Browning changing color around breech

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Hello all,

I have a gun that I borrowed from a friend that I may soon acquire for good.  It has been neglected as I have found out by taking some bits off.  After reading Barbie's post about full inspection I think I am going to remove the barrel. 

I am not a builder and removing the breechplug scares me.  But I have noticed that the browning has faded away where the breech and the barrel come together. Just right there on the crack, you can see bare steel.  Now, there is no gap there it is solid, just the color change.

My question is, does this indicate anything I need to be worried about, or is it an issue with the browning right there.  It is not doing it anywhere else. 
Thanks

Coryjoe

[Randall Steffy]

I personally would not be concerned by the fading, disappearance of browning at the joint of barrel and breech plug. I would suggest the likelihood that residual oil in the joint caused a poor rust/brown at that area, most pronounced directly around the joint. Take care as you disassemble the gun. Danger ahead. Chip-outs, dings and damage lie in ambush. I would want to know what is hiding also, however the discovery brings it's own risks as well as a sense of accomplishment.

[Acer Saccharum]

I had browned a barrel once with anti seize on the threads of the breechplug. No matter what I did, the anti seize migrated out of the threads, and prevented the brown right at the joint, just as you describe.

Maybe your plug just has oil or grease, but I take that as a good sign. You can clean the whole gun up and re-brown. AFTER browning, use grease on the plug!

[rsells]

I have had the same experience that Acer has had.  I had  been browning barrels for years without any issue in the area you discussed.   Until a couple years back I had a cast breech plug bind in the threads as I was trying to remove it resulting in having to cut the barrel off and rethread the breech.  I started using an anti seize compound to keep the same thing from happening again in the future and started seeing the problem you discussed.  I cleaned the surface before applying the browning solution with the same results.  I stopped using the anti seize compound unless I am using a cast breech plug to prevent the color difference.  I am sure there is some other type of compound that folks use that will not do this, but I have not put any time into researching the different types vs the results.
                                                                             Roger Sells

[Roger Fisher]

Hello all,

I have a gun that I borrowed from a friend that I may soon acquire for good.  It has been neglected as I have found out by taking some bits off.  After reading Barbie's post about full inspection I think I am going to remove the barrel. 

I am not a builder and removing the breechplug scares me.  But I have noticed that the browning has faded away where the breech and the barrel come together. Just right there on the crack, you can see bare steel.  Now, there is no gap there it is solid, just the color change.

My question is, does this indicate anything I need to be worried about, or is it an issue with the browning right there.  It is not doing it anywhere else. 
Thanks

Coryjoe

Yes, oil migration out of the plug threads and brown did not take too well there.
No biggee-no problem-not pretty but doesn't hurt her shootin at all.     

[Robby]

I treat the breech threads with a mixture of vasoline and the pencil lead that accumulates in the sharpener. I use mechanical pencils, no wood. Threads never seize and no migration to the exterior.
Robby

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Thanks everyone.

Coryjoe