Rust in new stainless Tikka barrel?

[Norm]

I just bought a new Tikka T3 stainless in .308. Prior to taking it to the range, I'm cleaning the barrel.

I'm using Wipe Out brushless foam cleaner with the Accelerator. This first patch came out with moderate powder and copper fouling, which I attribute to test firing at the factory. Subsequent Wipe Out & Accelerator applications came out with reduced (grayish) powder fouling on the cleaning patches, but not completely clean. Last night, I applied the Wipe Out and Accelerator and left over night, as per Wipe Out instructions.

Today I got significant reddish brown residue, which I assume is rust. Subsequent applications of Wipe Out & Accelerator have reduced but not entirely eliminated this pesky reddish brown residue on the patches.

Anyone else come up against this problem? Solutions?

Should I not be using the Accelerator over night?

Thanks!

 

[BLAWTON]

Re: Rust in new stainless Tikka barrel?

You might be seeing carbon coming out of the barrel which will look some what like rust. Also if you fire a gun and let it sit un cleaned for a long time you will get that kind of color. I dont think the barrel rusted you would need to finish cleaning and bore scope to really tell.

 

[Engine 22]

Re: Rust in new stainless Tikka barrel?

I've used wipe-out for some time now and will usually leave it in the barrel over night if not 24hours+. I have not had any issues at all. I suggest that you remove the carbon before using the wipe-out. I use Butches Bore Shine, followed by some G96 or other oil. once I'm sure the BBS is gone I dry the bore with a few dry patches and then use the wipe-out.

 

[Luvman]

Re: Rust in new stainless Tikka barrel?

and just an FYI stainless steel is not "stain proof" it just "stains less"

 

[Norm]

Re: Rust in new stainless Tikka barrel?

Thanks guys, for the info. I can't find Butches so I'll try Hoppes of Protec nitro powder solvent this evening and see if that stops it.

The reddish brown stain continues...almost like my rifle's having "that time of the month" troubles.

 

[LoneWolfUSMC]

Re: Rust in new stainless Tikka barrel?

If you clean long enough I am sure you can clean the accuracy right out of that barrel.

How about drying it out and actually shooting it?

 

[chpprguy]

Re: Rust in new stainless Tikka barrel?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LoneWolfUSMC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you clean long enough I am sure you can clean the accuracy right out of that barrel.

How about drying it out and actually shooting it? </div></div>

I bet the boolits will push the rust out....

 

[flyboy]

Re: Rust in new stainless Tikka barrel?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: chpprguy</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LoneWolfUSMC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If you clean long enough I am sure you can clean the accuracy right out of that barrel.

How about drying it out and actually shooting it? </div></div>

I bet the boolits will push the rust out....

</div></div>

 

[BallCoeff_606]

Re: Rust in new stainless Tikka barrel?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Luvman</div><div class="ubbcode-body">and just an FYI stainless steel is not "stain proof" it just "stains less"

</div></div>

That's it. Stainless initially reacts like carbon steel, until it develops a thin coat of oxidized material on it, then that 'stainless' surface is really tough and it doesn't rust any further. (Maybe that's why stainless barrels are slightly more resistant to throat erosion than chrome-moly, just guessing)

You can see this by really scrubbing on stainless steel with steel wool. That will scrape off the protective oxidation layer, and the underlying material will react quicker with all sorts of things.

The principle is a little bit like aluminum sheeting. Even unpainted, it will not react with much, because it carries an outside layer of aluminum oxide. Pure aluminum metal reacts very fast with a lot of different things, but aluminum oxide doesn't.

 

[Norm]

Re: Rust in new stainless Tikka barrel?

I know I'm anal, but I always want to start with an absolutely clean bore (or as close as possible) with a new rifle. There'll be plenty of time for abuse and neglect later. Wipe Out has always done a good job on my other guns, usually with just one or two applications overnight. Never seen anything quite like this red crud coming out of the new Tikka.

I put some patches with Pro Tec nitro powder solvent through it and it seems to have immediately cleared out whatever the reddish brown stuff was, rust, powder residue, or whatever. Patches all come through clean.

I notice the bolt face had some remnants of a red dye or enamel on it, so maybe the primers on the Finnish test fire cartridges were the culprit.

Whatever this reddish brown crud was, it was impervious to Wipe Out.

Now for the range to see what this baby will do!