Copper colored lining in new stainless barrel.

Help Support Ruger Forum:

andyo5

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
299
Location
Oro Valley, Arizona
This subject concerns my new 4 5/8" stainless Blackhawk flat top.
Before shooting the gun, I decided to first clean and lubricate it. I cleaned the barrel with my usual bore solvent, that turns the patch blue if copper has come out of the barrel. There was a little blue on the patch, but I noticed that the barrel still retains an even copper colored coating full length. I was wondering how a brand new gun could have collected so much copper. So I swabbed the barrel again and waited 15 minutes. This time, no copper came out of the bore but it remains copper colored. So this is not copper. I doubt that it is rust, either. It looks like the factory put some sort of coating in the barrel. Under strong light it appears to be a dark golden color.

Anybody know what this is?
 

rjn

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 25, 2016
Messages
32
I have the very exact same thing in my relatively new SS Bisley Blackhawk 44 special. It is not copper as I went thru a rigorous cleaning process. I will tell you it is tenacious as after hundreds of rounds it is still there.

Some possibilities:

stain from cutting oil
thread locker
side effect of heat treatment (I think this is most likely but just a guess)

Maybe someone will chime in with a good answer.
 

s4s4u

Hunter
Joined
Dec 16, 2006
Messages
2,086
Location
MN, USA
woodperson said:
I wonder how they form the rifling in these barrels? I would suspect the color is related to that process somehow.

I believe barrels are hammer forged
 

rjn

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 25, 2016
Messages
32
I will add that when I first saw the color in my barrel and realized it wasn't copper or rust I did some searching online and found a post somewhere asking similar question. Everyone told him it was copper fouling even though he was convinved it wasn't.

The only thing I know for sure is that this is NOT copper fouling
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2005
Messages
9,114
Location
Milo Maine
Worrying about nothing imo. Does it shoot well? That's all you need to know!
Ruger makes good guns for the money shoot it enjoy it. If it bothers you send it to Maine!, I'll be glad to break it in! ps
 

gunzo

Buckeye
Joined
Sep 8, 2010
Messages
1,988
Location
Kentucky
I couldn't say what it is, but can't fathom Ruger TiN coating bores when they won't go to the trouble of doing so many other small inexpensive things.
The hammer forging mandrel might have some sort of new coating on it, maybe TiN, that's getting embedded into the barrel steel, or they may have changed forging lube.
And, I agree that if it can't be eliminated with a good copper removing solvent that it should be dismissed & just shoot & enjoy it.
 
Joined
Apr 2, 2014
Messages
3,205
I don't know, but have a thought it may just be the normal
"coloring" that stainless gets when heated a bit. Not sure
how warm the SS gets in manufacturing the barrel.
And I could see the surface getting warmed from firing
enough to lightly color it.
I weld lots of SS and it doesn't take much heat for it to start
to turn color.
Dave
 

andyo5

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
299
Location
Oro Valley, Arizona
I read the Wikipedia page on TiN and found the following passage: " These coatings are becoming common on sporting goods, particularly knives and handguns, where they are used for both cosmetic and functional reasons.".

My vote is for titanium nitride.
 

GunnyGene

Hawkeye
Joined
Nov 23, 2013
Messages
9,285
Location
Monroe County, MS
andyo5 said:
I read the Wikipedia page on TiN and found the following passage: " These coatings are becoming common on sporting goods, particularly knives and handguns, where they are used for both cosmetic and functional reasons.".

My vote is for titanium nitride.

More about this process from Shooting Illustrated:

https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2017/12/30/the-pros-and-cons-of-nitride-barrel-finishes/

Nitriding does not add a coating, rather, it changes the surface properties by diffusing nitrogen and carbon into the metal surface to yield an extremely smooth, uniform and wear-resistant bore. Chrome-lined barrels still need outer surface protection, normally achieved by some manner of Parkerization. Since the hot liquids used in nitriding flow over all exposed surfaces in a bath, the entire barrel gets a very durable layer of protection against corrosion. A barrel that is to be chromed has to be drilled, rifled and chambered slightly oversize to account for the thickness of the chrome lining. Nitriding does not change any dimensions, so it can be applied to finished barrels.

Here's a video showing color:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3MJ8bkp2Pc
 

NikA

Buckeye
Joined
Nov 2, 2014
Messages
1,810
Location
Yrisarri, NM- high in the Manzanos
Despite the presence of the word "nitride" in both, titanium nitride (coating) and nitriding are not the same process. TiN is a hard, thin coating; nitriding is a heated diffusion process akin to carburizing.
 

rjn

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 25, 2016
Messages
32
I think some are confusing concern with curiosity. In my barrel it is not uniform throughout so I don't think it is intentionally put there. As for asking Ruger, they typically don't answer question about their manufacturing process.
 

andyo5

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 9, 2008
Messages
299
Location
Oro Valley, Arizona
rjn said:
I think some are confusing concern with curiosity. In my barrel it is not uniform throughout so I don't think it is intentionally put there. As for asking Ruger, they typically don't answer question about their manufacturing process.

I would like this post twice if I could.
I never said that I was 'concerned' about it. What I said was that this thread 'concerns' my 4 5/8" Flattop stainless.
Thank you for seeing the difference. I think that several of us have learned something new and were entertained for awhile because of this thread. Those who think threads like this are silly can go and read a different thread.
Thanks to all who participated. I think we have our answer.
 

mohavesam

Hawkeye
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Messages
5,847
Location
Rugerville, AZ
I'm sure it is TIN, a mil-spec anti-corrosion lubricant for 20 years. Ruger is a DoD contractor, so it may be used on certain lots or not noticeable on other commercial guns. Inconsistency? Well that's what Ruger is known for :!:
 
Joined
Mar 24, 2002
Messages
6,243
Location
Oregon City, Oregon
andyo5 said:
rjn said:
I think some are confusing concern with curiosity. In my barrel it is not uniform throughout so I don't think it is intentionally put there. As for asking Ruger, they typically don't answer question about their manufacturing process.

I would like this post twice if I could.
I never said that I was 'concerned' about it. What I said was that this thread 'concerns' my 4 5/8" Flattop stainless.
Thank you for seeing the difference. I think that several of us have learned something new and were entertained for awhile because of this thread. Those who think threads like this are silly can go and read a different thread.
Thanks to all who participated. I think we have our answer.

 

RSIno1

Hunter
Joined
Sep 17, 2013
Messages
2,858
Location
Southern California
Fast rough rifling process. Bean counters were pleased they saved .005 cents in each gun. It'll clean up after a couple thousand rounds.
 

s4s4u

Hunter
Joined
Dec 16, 2006
Messages
2,086
Location
MN, USA
RSIno1 said:
Fast rough rifling process. Bean counters were pleased they saved .005 cents in each gun. It'll clean up after a couple thousand rounds.

I believe the rifling is imparted during the hammer forging process.
 

0ldphart

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 3, 2014
Messages
2
Does Ruger test fire their SBH revolvers before shipping like S&W? lf so, lt could copper left from

those test rounds..
 
Top