I just showed the barrels to a local gunsmith and he thinks they are shootable, the pits did not seem deep to him. i might still send it out for more assurance.
Casey,
I will be rustblueing the barrels eventually and boil them as one of the steps to stop the rusting process. A coat of oil in the meantime precludes oxygen from coming in contact with the metal and stop or slow down the process.
Niklas,
That is a nice tip to know. I guess, the thicker the oil (the higher the surface tension), the bigger pits it can cover. The trouble with this method is that one may deal with a deep narrow pit that might not show whereas a larger shallow pit may show through.
