Ok, so what is this stuff inside my barrel?!

[DeadEye09]

I just picked up my M&P 45 on Monday, and I have disassembled it several times and what not. Tonight, when I was cleaning it and taking it apart(again), I noticed that inside my barrel in the grooves there is a bronze/brownish colored substance. Also, there is a little bit of the same stuff around the firing pin as well.

Is this typical of a brand new firearm? Or could it even be rust?? (I cleaned my barrel late last night with solvent, but for forgot to run some lube down the barrel until today once I got back from class. A night without lube shouldn't cause rust in the barrel if it has just been sitting in my room, should it?)

Thanks again!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[msgt/ret]

All firearms are test fired before leaving the factory; they probably just forgot to clean yours.

[Tally XD]

I would say it is traces of copper from being test fired using FMJ ammo.

[sgb]

I would say it is traces of copper from being test fired using FMJ ammo.

------------------------>THIS<-------------------------

[DeadEye09]

Copper! Duh......that never even crossed my mind

[wmhawth]

I just picked up my M&P 45 on Monday, and I have disassembled it several times and what not. Tonight, when I was cleaning it and taking it apart(again), I noticed that inside my barrel in the grooves there is a bronze/brownish colored substance. Also, there is a little bit of the same stuff around the firing pin as well.

Is this typical of a brand new firearm? Or could it even be rust?? (I cleaned my barrel late last night with solvent, but for forgot to run some lube down the barrel until today once I got back from class. A night without lube shouldn't cause rust in the barrel if it has just been sitting in my room, should it?)Thanks again!

None of the new guns I have bought have ever had the bores cleaned at the factory after test fire. Mine always get a good cleaning before any shooting. As for rust due to a night in your room without lube, not likely. Relax, and in your fight against rust don't make the mistake of over lubing your guns.

[DeadEye09]

Thank you for calming my fears!

As for the over-lubing comment....too much lube can cause rust? Regardless, I will probably only clean it every several hundred rounds. Or should I clean every time I shoot?

[babarock]

Regardless, I will probably only clean it every several hundred rounds. Or should I clean every time I shoot?

If this will be your EDC, the safe answer is yes, clean every time. I've been told this helps keep Murphy away at critical times

[IAm_Not_Lost]

This bronze colored substance is a standard break-in lubricant that is put on many firearms (Glocks especially) that aids in smoothing the gun out. Clean it out of your barrel, but otherwise just clean your gun like normal and if some of it remains that's fine, that's what it's there for. You'll notice it's probably in the slide grail's too.

As for lubrication and cleaning in general; clean your barrel thoroughly with Hoppes #9 or something equivalent, clean your slide assembly (being careful NOT to get gunk in your firing pin, hold slide facing down while cleaning that area), and lightly clean your frame and trigger components, lightly being key, as you don't want a whole bunch of fluids in that area. As for lubrication, put a drop at the forward third of your barrel and rub on and around, put a drop on each slide rail, put a drop on part of slide that contacts the top of the barrel hood, and put a drop on the trigger transfer bar in rear of frame. Good luck!

[marcclarke]

I would say it is traces of copper from being test fired using FMJ ammo.

Agreed. I have seen copper traces in several new-from-the-factory and test-fired-at-the-factory pistols. The factory doesn't clean handguns after test-firing them, in my experience.

[marcclarke]

Thank you for calming my fears!

As for the over-lubing comment....too much lube can cause rust? Regardless, I will probably only clean it every several hundred rounds. Or should I clean every time I shoot?

No, over-lubing does not cause rust. Over-lubing results in oil stains on your clothes. Over-lubing tends to cause dust and abrasive grit to collect in the excess lubricant inside the gun on the working parts. The accumulated grit can then cause premature wear on moving parts. The rule of thumb is to use the least possible amount of lubricant possible. A needle oiler bottle really helps you to apply lubricant to the areas that need lubricant without applying more lubricant than is actually necessary.

Philosophies about cleaning vary from shooter to shooter. I personally thoroughly clean every firearm I own immediately after I shoot it.

If you choose to not thoroughly clean your firearm after you shoot it, at least run a lubricant-laden Bore Snake through the bore to remove the majority of the fouling (which can cause corrosion if left in the barrel; power fouling is hydroscopic). The Bore Snake will both take out much of the powder fouling and also leave a light coating of rust-preventing lubricant on the inside of the bore.

Another fast and easy way to mildly clean your handgun is to hose it down with a solvent sprayed from a spray can (e.g. Gun Scrubber). This takes off the fouling from most of the internal working parts. Then spritz the gun with an aerosol gun lubricant (to prevent corrosion).

[chiefmojorisin1]

I have the exact same stuff on my new M&P 40c.

[sensei2]

This bronze colored substance is a standard break-in lubricant that is put on many firearms (Glocks especially) that aids in smoothing the gun out. Clean it out of your barrel, but otherwise just clean your gun like normal and if some of it remains that's fine, that's what it's there for. You'll notice it's probably in the slide rail's too.

i was hoping someone would mention this.


as for how often to clean your weapon, i prefer to carry a gun that has been fired and not subsequently cleaned. in this manner i can KNOW that my gun was reassembled properly and that it shoots. a decent SD gun should go 200 or more rounds between cleaning (IMO), unless it was dropped in mud or something like that, so i don't worry that being slightly dirty will affect reliability. this subject is open to debate, and i have no problem with folks who prefer a clean gun. :-)

[dukalmighty]

Fairy dust, those guys leave that stuff everywhere

[Crowman]

I would say it is traces of copper from being test fired using FMJ ammo.

Does anyone know if the gun manufacturers keep the rounds and/or store the info in a data base(ballistic info) from these firings?