It probably is important to recognize that with some scrubbing, significantly stained (I presume baked on powder/oil/lead residue?) barrels can be impressively cleaned up.
This is the as received Remington A grade evaluated some time ago. The gun was dropped in the snow after the burst and not cleaned.
![[Linked Image from photos.smugmug.com]](https://photos.smugmug.com/Barrel-Evaluations/Barrel-Evaluation/i-GTWwDGW/0/e7e36c07/L/A%20Hull%20In%20Chamber%20As%20Received-L.jpg)
After wrapping a Big 45 Frontier Cleaner pad on a rod, chucking it in a cordless drill, soaking in Kleen Bore's Formula 3 Gun Conditioner and goin' to town
![[Linked Image from photos.smugmug.com]](https://photos.smugmug.com/Barrel-Evaluations/Barrel-Evaluation/i-kDLRLXt/0/7f60421b/L/A%20Rem%20After-L.jpg)
![[Linked Image from photos.smugmug.com]](https://photos.smugmug.com/Barrel-Evaluations/Barrel-Evaluation/i-XR6Qn8f/0/d05c6557/L/A%20Remington%20after%20cleaning-L.jpg)
Certainly not a "mirror" bore, and tiny pits are evident.
And without aggressive cleaning, one can not know that might be under the staining. The Southern 16g blow-up gun.
![[Linked Image from photos.smugmug.com]](https://photos.smugmug.com/Barrel-Evaluations/Barrel-Evaluation/i-88qf7D8/0/74ee4e60/L/Smith%20bore%20after%20cleaning-L.jpg)