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Newbie bore/rifling question

8uck5nort
I'm fairly new to collecting guns. I got my first one about five years ago and my colleciton is slowly growing. All are functional and I use most of them for hunting and/or target shooting.

I am starting to collect WW2 and pre-WW2 bolt action military rifles.

Question is what exacly does light frosting in the bore mean? I know the obvious stuff to look for dirt, rust, major pitting, but I am not sure what frosting is or what it means. On a related note are there any quick and dirty things to look for when guaging if rifling is "excellent", "good" , or "poor", shiney vs dark?

Thanks in advance for any replies.
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Comments

3 comments

Date Votes
  • nmyers
    Bores start out looking bright as a mirror, usually with sharp rifling; some military bores will have machine marks still showing.

    "Frosting" is a dull look caused by erosion/corrosion at the microscopic level. It often starts near the breech end, where erosion is caused by hot gases. But, failure to properly clean a bore can cause very light rust which, when cleaned, will give the frosty appearance. Terms you have given are of little value; the best description is exactly what you see.

    We can use gauges to measure barrel wear. A Muzzle Wear gauge determines the condition of the bore at the muzzle, where improper cleaning usually takes effect. A Throat Erosion gauge can measure how much steel has been eroded at the breech end by hot gases.

    Neal
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  • dppatrol
    light frosting sounds like a creative way to say light rust.a quick imprecise way to check bore erosion at the muzzle is to gently insert an actual round,projectile first into the muzzle.also invest in a bore light,theyre cheap and worth having.
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  • v35
    Frosting of any kind is a fine, uniform pitting from the use of corrosive ammunition.
    Military firearms in service, with a few exceptions, before about 1960
    are commonly found having some frosting or heavier pitting.
    Frosted barrels can shoot very well but may require frequent cleaning, especially if lead bullets are used.
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