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Has anyone run into this?

Recently when cleaning my 22/45 MkIII Hunter I noticed something strange in the bore. I usually run a brush through a couple times to loosen up the grime, and I noticed that the brush hit a 'loose' patch near the center of the barrel where there was a very noticeable drop in resistance. Upon inspection with a bore light, I noticed a ring around the bore about halfway down the barrel where it appears some material is missing. The ring is symmetrical, and approx. 1/8" to 1/4" in length.

Taking pics of the bore is tricky, but here is what I came up with:




Since the Hunter has the heavy, fluted bull barrel, I was not overly concerned about safety and have continued to use it without incident. The gun still shoots better than I do, so it's hard to tell if accuracy has been affected.

Any advice appreciated,

CM

Having a ring in the barrel is not a good thing. Did you just notice this, or was the loose spot always there when you ran the brush down the barrel? Either way, this one should be sent back to Ruger for warranty service.

R,
Bullseye

Is it a buildup of lead or copper, or actually the steel of the barrel? Is it indented or protruding?

Wow you took a great photo of the bore. That is very hard to do!!!

The ring is indented, almost as if some of the rifling is missing.

No, it has not always been this way. I noticed it about a year after I bought it.

I guess I'm off to research Ruger warranty procedures. I've installed the VQ sear and trigger, so I guess It's a good thing I kept the originals so I can put them back in to avoid voiding any warranty it may still have

CM

It is hard to imagine that your bore brush could have done it. Quite a mystery.

cm6259 wrote:The ring is indented, almost as if some of the rifling is missing.

No, it has not always been this way. I noticed it about a year after I bought it.

I guess I'm off to research Ruger warranty procedures. I've installed the VQ sear and trigger, so I guess It's a good thing I kept the originals so I can put them back in to avoid voiding any warranty it may still have

CM

Phone ruger in Prescott Arizona they have a good repair dept and will probably issue you a return authorization.

If you had a squib or a fragment still in the barrel, then another round hit it and both cleared, maybe that could cause it?

My best guess, and it definitely a guess, is that maybe I had some weird case separation that pushed part of a spent case down the barrel, and then the following round caused an overpressure situation? Otherwise, I'm thinking it's a manufacturing defect. I am definitely puzzled as well. I'll let you know what Ruger says.

BTW, Bullseye's excellent detailed stripping/reassembly instructions were once again a big timesaver (thank you). I have all the original parts back in my pistol.

I've seen these dozens of times over the last 30 years of being a firearms afficianado. They normally are a result of firing a shot when a drop or two of water was in the barrel. Water does not compress when a bullet hits it. It's usually the barrel steel that gives.

Is there any chance you were firing a round when in the rain?

Stork

Wow - Great photo of the bore. Please keep us posted on how this work out...

Stork's theory of hydraulic compression is a likely cause. It didn't just have to be water, it could have been a drop of oil or solvent.

R,
Bullseye

OK, here's the (near) end of the story, if anyone is still interested.

I sent the pistol back to the Ruger Prescott, AZ service center shortly after my last post. I finally received a response a couple weeks ago. Yes, it really took that long. (!)

To paraphrase the response from Ruger, 'The receiver/barrel assembly has been damaged beyond repair and must be replaced.' The quoted price for this service was approximately half the NIB retail price, with the offer of shipping it back to me 'as is' for $65.

I chose to have it fixed. I found a local dealer to handle the transfer, (new receiver/serial # and all that..). The dealer was of the opinion I was getting the short-end, since as far as he knew Ruger offered a lifetime warranty on their products.

I called the Ruger service center in Prescott, AZ. and was able to pay for the repair over the phone with a credit card.

Why no warranty? I found the answer on the back page of my owners' manual:



-CM

That's rather disheartening.

Wow. That's unpleasant news. I guess I'd opt for the same, but I'd be a little disheartened. And they wanted to charge you for return shipping...?

I will surely make sure my barrels are [extra] dry! How common is this?