easy.....for anyone!!

Tim

tallyho · « **Reply #8 on:** July 28, 2005, 06:37:21 PM »

Quick, never thought of that as a possibility..

Quote

been remarked on the underlug

Yup it is quite apparent the underlug has been worked... the lower half is smoother, and a slightly different color, and the numbers have been stamped rather than scribed.

If I do decide to send this barrel back to them, it will be harder to change the next time, 'cause the stamping is quite deep.

I guess I have to shoot it first to see what its fate will be...

And I just noticed that the original barrel I got with this gun has no number stamped on it at all... at least nothing I can read... some very faint marks that could be (or could have been) a number. And my 357 barrel looks the same as the 30/30 barrel, smoothed and stamped. Interrrrrrestttting!

Keep y'all posted.

ironduke2 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 29, 2005, 01:39:43 AM »

All my new barrels from NEF are stamped on the lug. Bob

Mac11700 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 29, 2005, 03:40:35 AM »

Don't feel bad...I got a 270 UC barrel with 2 different serial numbers on it... :eek: ...seems they completely forgot to do anything with mine.......

Mac