Does this muzzle look odd?

[Dacam]

Hey guys, I need help explaining whats happening to my muzzle on my rifle.
Its a 308, and I noticed that the coating around the crown has a nonuniforming wear spot on the bottom portion.
Im assuming this is from the expanding gasses but why is this only around the bottom portion.
The crown has been well taken cared for, It has not been damaged by improper cleaning or banging it around.
When I clean my barrel, I always run the cleaning rod from breach to muzzle and never pull the jag back over the crown.
I always remove the jag before pulling the rod back out.
Is this wear mark normal or should I be concerned. Could this be caused by the carbon solvent dripping off the
barrel during cleaning thats eating away the coating?
I don't have any decrease in accuracy.

 

[VJJPunisher]

looks like she's getting old and startin to sag, best get a barrel job

 

[-Snyper-]

What kind of coating is on the barrel? How often do you clean your barrel? I beleive you answered your own question, by the solvent/cleaner you use, is simply dripping down when you clean the barrel. Gravity is kicking in and when you push your cleaning rod through the solvent buildup runs down in that area. As long as there isn't any erosion to the apparent metal, I'd run it and not worry.

 

[7mmRM]

Appears to me to only be a finish problem. Rock on.

 

[Bluejazz]

If it still shoots good, I would not worry about it.

 

[jtrax]

Pm sent

 

[Dacam]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah, I now think its just some finish wear on the crown but I will makes some changes in my cleaning technique as
another helpful member suggests. I clean about every 100 rounds. I shoot 50 rounds every week. Is my cleaning interval to often?
I just can't seem to let the carbon sit in my Lothar barrel for very long....(ocd).

 

[Deadshot2]

Personally, it looks like a poor crown job to me. Don't know what the finishe is but if it was just solvent taking it off it would be more localized to the area where it dribbles out of the bore and soaks. You'd also expect to see some damage to the finish outside the crown recess.

Again, my own personal taste but I don't care for stepped crowns. I crown all my barrels with an 11 degree, non-stepped crown, using a brownell's crown cutting reamer and pilot. That way I can also touch up the crown without having leave it with a gunsmith for whatever time it takes for him to get around to it.

Is that copper I see inside the bore? Or is it just how it registers in your camera?

To "check" the crown, go out and shoot 20 rounds or so after you wipe the muzzle/crown clean. After shooting you should have a nice little "feather" of soot radiating out at the end of each land. The more even and pronounced they are, the better the condition of the crown. It means your bullet is leaving the muzzle nice and square with gasses expaniding equally in every direction. The excess "wear" on the lower half of your crown could well mean that the gasses are expanding more in that direction and are eroding the finish.

Just something to think of.

Here's what I like my crowns to look like. The straight 11 degree taper gives the sharp edge more than enough protection. Later this week the whole barrel is going to be Duracoated.