Barrel Question

**686 Shooter** · 12-31-2017, 04:31 PM

Good day fellow Nutz.

I purchased a Savage 10T-SR from Cabela's. I looked down the barrel and was surprised by what I saw. Chatter marks like crazy. They were visible but you could not feel them wen you sent a cleaning rod or bore scope down the barrel. Here are some photos.

So I did some online research and the consensus was that this was normal for Savage barrels and is caused when the button is pulled through the barrel for the rifling. I was advised numerous times to do the fire one, clean one break i procedure and it will shoot just fine. (I was advised numerous times to get rid of the bore scope as well). I was also advised numerous times to polish the inside of the barrel with something like Flitz before starting the break in procedure. I could not find Flitz but found Autosol liquid polish. I was told it will be the same. So I proceeded to saturate a bore mop with the Autosol and run it up and down the barrel. Did this for 200 strokes, replenishing the Autosol every 50 strokes. The barrel now looks like this.

The bore definitely looks better. I have now been told to do the break in procedure and all would be good. It's -30 so the break in is not happening till things warm up.

Now here is my question. Some folks are saying that by doing this I have ruined my barrel and/or crown. A visual inspection of the crown shows no visible damage.

Do any of you have any experience with polishing of the bore like this? Have you done it? Did I in fact cause damage to the new rifle?

**rbertalotto** · 12-31-2017, 05:23 PM

STEP AWAY FROM THE BORE SCOPE!�� I had one and sold it after looking at a number of barrels that shot great and looked terrible. I’ve seen a Savage barrels that looked hand lapped and other that looked like yours....all shot great!

**celltech** · 12-31-2017, 05:45 PM

If you shoot it, and it's accurate (as most of these Savages tend to do), then what does it matter what the barrel looks like? If you want a baby butt smooth bore then get a Shilen and ogle over the bore scope.

With that being said, I do wonder why the marks are there. I suspect when the button is pushed down the barrel it's not a fluid motion but rather stepped from whatever hydraulic pump is generating the force. I would like to see what it looks like after the first round of firing had you not lapped it. But I doubt you hurt it and I really don't see how the crown would have been compromised.

**penna shooter** · 12-31-2017, 05:58 PM

Shoot it and tell us how much you love it......Happy New Year too.

**thatguyshm** · 12-31-2017, 08:36 PM

My Savage 22-250 looked like that. I shot it, then spent three days cleaning it to bare metal. First cold group always put all five in the same hole, then after some fouling would open up, so I put half of the last three stages of Tubbs final finish through the rifle, 5 rounds of stages 3-5, and it cleans up better and shoots tiny groups much longer, cleans up quicker, all positives.

I only dealt with it after it started mining copper though, not before.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

**RustyShackle** · 12-31-2017, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by celltech

If you shoot it, and it's accurate (as most of these Savages tend to do), then what does it matter what the barrel looks like? If you want a baby butt smooth bore then get a Shilen and ogle over the bore scope.

With that being said, I do wonder why the marks are there. I suspect when the button is pushed down the barrel it's not a fluid motion but rather stepped from whatever hydraulic pump is generating the force. I would like to see what it looks like after the first round of firing had you not lapped it. But I doubt you hurt it and I really don't see how the crown would have been compromised.

I am under the impression that it indeed is not a fluid motion, and the “chatter” marks are in fact due
to that fact. Also have been told by a very reputable individual from savage that they are not an issue. I theorize that the visual aberration is because of the steel in the bore being stressed and in a sense, being work hardened. It’s only a theory(my theory).

To the OP, I have heard you absolutely should not polish a bbl unless you plan to recrown. Not sure how much truth there is to that. I have seen some strange things that defy logic with bbls. There is an article floating around online where a crown was purposely destroyed and accuracy was tested. Interesting read!

**Zero333** · 12-31-2017, 09:35 PM

You did not harm the barre or crown with the polishing. But next time I recommend using JB bore paste because it takes less strokes with it and it's designed for this job.

Shoot it and I bet it's good to go.

Don't judge the rifle after you fire some cheap factory ammo for the first time. You'll have to find what the rifle likes unless you handload your own and tailor the loads to the rifle.

**foxx** · 12-31-2017, 11:42 PM

Any kind of break in routine with Savage barrels is a crock. Shoot it and clean when accuracy falls off. Dont worry about copper fouling. Having a liitle filling the chatter marks help. You will see improvement after first 100-200 rounds fired, no matter what "break in " routine you use or don't use.