pitted shotgun barrel

Robin

Looking down the barrel of my recently cleaned Steven's single shot 12 ga., I noticed some fairly serious pitting, mostly in one area, about 12" from the chamber area. The gun was considered a utility gun from the begining and subjected to a lot of unintentional neglect over the years. Could this be dangerous to a shooter? I know it can't contribute to a great pattern but how can one know when the pitting culminates in a dangerous situation. Thanks.

rwfixem

When the pitting on the inside can be seen on the outside it will be very dangerous. Most all of the Savage/Stevens single shots have very thick barrel walls. The pitting should not really be a safety problem. IF in doubt please see a Gunsmith.

Der Gebirgsjager

I realize that your shotgun is an inexpensive one, and that you're probably only looking for reassurance that it can be used safely. Here's some ideas/information for you though, that may help if you wish to try and remedy the condition of the barrel. First, as touched on lightly by the previous post, the pits will continue to rust and increase in depth unless some action is taken. This process can be rapid or slow, depending on the action you take now that you are aware of the condition. The progression of the rust can be greatly retarded by keeping a coating of oil in the bore when the gun is not in use, and by storing it in a dry environment. If you leave the bore unprotected and in a damp or humid environment the rust will progress rapidly. The bottom of the pits contain active rust which no amount of conventional cleaning will remove entirely as the rust is below the level of the bore's surface. The choices are (1) to chemically remove the rust by getting a rust disolving chemical into contact with the active area, or (2) to hone down the surface of the bore to the level of the bottom of the pits. The first procedure can be easily accomplished by dipping a cleaning patch into a bottle of naval jelly and carefully running it into the bore from the muzzle end and saturating the pitted area. Allow it to work for the recommended time and then flush out the barrel and clean conventionally. A certain amount of care is necessary, as any slop-over at the muzzle will remove any bluing it comes in contact with. Also, your bore may be stained by the action of the naval jelly; but this will have no effect on the actual shooting, and with repeated firings and cleanings the stains should eventually disappear. The second option would involve ordering a Flex-hone from Brownell's and a can of their Flex-oil. Remove the barrel from the gun and mount in a bench vise, insert the end of the Flex-hone in an electric drill, dip the head of the hone in the oil, and insert the hone into the bore from the chamber end, but past the chamber. Then run the drill at moderate speed. It will create a slurry of oil and removed metal particles, and you will probably be able to restore the bore to a new appearance. You must not run the hone in the actual chamber or in the 6 inches of the barrel nearest the muzzle, as in the first case you will ruin the chamber by making it oversized, and in the second case you will alter your choke.