GP100 Barrel Question

[bananaman]

Hi, this is the 1st time I am posting on this Forum. I am on the S&W Forum. I have bought, sold and traded many guns over the years, with usually good results. The other day, I bought a GP100. It is a 1987 gun, 4" blue. I checked it well, except looking carefully down the barrel. (it was dirty) Externally everything good. Tight, hardly a turn line on cylinder.
The bad news!!! The barrel has some pitting inside near the muzzle. It is not deep at all. Barrel is clean & mirror polished now.
Will this affect accuracy? I have never owned a firearm with barrel pitting.
Any help would be appreciated!!! Thanks, Bob

 

[pisgah]

I doubt it will have much effect on accuracy. Try it and see. Of course, you'll never know how it MIGHT have shot, but I'm betting you'll be pleased.

 

[22/45 Fan]

Will this affect accuracy? I have never owned a firearm with barrel pitting. Any help would be appreciated!!! Thanks, Bob

Probably not but only shooting it will give you a definite answer.

 

[bananaman]

I haven't shot it yet due to surgery that I had. (Limitations you know) That would tell me in a hurry! Everything that I read about pitted barrels states that is better to have pitting closer to the cylinder, not the muzzle. It is not deep, but I am fussy, and want a good shooting gun. I should have been more careful as I stated before. Thanks, Bob

 

[GP100man]

After gettin home & decopperin the barrel it had slight pittin from stem to stern under the heavy copper fouling.

This is what I done, I degreased the bore , checked it with a patch it`d catch a little on the pitting .
I took a patch put it on a brush & covered it with FLITZ , made slow passes until I could feel the bore "smooth up", cleaned out the FLITZ & tried the patch again , nice smooth bore ,NO snaggin of the patch !

It`s one of the most accurate GP100s I`ve owned & my last range session the bore was lead free.

 

[bananaman]

I used dry chore boy on a brush. JB Bore Paste, Mothers Mag Wheel Polish. Bore is bright and shiny except for the pitting. Like I mentioned before I have never owned a pitted barrel weapon. Bob

 

[JustsayMo]

I don't know if there is a difference between handguns and rifles but I've got an Marlin 1893 (made in 1899) that the most generous description of the bore would be pitted. It shoots great though.

150 yard 3 shot group.

Not sure what caused the 'speckling' but it became very evident after cleaning the bore.

Like Pisgah and others said, I doubt a little pitting will have much effect on accuracy. I'm very impressed with my GP100 and expect it'll look a lot better at 115 years old than the Marlin does. If you're like me you'll wonder what took you so long to get a GP after you've shot it.

Good luck and hope you heal up enough to get us a range report soon.

Mo

 

[pisgah]

I don't know if there is a difference between handguns and rifles but I've got an Marlin 1893 (made in 1899) that the most generous description of the bore would be pitted. It shoots great though.

150 yard 3 shot group.

Not sure what caused the 'speckling' but it became very evident after cleaning the bore.

Like Pisgah and others said, I doubt a little pitting will have much effect on accuracy. I'm very impressed with my GP100 and expect it'll look a lot better at 115 years old than the Marlin does. If you're like me you'll wonder what took you so long to get a GP after you've shot it.

Good luck and hope you heal up enough to get us a range report soon.

Mo

That looks like the sort of "frosty" corrosion you get after improper cleaning following the use of ammo with corrosive primers. Very common in turn-of-the-century guns, and usually no problem for accuracy as long as it's not too heavy.