I have a nickel barrel that has a perfectly straight and even strip of light pitting or corrosion down the inside of the barrel at the top. It goes from the breach to the muzzle.
This is the story.
I just got into muzzle loading. About a month ago I found a Traditions Lighting bolt with a nickel barrel for $70 at Wal-Mart. It was open and out on the rack muzzle up.
The first day I shot it with out cleaning it first. I shot 14 powerbelts and it got pretty dirty. The powder was Pyrodex RS.
I put it into a padded gun case,went home 1 hour and cleaned it with a brush and break free for about 30 minutes. It was then stored in the padded gun case.

A few days later I got lubed patches and shot 16 Power belts.
I put it into a padded gun case,then 1 hour drive home and cleaned it with a brush, break free and lubed patches for about 45 minutes.
Then I noticed the straight and even strip of light pitting or corrosion down the inside of the barrel at the top. But the rest of the barrel looked nice and clean. I took the barrel of the gun and gave it a hot soapy bath and it still looks the same.

I do not know if it was already like this when I got the gun of if I have caused it. I do not know if one hour is too long to wait to clean it or if storing it in the case could have caused it.
Thank you for your help.

skyler4321 - first off let me welcome you to the forum.

I've personally never seen or heard of such a thing. This would be a reason for concern though. I think in this case, I would contact Traditon's and ask them about this. Since the rifle is basically new, there should be no reason why this would have happened.

1 hour is not too long a wait to clean a rifle. I've let them for a lot longer then that. The main thing about not cleaning them right away is get the breech plug out of them so that it does not freeze up later. I would also get a bore brush and some quality black powder solvent like Butch's Bore Shine, or even some J-B Bore Paste and see if that strip you refer to would not clean off or polish out.

Keep us posted as to what happens.

Why are you using lubed patches with powerbelts?
What you think is corrosion could actually be plastic residue.

Contact Traditions by phone or email. They will want the barrel back for inspection.

Tel. 1-860-388-4656

[email protected]

Don't fire the gun and call the factory.

Well Traditions has very little interest in this. They say it may be dirt or something smeared down the barrel or it could be corrosion. The gun was made in 1997! [/b]And that they have no control over how it has been stored or handled by the distributors and all these years. I have no idea how an item can be in Wal-Mart eight+ years and I don’t think the store is more than fives years old. This Wal-Mart, clearances all black power stuff one week before the season is over.
Traditions also said that they have stopped making the lighting bolt and that I can not buy a barrel since they do not have any.
I think I will take it to a gunsmith next.

I would just like to say that I do not think Tradition's attitude with this is right. That is not saying too much for customer service with Traditions. I think in a case like yours I would return the rifle to Wal Mart and tell them that the rifle is defective and that Tradition's refused to do anything on it.

The gunsmith is a good idea if you wish to keep the rifle. Good luck with it.

skyler4321

If you have your paper work and the box - I would almost guarantee you that wal-mart will take the gun back. I would also relate your Traditions experiance to them if they have any questions...

I would have that gun back to Wally World inheartbeat. I can't believe they would sell a product that is 9 years old, regardless of the price. And I agree with some of the others, probably some sort of residue in the barrel. Gun that old setting in a Wally World store could have been corroded long before youbought it and you didn't realize it.

I am not a Walmart fan. The majority of their personnel have little knowledge of the products they sell. No fault to the workers, thats the Wally World way! I returned an ML to them not long ago that was suppose to factory grade but found out it was a cheaper version made specially for Wally World. They took it back without hesitation but the department manager was a bit crankyabout it.

Took it to a gun smith. He said that it is super clean and that the line is a strip of pitting. His advice was that if it shoots straight fine but if not then there is nothing that can be done for it.