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Practically Shooting

Scratched barrel with steel shot - shot level?


wwillson

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I shoot at a club that only allows steel shot. I have been reloading steel for about a year with no problems. I just cleaned my barrel (870 Remington) for the first time in about a month. I was shocked to see some pretty major scratches from the forcing cone to about 3" past the forcing cone. There is also minor forcing cone erosion. These scratches are new in the last month. I'm wondering if I loaded some loads in the last month with the shot over the wad peddles? I use the VP-51, which is made for steel. Is there a rule of thumb for the level of shot in the shot cup?

Wayne

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Now remember, I don't reload for shotguns so shot cups are foreign to me. but I do work in an industry that uses a lot of metal working processes. So...

A scratch physically removes or drastically displaces meterial. When you burnish something you smooth out (push) the high spots into the low spots in the finish. Burnishing is not like polishing. Polishing removes material by making progressivly finer "scratches" in the material. Tumbling reloading brass in a vibratory bowl is actually a burnishing process. Unless you add an abrasive to the mix. the media is just moving a few molecules around until they are aligned just right.

It might be that the shot simply slid over the surface and left you some skid marks. Can you feel them or just see them? I would think if the shot cup was over filled, the marks would continue down the length of the barrel. Since there is no room in the shot cup, where could the extra shot go? There is also the possibility of some foreign material being imbedded in surface of the shot cup.

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Woodsoup,

Ok - they are definitely scratches as you can feel them with a pencil and can see that there is barrel steel removed. I believe the shot was over the peddles and worked their way between the peddles and the barrel as the crimp was being pushed open. It is interesting that you can see where the highest outward pressure is as the scratches are only about 2-3" long and then completely disappear. Which makes sense that the highest pressure would be in the chamber area and the pressure would rapidly decrease as the wad and shot travel down the barrel.

Wayne

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