Pitting in an 870 barrel

[alaskacajun]

Hey I just picked up an 870 for $65 at a pawn shop. I couldn't pass up the deal even though the barrel has some obvious pitting inside the barrel. I cleaned inside the barrel with a scrub brush and some Break Free CLP and it isn't as bad as I thought originally, but my question is.... How bad can the pitting be before it becomes unsafe to fire the shotgun?

- Clint

[Graybeard]

As long as it's just pitting I can't imagne it being unsafe to fire. Now when it begins to rust thru it might be time to worry. It will likely accumulate more plastic and require more frequent cleaning but that's about all it should do.

[alaskacajun]

Yep thats pretty much what I figured... Thanks!

- Clint

[Madmark]

You can polish (burnish) the bore to help matters. Secure the barrel in a padded vice with the chamber facing you. Chuck a cleaning rod in a drill, put a 20 guage cleaning brush on it, and wrap with 00 to 0000 steel wool. Slowly work it in and out of the bore for about an hour. It's well worth the effort, and leaves the barrel with a mirror finish. This will help even on a barrel that has not been pitted.