Barrel pitting?

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NOPE! I’ve never used a borescope. Only thing I’m concerned with is the throat, because I can bring that back a couple time times to prolong barrel accuracy. Otherwise, if I have a firearm shooting poorly, and I’ve checked everything & KNOW it’s the barrel, it gets a new one. What’s the point of scoping it, to tell me what I already know? But borescopes are cheap & people who don’t understand machining or the difference in surface marks on the steel, will continue scoping & condemning the barrels before a single round is ever fired.
 
The gun goes back after today's range work at 100 yards. Winchester would like a look at it as they got back to me this morning. Today's group was 6 inches by 14.5 inches at 100.
IMG20220916121154.jpg 20 shots Speer170 for 10 (the lower group) and Hornady 165s for the upper 10 shots. Fouling seems heavy but maybe that's normal. The fouling is uneven and seems like more at the muzzle. WIN_20220916_12_37_12_Pro.jpg
Midway
WIN_20220916_12_38_06_Pro.jpg
Pitted area
WIN_20220916_12_38_28_Pro.jpg
WIN_20220916_12_39_50_Pro.jpg
Throat area. I'll link the video from youtube in a bit.
 
Your barrel has a lot of pitting... if I messed it up, I would be pretty disgusted with myself... However you didn't .

I would certainly like Winc. to make good on it.
 
Scrub the area with some copper wool. You may have some fouling deposits. I had a bore i thought was pitted. Untill i changed the angle of how i was using the scope. I could see it was deposits. I got them out then. No more what looked like pitting.
 
BRatigan said:
Today's group was 6 inches by 14.5 inches at 100.
Click to expand...

The 14.5 vertical was with 2 different loads; one grouped high and the other low. Looking at them separately, you're getting minute of pie plate at 100. Not great but better than 14.5 sounds. Old time deer hunters would say you are GTG.

Be sure to focus on the front sight above all else. I'm assuming those were shot from sandbags or a stable rest?
 
This is open sights, yes? I’ll say, my eyesight sure ain’t what it used to be. Besides corrected & astigmatism, my left eye is 100% blind. I’m not so hot with open sights at 100yds. Out of the to 25 with a pistol & maybe 50 with rifle. But after that, I want an optic! 100yds, open sights, my groups would likely be the same minute of pie plate…regardless of rifle accuracy. You are posting pictures of the barrel bore with a “matter of fact” presumption that your accuracy should be far better, if not for the barrel’s fault. Do you have other 100yd groups with other rifles using open sights? Was the rifle in a rifle random rest?(the only way to take all human variance out of the equation & truly test accuracy) If not, what position & rest did you use? The throat looks good. Sharp edges & clear starting point.
 
IMO: There's something else going on too. The badly pitted and dark barrel of my old Winchester model 94 shoots much better than that.

What does the crown look like?
 
David Hoback said:
This is open sights, yes? I’ll say, my eyesight sure ain’t what it used to be. Besides corrected & astigmatism, my left eye is 100% blind. I’m not so hot with open sights at 100yds. Out of the to 25 with a pistol & maybe 50 with rifle. But after that, I want an optic! 100yds, open sights, my groups would likely be the same minute of pie plate…regardless of rifle accuracy. You are posting pictures of the barrel bore with a “matter of fact” presumption that your accuracy should be far better, if not for the barrel’s fault. Do you have other 100yd groups with other rifles using open sights? Was the rifle in a rifle random rest?(the only way to take all human variance out of the equation & truly test accuracy) If not, what position & rest did you use? The throat looks good. Sharp edges & clear starting point.
Click to expand...
All open iron sights, often blacked out with a carbide smoker. Luckily my eyesight is 20/15 left eye and 20/25 right eye. I have a prescription for critical vision that I had made when I competed as an IMHSA shooter. So I could shoot 6 inch groups from a Contender in 7TCU from a 10 inch barrel at 200 meters. I know what to expect from my rifles. I shoot mostly at 50 yards and all my levers shoot ragged holes except this one. I wanted to test this gun at 100 to see if it would group. My expectations are high because I can usually call my shots. Got that from years as a NRA Bullseye shooter, I was on the traveling team for the Troy, New York Pistol League. The rifle was not in a "Ramson" rest. I use a custom front support and sandbag for the rear support. Only one hand touches the gun when shooting so no other inputs are happening. My position is sitting. I use a Merit adjustable diopter for my glasses and can see all sight points clearly. Some guns I have heard don't shoot well. Maybe this is one and its going back as soon as I can figure out the best way to send it back. FFL to Manufacturer or USPS. All options are pricey.
 
Gotchya. Even so, I wouldn’t be surprised if Winchester either tests it & reports back it’s within parameters, as they use their own specific “Ransom” rests & cut all human variance out of the equation. Or… they may polish with abrasive or if it is in fact pitting, replace the barrel because they know you have a borescope & the first thing you will do is scope it; EVEN before you send a single round Dow range. (Just a guess, but that’s what I bet.) You may even still see the same results, maybe not. Not that I don’t trust your shooting…sounds like an very impressive resume. Like I said, I rely on optics. And while I can stick pills where I want, small groups are NOT my modus operandi! I spent most of my hobby time, going back 2 decades, in teaching myself to build, identify FTF, FTE & Accuracy issues & repair my own firearms; so I’ve never had to rely on the factory or a ‘Smiff to fix it. And going back a decade, I became an Instructor instead of a competitor. Best of luck on its return meeting your goals. :)
 
The cats name is Duke, named after John Wayne. The period of the 1870s to the 1911 is a favorite of mine. Duke loves to tear up cardboard so he photo bombed the picture. I am removing the Skinner sights from the gun when it goes out and I'm not re- installing the factory sights. Don't really see the point and they will be placed in bag for shipping to the Service Center. They want everything. Going to run everything by another gun guy and an armorer just for their opinion. If I have to buy a barrel as a worse case , I wonder what that would cost. As it is I'm using Florida Gun Exchange FFL to send it to service. Those fees are $215 approx. for the round trip. Glad I started collecting my SS this year.
 
I'm not sure where you are located in Florida, but it might be less cost and easier to drive to a factory authorized service center and drop off your rifle in person. That way you can speak with someone when dropping it off and maybe get them to take a gander at what you are seeing while you are there (take your bore scope along). If they cannot do the repair or claim it's not covered at least you aren't out more money and time.

Per the Winchester website:

Green Acres Sporting Goods
8774 Normandy Blvd
Jacksonville FL, 32221
ph 904-786-5166
fax 904-786-7940
 
illinoisburt said:
I'm not sure where you are located in Florida, but it might be less cost and easier to drive to a factory authorized service center and drop off your rifle in person. That way you can speak with someone when dropping it off and maybe get them to take a gander at what you are seeing while you are there (take your bore scope along). If they cannot do the repair or claim it's not covered at least you aren't out more money and time.

Per the Winchester website:

Green Acres Sporting Goods
8774 Normandy Blvd
Jacksonville FL, 32221
ph 904-786-5166
fax 904-786-7940
Click to expand...

Holy Cow! I didn't realize they were there. It's certainly worth the effort. Thanks for this lead, Illinoisburt.
 
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