How to check if rifling is damaged?

[ZombiesAhead]

I did something pretty stupid with a cleaning brush once - I used a rod that was too short; tried to reverse the brush, and ended up with a stuck brush.

I ended up sticking a steel (I know, I know) cleaning rod in to push the brush out. I was pretty careful, but it took some force. The wires of the brush were pushed into the female end of the rod (destroying the brush) and I was able to push the brush out through the chamber end.

I am worried that I might have damaged:
1. The crown of the muzzle, as I had to push the cleaning rod through from the muzzle end.
2. The rifling - I doubt it, but maybe the steel scraped against the side of the barrel...

I've spent some time holding the upper (it's an AR-15, chromed barrel) up to a light and looking down the barrel from the muzzle end. I don't see any visible damage to the crown or the rifling. Is there a better way to check for damage? Does this sound OK?

 

[Jim Watson]

A reversed bronze brush or a scrape by a mild steel cleaning rod is highly unlikely to have damaged the chrome lined barrel of an AR.

It would take a borescope to properly check the barrel. Maybe a very careful hand could feel something by slugging the barrel, but no way to tell if it was a ding you put there or a toolmark the factory installed.

I don't guess you could shoot the gun and see if it still hit the target.

 

[Funderb]

you're probably good, what you did is not bad once, but it's not a lather rinse repeat kind of thing. (don't do it again)

the bore most likely is fine. Unlike the fearmongers' propaganda, it is okay to put anything steel near your bore. A lot of bullets are steel jacketed and washed with a softer metal. (S&B for example)

 

[rcmodel]

Well, at least you didn't try to shoot it out!

Don't laugh, it's been done more then once.
Or I should have said tried, not done.

rcmodel