Steel barrel question
 

I have a Trojan that is in wonderful condition with the exception of these spots on the barrels. Is there a way to remove them or make them blend in without refinishing the barrels? (I edited the post so nobody else gets confused. I was not wanting to know how the spots got there.)

Thanks,

Casey

Casey, Your second photo definitely shows tell-tale drips and runs from something liquid. That is very odd, indeed. I could only make some guesses and I doubt they'll be very helpful. It definitely looks to me like something applied over an incompatible lower layer. For example, a finish coat of some sort applied over metal that was NOT de-greased, and thus the top layer beaded up and dried as you see it now. Maybe a bluing chemical applied over an oily surface? Or something that beaded up on the oiled surface and then sat long enough to react with the metal? Does it look like a surface finish? Or more like something etched into your barrel finish? Probably a fairly easy fix if it's not damage to the bluing. I just cleaned a terribly sloppy shellac coat off a set of barrels, but that was obviously an applied surface finish. I hope someone with real expertise can identify this and help you with it.

I'm guessing it's probably the result of a chemical reaction. I can't feel anything with a fingernail and I've put some Hoppe's #9 on a rag and scrubbed a small spot to no avail. I also took a Dremel tool with a felt polish tip to one of the spots and that had no effect as well.

It doesn't really matter what created the spots. If you don't like them, have the barrels re-blacked. Simple as that. I doubt if the culprit solution will have any bearing on a polish/ blacking.

I think Kensal has it. I understand that you don't care how the spots got there, but that question could yield the answer for your own attempt to remove the spots. You've told us that your efforts to minimize the appearance haven't worked thus far. If you are truly not interested in a "home cure", then you should probably have the barrels refinished by a specialist. Or... just go out and shoot the gun and don't worry about the appearance of the barrels. Having said all that, if it were mine, I'd have them refinished. But it's not my shotgun. It's yours. And you are the only one who can decide where to go from here. I think it looks like a real nice shotgun in spite of the spots. If it were mine, I'd be proud to own it. Good luck with it, and please keep us posted on your decision and the outcome.

For the record, I am proud to own it. There's not a thing wrong with her and I'll probably treat the "Old Gal" to some shiny barrels in the not too distant future. The hardest part will be figuring out who to send them to. Looks like there are plenty of competent folks to choose from. I'll certainly post photo's when I have anything done.
Thanks for the replies.

Casey,

Your first photo looks kinda like a faux Damascus pattern. If the entire length of the barrels were like that I'd be pleased! Unfortunately I see in a subsequent photo that the pattern stops. It is a nice gun nevertheless!

Mark :)

just a thought, were the barrels stored in a foam lined case for an extended period?

Casey, send those bbls to Dale Edmond(816-444-2040). You will be very pleased and only spend a few hundred bucks. You don't need anothet set of bbls for that Trojan.

Thanks for the info Angel.
Regarding the storage post, I'm not sure how it was stored. I'm thinking it was stored for a long time as it doesn't appear to have been shot very much.