Metal shavings barrel obstruction

[CastIronSkillet]

I just wanted to update everybody. The rifle is safe and I haven't blown my face off. Its showing some potential after a couple trips to the range. Here is my pressure test and a seating depth test. I'm shooting Staball 6.5 and 130 Berger VLD Hunters started .020 off the lands and tested every .005 to see what it likes. This is out of a 20" barrel. If it continues to shoot in the .5-.6's that's good enough for me.

 

[HRM Johnny]

Excellent. I'm glad it worked out for you. Thanks for posting an update.

 

[tobnpr]

Nice looking work.
I could tell as soon as I looked at it they were chips- you can tell by the bluish discoloration of the metal. For the non-machinists, when you're peeling metal away with a lathe or mill the heat generated in the process is pulled away from the material by the chips- which get discolored (blue) by the extreme heat.

I'm sure this is the first and last time that'll happen with the smith- while we all forget "stuff", a bore obstruction is a huge potential problem.
Could've potentially resulted in damage to the firearm and personal injury. I run a lightly oiled patch down the bore of every rifle before it gets packed up for shipment back to the customer so I know all's "clear".

 

[338 dude]

I was thinking steelwool at first too, as some benchresters use it to clean barrels. But man that looks pretty thick.

That could be another reason. Since he's reputable I'd call him. I'd just wouldn't start the conversation with an adversarial tone. Could be an easy reason why/ how this happened.

No matter how it happened it's unacceptable in my book I would like my rifle better taken care of than that when not in my possession

 

[xsn10s]

No matter how it happened it's unacceptable in my book I would like my rifle better taken care of than that when not in my possession

Here's how I look at it. People makes mistakes, we're failable. So it is all of our own responsibility to check our equipment prior to using it. The smith made a mistake and owned it. Like I said I wouldn't of been happy if that happened to me either. But it would have been my responsibility to check the rifle prior to firing. I check my bores after working on my rifles, pistols, and/ or shotguns prior to shooting. The OP did the right thing, as did the smith. As for the work the only thing I really looked at was the mill work done on the action. That looked fine to me so overall I'd consider that with the care taken on the rifle. You have a right to your opinion. I just have a different perspective.

 

[DJ Fergus]

5 weeks ago a drop off my rifle to a local, highly recommended, reputable, LRH sponsor Smith to do a bedding job and bottom metal inlet. I got the rifle back last week. I'm in the shop mounting my scope and go to bore sight(look down the barrel and through the scope method). I can't see a darn thing through the barrel, I grab a flashlight and still nothing... odd. So, I run a cleaning rod through it and push out a pinch of metal shavings. The barrel is a proof carbon fiber, SS if I'm not mistaken, the shavings are magnetic so I don't think it's my rifling. WTH!!

I follow it up with a dozen wet patches that are really dirty on a barrel that has only been test fired for function.

Any thoughts on what might cause this so I can have a meaningful conversation with my smith?

I'm thinking they need to bore scope this thing on the house just to see for sure, thoughts?

Take something else besides a screwdriver to check and see if the shaving are magnetic. Sometimes screw drivers inadvertently become magnetized themselves. I know this doesn't answer your question but it may help with the mystery of the shavings being magnetic.

 

[MW204]

I just wanted to update everybody. The rifle is safe and I haven't blown my face off. Its showing some potential after a couple trips to the range. Here is my pressure test and a seating depth test. I'm shooting Staball 6.5 and 130 Berger VLD Hunters started .020 off the lands and tested every .005 to see what it likes. This is out of a 20" barrel. If it continues to shoot in the .5-.6's that's good enough for me.

View attachment 298197
View attachment 298196

What is this target called and the number of it if it's on the target?

 

[tobnpr]

OCW target:

 

[CastIronSkillet]

OCW target:

Yep. That's the one. I like to print these on card stock in black and white. It's hard to see impacts through the scope on bright days when printed in color. The 8-1/2 ×11 card stock printed can be hole punched and put in a binder for record keeping.

 

[MW204]

OCW target:

Thank you very much.