Strange stains on my barrel

[fc321]

I cant seem to get these stains off the barrel, I tried with Hoppes 9 and also with M-Pro 7

What the hell is this stain?

I last shot the gun 6 months ago and didnt clean it and now that I go to clean it I see these stains.

http://lookpic.com/O/i2/1101/ya9bwjK3.jpeg

[Pointblank]

What exactly have you been doing with your pistol young man? :biggrin1:

[ripley16]

Hoppes 9 can and does stain nickel... adds a dark dull patina. The barrel is nickel plated, therefore if you leave an amount of Hoppes 9 when you put it away you'll see staining. Wipe off any excess from all nickel plated guns.

[CJB]

Whats with all the little whisker hairs?

Stains.... Lewisnsky one of your relatives?

Seriously... nickel will turn black at times, and Hoppes will not take that off as its the metal plating that has "tarnished".

If you soak a Kahr barrel in Hoppes, or other solution containing ammonia, then the porous nature of the nickel will allow the copper under the nickel dissolve into the amminia, and the first sign is a "clouding" of the nickel. Strong ammonia will dissolve copper very rapidly. Household ammonia will clean a very dark copper penny in short time (with no rubbing!). So that's what happens with nickel plating and ammonia laiden solutions. And... they don't turn the finish black (or dark) in my own experience, but rather a milky cloudy area will form.

I'd try a little polishing paste, even white toothpaste on a rag (not gel, no abrasives). See if that fixes it up some. But.... I think you can just leave it because except for the color, there is no harm done there, just a tarnish from reacting with... something.

A quick looksee on the net suggest anything from the copper turning black from sulpheric compounds to nitrous oxides being formed in the plating process.

Try to polish it... see what goes on there

[CJB]

Let me add to the prior post....

I've got a PM45 that I got used, that is my favorite. It was stainless (silver) finish, and I K-Koted it black. Holds up well too, minor chipping at the slide stop edge and ejection port edge... thats all. When I say holds up... and the reason I'm adding this.... is that it gets daily pocket carry. I mean every day, rain or shine. I take it out of my pocket for work, and it gets locked in an undisclosed and secure location. I get out of work, it's back in my pocket until go to sleep. Then its under my pillow.

Its been soaked with sweat and grime and yard clippings. Its been in the sea on numerous occasions, as I left it in my pocket as I ventured past water's edge in Daytona. Its been on long bike and bicycle rides, the latter along the beach or in the sweaty humidity of Florida swampland. The nickel parts - the barrel, the recoil spring assembly, the striker, the trigger bar (that I can see) are all fine, no issues in finish, except for a bit of plating missing from the feed ramp, where it flaked off, I'm assuming from all the firing.

I'm not sure if that allows you to rest easier, or put the cause of the discoloration in some other place.... but I really don't think you have a problem except for the looks of it.

[fc321]

Thanks guys,

I had already lubed it and put it back together so I did not have a chance to try the remedies suggested but I feel much relieved to learn that this will not affect the way that the gun fires (that was my biggest worry)

This is a CT-9 by the way. I pocket carry it in my waistband with a remora holster (I am skinny, no beer-gut)

I did the dumbest thing at the range last week, I had a second magazine filled with the expensive "critical mass" rounds and fired off the entire maga into a paper target before I realized that I had wasted them at the range instead of using my cheap ammo

Now I only have 7 rounds left of critical mass (sure hope I dont have to fire my gun at a crook)

[kwh]

Always good to know your critical mass rounds are 100% functional. Glad you had some extras. I have done the same thing. Shot up all my rounds at the range and none to carry home. Only thing worse is use up all your personal favorites and can't find any in stock anywhere.

[topgun1953]

Just out of curiosity, how do you pocket carry inside the waist band? ;)

[CJB]

Maybe his pockets ride at waist level.....

[jocko]

Hoppe'
s #9 will starin, expecialy if left on to long. Ur barrel is not gonna get better but also it is OK, utter than looks. I polish the outside of all my kahr barrels with 1000 grip paper and they stay spiffy clean and shinny. As my barrels are all magna ported after a round at the range those ports leave a black burn mark around the ports on the barrel but with 1000 grit paper, it comes right off and nver seems to hurt the nickel finish either. I just keep hard solvents off the outside of the barrel...

[Bobshouse]

Im glad someone mentioned this about Hoppes #9. I usually come home from the range and throw my Glock barrel in a jar full to let it soak until I get time to brush it out.

[CJB]

By hard solvents, you mean Bourbon Whiskey?

[fc321]

By pocket carry I mean I just stuff the firearm in my front waistband, inside the remora holster. Kind of like "Mexican carry"

Glad to learn about the Hoppe's 9 but too bad I had to learn it the HARD WAY.

[marshal kane]

Up 'til now, I thought I was the "Lone Ranger". I soaked my P9 barrel in the Hoppe's bottle for about 20 minutes to remove copper deposits. Now half of my barrel is tarnished and the other half original silver. Too bad this didn't come up before I soaked my barrel. At least the damage is just cosmetic and not accuracy affecting. Life is sometimes a harsh taskmaster.

[jocko]

Im glad someone mentioned this about Hoppes #9. I usually come home from the range and throw my Glock barrel in a jar full to let it soak until I get time to brush it out.

being that barrel is finished in a black finish,k I would be interested to know if #9 fokks that finish up. It is hard on nickel finishs, we know that buy maybe no the tennifer finish that glocks puts on their barrels.

Monica I am told has some small but expensive stains on her dress. I am told it is worth millions to some people to. Just sayin.

[Whaleman]

Almost looks to me like the plating in worn/ scraped off as opposed to a stain. Dan