Barrel break-in and Copper on BBR .357 Carbine

[Rifletom]

A bit late to this,but, reading and looking at those pictures of those two rifles and copper build-up and that "chattering", I had to go look at my .357 BB brass[20" barrel]. Clean as a whistle. 'speedy, I sure hope your rifle comes around. You sure seem to like it, and sending it back may take a while between locations. Hoping for the best here.

[Omegaspeedy]

A bit late to this,but, reading and looking at those pictures of those two rifles and copper build-up and that "chattering", I had to go look at my .357 BB brass[20" barrel]. Clean as a whistle. 'speedy, I sure hope your rifle comes around. You sure seem to like it, and sending it back may take a while between locations. Hoping for the best here.

Thanks for checking Rifletom. I've put about 600rds through it now and it's very accurate considering how it coppers up. I'm not going to take it back as I really enjoy this carbine. Yes the copper is a PITB to clean each time I shoot it (2-3hour to clean) but I kind of consider that as part of the fun of getting out for a shoot. I'm kind of thinking now that this is just a one off that you hear about, that copper up bad. Doesn't seem to affect accuracy at all.

[GunnyGene]

A bit late to this,but, reading and looking at those pictures of those two rifles and copper build-up and that "chattering", I had to go look at my .357 BB brass[20" barrel]. Clean as a whistle. 'speedy, I sure hope your rifle comes around. You sure seem to like it, and sending it back may take a while between locations. Hoping for the best here.

Thanks for checking Rifletom. I've put about 600rds through it now and it's very accurate considering how it coppers up. I'm not going to take it back as I really enjoy this carbine. Yes the copper is a PITB to clean each time I shoot it (2-3hour to clean) but I kind of consider that as part of the fun of getting out for a shoot. I'm kind of thinking now that this is just a one off that you hear about, that copper up bad. Doesn't seem to affect accuracy at all.

What you're looking for with copper fouling is equilibrium. May I suggest this for more on the subject? Parts 40 thru 45 in particular. I know he focuses on ELR rifles, but the principles apply across the board.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... vDCIcEPxUn

[bandit1250]

If it was mine I would take a under size brush and wrap a patch around it to get a good tight fit or a bore mop and go to work with some J-B bore paste and spend some of your cleaning time lapping that barrel.(several hours) It is a chore to have to try to make sub standard factory barrels at least tolerable at best. I have a Ruger Predator with a rough bore and it won't be fun trying to smooth it up. I may just fire lap it or send that POC back to Ruger. Henry better soon get their center fires on track with the good reputation they have with their line of rim fires. I want to buy a Henry center fire lever or the single shot but I will be sitting on the side lines and waiting until they have better reports by owners like the rim fires do. Even Marlins are not copper foulers with barrels that look like cobble stone roads. The way those barrels look near the muzzle and the bad crowns should never get by QC in my opinion. I have seen people at gun shops complaining about their Henry's and it is always a center fire model. For me the wait is on.

[Mags]

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My .30-30 copper fouls pretty badly. A member here put me onto TetraGun Copper Solvent. I plug both ends of the barrel with a pair of bore squeegees. Two 15 minute soaks and the barrel is copper free.

A bit late to this,but, reading and looking at those pictures of those two rifles and copper build-up and that "chattering", I had to go look at my .357 BB brass[20" barrel]. Clean as a whistle. 'speedy, I sure hope your rifle comes around. You sure seem to like it, and sending it back may take a while between locations. Hoping for the best here.

Thanks for checking Rifletom. I've put about 600rds through it now and it's very accurate considering how it coppers up. I'm not going to take it back as I really enjoy this carbine. Yes the copper is a PITB to clean each time I shoot it (2-3hour to clean) but I kind of consider that as part of the fun of getting out for a shoot. I'm kind of thinking now that this is just a one off that you hear about, that copper up bad. Doesn't seem to affect accuracy at all.

[clovishound]

I can't help you with the chatter marks, but I will say I have seen copper fouling that bad before. I have an old Mauser that was rechambered in 30-06 for the Columbian Army. The barrel had obviously been abused at some point and I got some horrible copper fouling after shooting only a handful of rounds through it. I found the easiest way to clean it out was to use foaming bore scrubber. This was recommended by a gunsmith I know and respect. It took quite a few treatments to completely remove it, but it worked better than anything else I had tried. You just squirt the foam into the bore and let it sit muzzle down for about 20 minutes then clean with a brush and a few patches. Repeat as necessary.

[Mistered]

I want to buy a Henry center fire lever or the single shot but I will be sitting on the side lines and waiting until they have better reports by owners

And NEVER buy a gun unless you run a patch down the barrel and inspect it with a bore light first!

[Omegaspeedy]

GunnyGen, absolutely agree that equilibrium is a good thing. I've done a bit of long range shooting and definitely understand the theory. My long range rig had a subtle copper line on the same place on each of the rifling grooves and never got worse. hat thing was getting 0.15-0.3 MOA. The fouling on the Henry is heavy and inconsistent. I'm amazed it shoots as good as it does!

bandit1250, yes tried the swab over brush and also a tremendous amount of careful lapping. I went to another gun store to inspect another Henry .357 and that barrel was the same as mine. Obviously a few QC problems at Henry on these ones shipped to NZ.

Mags, thanks I might resort to something heavier duty. I've been using foaming bore cleaner which take three applications and a lot of soaking and scrubbing. I know there are some very aggressive products out there. It would be nice if I can get the cleaning time to under an hour.

clovishound, Snap! Check my photo above, is that foaming bore cleaner the stuff you use? I might make a muzzle plug that I can insert and turn the gun on it's nose so I can fill the barrel with product and leave it. Should be able to cut down time that way.

Cheers for the excellent input and advice guys!

[Omegaspeedy]

I want to buy a Henry center fire lever or the single shot but I will be sitting on the side lines and waiting until they have better reports by owners

And NEVER buy a gun unless you run a patch down the barrel and inspect it with a bore light first!

Yes definitely! This I now understand though if it was a Tikka or likes of, I just know it'll be ok!

[GunnyGene]

GunnyGen, absolutely agree that equilibrium is a good thing. I've done a bit of long range shooting and definitely understand the theory. My long range rig had a subtle copper line on the same place on each of the rifling grooves and never got worse. hat thing was getting 0.15-0.3 MOA. The fouling on the Henry is heavy and inconsistent. I'm amazed it shoots as good as it does!

What did you shoot at (range). There's a few guys here I know who are into ELR at 1 mile +. I'd love to be able to afford that level of competition, but it just ain't in the budget, and I'm getting to old to be competitive anyway. If I could knock 40 or 50 years off, I'd be on it in a heart beat.

[Omegaspeedy]

GunnyGen, absolutely agree that equilibrium is a good thing. I've done a bit of long range shooting and definitely understand the theory. My long range rig had a subtle copper line on the same place on each of the rifling grooves and never got worse. hat thing was getting 0.15-0.3 MOA. The fouling on the Henry is heavy and inconsistent. I'm amazed it shoots as good as it does!

What did you shoot at (range). There's a few guys here I know who are into ELR at 1 mile +. I'd love to be able to afford that level of competition, but it just ain't in the budget, and I'm getting to old to be competitive anyway. If I could knock 40 or 50 years off, I'd be on it in a heart beat.

Yes it's just range plinking with a mate, 25-100m. I just hand load Hornady XLR's on my little Lee press (Got a Dillon XL650 too but thats set up for my AR-15). I can get the hand loads down to around 51cents (US 30cents) a round so not too expensive. Just use W296. The reason I didn't continue with my long range shooting was there isn't enough long distant ranges where I live. I have a local about 25mins drive so stuck with closer plinking type setups like the .357 and .223 (AR).

[GunnyGene]

GunnyGen, absolutely agree that equilibrium is a good thing. I've done a bit of long range shooting and definitely understand the theory. My long range rig had a subtle copper line on the same place on each of the rifling grooves and never got worse. hat thing was getting 0.15-0.3 MOA. The fouling on the Henry is heavy and inconsistent. I'm amazed it shoots as good as it does!

What did you shoot at (range). There's a few guys here I know who are into ELR at 1 mile +. I'd love to be able to afford that level of competition, but it just ain't in the budget, and I'm getting to old to be competitive anyway. If I could knock 40 or 50 years off, I'd be on it in a heart beat.

Yes it's just range plinking with a mate, 25-100m. I just hand load Hornady XLR's on my little Lee press (Got a Dillon XL650 too but thats set up for my AR-15). I can get the hand loads down to around 51cents (US 30cents) a round so not too expensive. Just use W296. The reason I didn't continue with my long range shooting was there isn't enough long distant ranges where I live. I have a local about 25mins drive so stuck with closer plinking type setups like the .357 and .223 (AR).

I guess I misunderstood you. To me, long range is 500 - 1000yds. Extreme long range is anything beyond that. Purely a subjective view, since some folks consider 500yds to be point blank. Back when I was active duty, head shots at 500 yds +/- (no scope or bipod,etc., just USMC issue m1/m14/m16 and ammo) were easy.

[Omegaspeedy]

What did you shoot at (range). There's a few guys here I know who are into ELR at 1 mile +. I'd love to be able to afford that level of competition, but it just ain't in the budget, and I'm getting to old to be competitive anyway. If I could knock 40 or 50 years off, I'd be on it in a heart beat.

Yes it's just range plinking with a mate, 25-100m. I just hand load Hornady XLR's on my little Lee press (Got a Dillon XL650 too but thats set up for my AR-15). I can get the hand loads down to around 51cents (US 30cents) a round so not too expensive. Just use W296. The reason I didn't continue with my long range shooting was there isn't enough long distant ranges where I live. I have a local about 25mins drive so stuck with closer plinking type setups like the .357 and .223 (AR).

I guess I misunderstood you. To me, long range is 500 - 1000yds. Extreme long range is anything beyond that. Purely a subjective view, since some folks consider 500yds to be point blank. Back when I was active duty, head shots at 500 yds +/- (no scope or bipod,etc., just USMC issue m1/m14/m16 and ammo) were easy.

I would so love to have a reliable range to shoot at those distances!

[GunnyGene]

Yes it's just range plinking with a mate, 25-100m. I just hand load Hornady XLR's on my little Lee press (Got a Dillon XL650 too but thats set up for my AR-15). I can get the hand loads down to around 51cents (US 30cents) a round so not too expensive. Just use W296. The reason I didn't continue with my long range shooting was there isn't enough long distant ranges where I live. I have a local about 25mins drive so stuck with closer plinking type setups like the .357 and .223 (AR).

I guess I misunderstood you. To me, long range is 500 - 1000yds. Extreme long range is anything beyond that. Purely a subjective view, since some folks consider 500yds to be point blank. Back when I was active duty, head shots at 500 yds +/- (no scope or bipod,etc., just USMC issue m1/m14/m16 and ammo) were easy.

I would so love to have a reliable range to shoot at those distances!

I don't know much about NZ, but I did find a 1000yd range there. Don't know how far it is from you tho. The 2019 long range world championship is being held here: https://www.lrwc2019.nz/

[clovishound]

clovishound, Snap! Check my photo above, is that foaming bore cleaner the stuff you use? I might make a muzzle plug that I can insert and turn the gun on it's nose so I can fill the barrel with product and leave it. Should be able to cut down time that way.

Looks like the same stuff, made by Gun Slick. I don't think a barrel plug would make much difference. The foam fills the barrel without a plug,and clings to the inside of the barrel as the foam slowly settles down to liquid. The reason I put mine standing on the muzzle is so that anything that runs out will not run into the action. I don't get a whole lot of liquid on the cloth I set the muzzle on.

I usually just pick a time when I am doing something else that allows me a free couple minutes every so often. I will then run a cleaning cycle every half hour or so.

[Omegaspeedy]

I guess I misunderstood you. To me, long range is 500 - 1000yds. Extreme long range is anything beyond that. Purely a subjective view, since some folks consider 500yds to be point blank. Back when I was active duty, head shots at 500 yds +/- (no scope or bipod,etc., just USMC issue m1/m14/m16 and ammo) were easy.

I would so love to have a reliable range to shoot at those distances!

I don't know much about NZ, but I did find a 1000yd range there. Don't know how far it is from you tho. The 2019 long range world championship is being held here: https://www.lrwc2019.nz/

I'd love that range to be close to me. It's a 6 1/2 hour drive for me

We have a long distance range starting up 45mins away but it's more set up for hunters wanting to shot pigs and deer. Also the fees are in the annual 1000's which I can't afford. Hopefully they will modify their pay structure to suit recreational plinkers like me

[GunnyGene]

I would so love to have a reliable range to shoot at those distances!

I don't know much about NZ, but I did find a 1000yd range there. Don't know how far it is from you tho. The 2019 long range world championship is being held here: https://www.lrwc2019.nz/

I'd love that range to be close to me. It's a 6 1/2 hour drive for me

We have a long distance range starting up 45mins away but it's more set up for hunters wanting to shot pigs and deer. Also the fees are in the annual 1000's which I can't afford. Hopefully they will modify their pay structure to suit recreational plinkers like me

Hope it works out for you.

[Omegaspeedy]

Hi Guys, just thought I'd report back regarding my copper problem. Though it settled down slightly, it still wasn't trending sufficiently in the right direction after 500-600rds so I finally contacted Henry for advice. Henry said they'ed try and replicate the issue and come up with a solution. They replicated it and said that though the solution reduced the amount of coppering in the barrel, they thought it was still unacceptable to them and will be sending me a new barrel for the Henry importer to replace via a qualified gun smith. Have to say, they should be so proud of their world class customer service. By looking after their customers, they're going to be a big player in the world of quality firearms. Looking forward to the install and getting the girl back in service. In the meantime, I was so impressed that they own their mistakes and deal with them, I bought a new .44 Big boy steel carbine!

[Mags]

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Thanks for the report back. Very good to hear that Henry's excellent CS carries over in support of international customers too!

Hi Guys, just thought I'd report back regarding my copper problem. Though it settled down slightly, it still wasn't trending sufficiently in the right direction after 500-600rds so I finally contacted Henry for advice. Henry said they'ed try and replicate the issue and come up with a solution. They replicated it and said that though the solution reduced the amount of coppering in the barrel, they thought it was still unacceptable to them and will be sending me a new barrel for the Henry importer to replace via a qualified gun smith. Have to say, they should be so proud of their world class customer service. By looking after their customers, they're going to be a big player in the world of quality firearms. Looking forward to the install and getting the girl back in service. In the meantime, I was so impressed that they own their mistakes and deal with them, I bought a new .44 Big boy steel carbine!

[JEBar]

no surprise at all with Henry's customer service but its always good to hear the positive reports .... congrats on your new BBS 44 Mag .... ours is a fine rifle and I'm sure yours will be as well .... please keep us updated .... also, be sure to add your new Henry to our How Many ? thread (link below)

http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.p ... 978#p83978