Author Topic: Leading gone. Now what to do with the pitting????????? (Read 704 times)

JimG · « **on:** May 13, 2006, 12:23:07 PM »

Bought a used Dan Wesson 375 w/6" barrel and it is stainless steel. It had severe leading in the barrel. Looked like it had never been cleaned. It now has a shiney barrel and lead is gone. However it has pitting on the lands only (not the grooves) from the crown to about 1 to 1.25" down the barrel from the crown. Pitting is pronounced but not "craters". Shot it today. Accuracy is much better now that the lead is gone. Actually it is more than acceptable. How concerned should I be about the pitting? What causes pitting in modern guns with modern powders? Can it make the gun unsafe? Will it get worse? If so how can I "neutralize" the pitting so it does not get worse? Could it be something other than pitting, like some sort of erosion? I always though erosion occured near the chamber or forcing cone not the muzzle, but I could be wrong. Any insight or help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Dusty Miller · « **Reply #1 on:** May 13, 2006, 05:14:10 PM »

Hey, if the gun shoots to your satisfaction, what to worry? IF, on the other hand that pitting is keeping you awake at night then perhaps some form of barrel lapping is in order.

JimG · « **Reply #2 on:** May 14, 2006, 01:42:45 AM »

Always heard pitting was a real bad thing. This is the first gun I have owned with a pitted bore. Was not sure as to where to go from here. However from replies to this post and others I have posted on Graybeards and other forums everyone seems to think I should just forget about the pitting and shoot it. So I guess I will. :grin:

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 14, 2006, 01:52:39 AM »

JimG, pitting is not a good thing, you were correct. But even lapping a barrel to remove it can cause further problems if the pitting is deep. I bought a Pachmyer Dominator one time and it had pitting in the barrel, it shot great so I just kept shooting it. I just made sure I kept the barrel clean and tried to prevent the pitting from getting worst.

myronman3 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 14, 2006, 05:01:15 AM »

yep, if it shoots good quit worrying. the other option is replacing the barrel. i am assuming that your gun has a barrel that can be changed? one of the advantages of a dan wesson.

PaulS · « **Reply #5 on:** May 14, 2006, 10:07:28 PM »

The only cure for a pitted barrel is a new one. Shoot it as long as it shoots well and when it no longer does, replace it. Clorine causes pitting in stainless barrels faster than water does in a chrome moly barrel. Avoid salt water - there is clorine in it - keep it clean and protected with a good gun oil - dry it out before you shoot - just like you would with any other gun.

Questor · « **Reply #6 on:** May 15, 2006, 03:14:35 AM »

This makes me want to race down to the basement and clean a couple of barrels just for the heck of it.

Mikey · « **Reply #7 on:** May 16, 2006, 02:19:20 AM »

JimG - the pitting that remains is not going to hurt the gun or you. Since you've cleaned the barrel and removed the lead and she shoots better it sounds like you are fine. I have owned some wartime production pistols that have pitted barrels and they shoot just fine once you get the barrels clean. It seems that pitting does not affect accuracy unless you also have lead buildup along with it. Some pitted barrels shoot pretty well.

If you want you can always try lapping the barrel to smooth out some of the pits but if she shoot well enough for you then don't bother. Lapping would not remove the pits, it would only smooth off some of the edges on the mouth of the pits so the cast bullet would not be 'scraped' by the edges and build up lead deposits in the pits. JMHO. Mikey.