Barrel defect has me scratching head ???

[DWTim]

Hiya folks!

This is actually about a handgun barrel, but I figured that those of you who are into gunsmithing will likely have seen a problem of this sort. This is how the barrel came with a used DW 375 Supermag I bought. It was difficult to see, so I figured I'd remove the barrel and get a better look-see. Well, that lead to a whole host of other problems, but now that I've solved those, I can show you better than I can describe it.

There are two "scratches" in the grooves, not entirely running parallel to the lands. The worst "scratch" is more like a gouge near the forcing cone end. I've seen some pretty bad owner-induced damage to guns; I once passed up a Smith 442 that looked like someone rode a crooked drill bit into the forcing cone (no way did it come from the factory like that). This one takes the cake.

It looks to me like either a sharp rock was in the bore when the gun was fired, or some type of extremely-sharp steel tool was pulled through, got stuck, and was hammered out. My last theory is that it's a crack of some sort. Even though 375 SM isn't an ultra-high-pressure round (clicky), I'm still concerned.

If you find the pictures difficult to examine, I can mark them up with arrows and such. These photos were extremely hard to get considering the lighting, focus and scale of the subject. I did the best I could:

Looking down the forcing cone end. The "scratch" is the part I tried to focus on. (Click for bigger)


View of the muzzle end, showing the scratches going right to the end of the rifling. (Click for bigger)


Any theories? Look familiar?

[victorcharlie]

Looks to me like the manufacturer tried to maximize tool life and cut it with a dull tool......made a few to many passes on the old tooling..........Just a guess.....

I'd guess it's hard to clean........How's it shoot? 

[DWTim]

Dunno, haven't shot it yet. I just recently removed a butchered barrel nut and got a replacement this week. I'm also nervous about shooting it in its present state.

[bluebayou]

Weird tooling stuff happens.  I had a barrel with no rifling for the last 4 inches or so of the barrel.  Riddle me that one if it is button cut.  If you aren't comfortable would magnafluxing or whatever the modern equivalent is work?  Is there a machinist who can look at it?  Dan Wesson might give you crap if you sent the barrel only in.  If you have misgivings then get someone else to look at it. 

[Con]

I have a 358Win barrel that looks similiar from an Australian barrel manufacturer. If you have the option to send it back then do so as its killed your S/H value when someone sees that in the barrel. Mine has a "scratch" that runs almost half the 22" barrel's length. It made me very nervous until I shot a few 1.5" groups at 200m using Winchester's 200gr factory load. Then I quit worrying as I will NEVER EVER sell this rifle .
Cheers...
Con

[unclenick]

Those scratches or gouges or whatever they are look pretty funky.  A crack would be unlikely to follow the twist of thr rifling like that, so it probably isn't a shooting hazard and the gun may even shoot pretty accurately, at least until  fouling accumulates. 

What actually scratched it is difficult to guess.  Considering the previous owner mangled the barrel nut, who knows what else he may have done?  But it is also possible shards from a chipped carbide rifling button could do it in manufacture.  I've seen one 4" DW barrel with the rifling off-center (grooves .002" deep on one side, .006" deep on the opposite side; keyholing resulted), so I know their QC hasn't always been perfiect.  Call DW and tell them you got it second-hand and are concerned it may be unsafe and that you want to send it in for them to inspect.  Gun makers will often do safety-related repairs free even though you aren't the original owner.  They don't want a liability out there with their name on it waiting for a lawyer to blame them for something the owner did.  The DW revolvers are made to allow the user to change barrels, so I don't think they'll mind you just sending the barrel in alone.  On the other hand, since there is other evidence the gun has been mistreated, you might want to let them do a complete inspection anyway?

Nick

[bluebayou]

I am swinging toward unclenick's opinion about safety related repairs.  It can't hurt to ask.  I know at work we send any new, returned long guns back to the manufacturer (Winchester was the absolute slowest) for "safety inspection" before resale.  They don't charge us, but we pay shipping. 

[gunnut69]

I doubt it would be a safety concern but DW might consider it as such and replace the barrel. It may well shoot OK but would surely foul badly!!  They've had QC problems before but this could also have been operator induced!!

[DWTim]

Thanks for the responses. I have no reason to believe the gun is otherwise unsafe.

I wanted to clarify these:

The previous owner didn't mangle the barrel nut, but he did wrap some type of tape around the threads, which eventually deteriorated and made a gummy mess. Then the nut got stuck in it. I butchered the nut with the barrel tool while attempting to untighten it in a normal fashion. OK, so I'm a bit ham-handed. I had to use an improvised device to get the barrel out (has it's own sticky in this forum).

What makes this gun an exception is that Wesson hasn't made one since the late 80s, when they were in Monson, Massachusetts. I confirmed that they no longer have the tooling to make replacement barrels for it, nor do they have any remaining spares in inventory. I'd basically be wasting my money sending it to Norwich, so I decided to pick your brains instead.

I've been rewarded so far.

As far as fouling, I've recently taken to the habit for 'Kroiling' my barrels and chambers. So far it has made it easier to remove lead in other guns. Think that'd help in this instance?

[victorcharlie]

You might make it a little better by lapping it with Flitz or JB or one of the other lapping products......

[DWTim]

Well took it to the range today, along with three other guns. I was rushed at the end, and I only brought along 20 rounds, but it appears to be that accuracy is not effected at all.

EDIT: How rude of me! Thanks a bunch for your advice and words of encouragement folks!