Gear News

Why are there dark rings down each barrel of my gun?

My gun has developed two or three dark looking rings down each barrel and no amount of oiling or cleaning will shift them. Is this the start of rust? If not, what's caused the colouring and how can I get rid of it?

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Mike George says: If I were you I would take this gun to a gunsmith straight away, because rings can be a sign of barrel bulges.

If the barrels get a clean bill of health, you may as well get the gunsmith to give the bores a good polish. After that, do give the barrels a thorough clean as soon as possible after shooting, first with a bronze brusg and a bore solvent, then with a clean cotton patch or a sheet of kitchen paper, followed by a final wipe with a very lightly oiled patch.

The rings should not re-appear.