What does rust in your bore look like on a cleaning patch?

[nickyb567]

I've cleaned my thompson triumph until the bore was spotless. There are a few dark spots that look like smudges, that won't come clean. I am wonderring if this is rust and what color rust appears on a bore cleaning patch. I've always taken care of this gun which is why I am concerned about it. Thnx and happy muzzleloading

[Semisane]

Usually if you run a clean dry patch downa clean dry bore that has a little surface rust thepatch will come out looking like rust - light brown. Put a little solvent on the patch and it will comeout more like a charcoal color. If you've been shooting conicals it could be lead, or plastic from sabots. I would give it a boiling water cleaning and hit it with awire brush if you haven't done that already. If a brush doesn't get it, wrap some #000 or #0000 steel wool around a patch and give that a try. If that doesn't get it I would guess at some kind of stain in the steel and wouldn't worry much about it.

[cayugad]

rust will be from light brown to that dark burnt orange in color on a patch. Smudges can be a number of things depending on where they are located. If they are near the breech plug and you use an anti seize, it can be spots of that. Also some chemicals can discolor metal, then add to that a constant burning from shooting, its hard to tell what a smudge might be.

Try a nylon bore brush with some good solvent on it. Scrub the bore and then put some solvent on a patch and see if the smudge lightens of releases something.

[SWThomas]

What are you using to clean the bore?

[nickyb567]

I'm using about 3 different things one is a homade bore cleaner, cabela's black powder solvent and another black powder solvent. Has anyone else ever gotten smudges in thier barrels that won't come out?

[nickyb567]

what is anti seize?