I recently purchased a AR-15 A-3 and found something in my barrel. I haven't shot it yet but there was a black mark inside the barrel. I thought maybe it was copper from the test fire and they didn't clean it so I didn't think anything of it. After an hour trying to clean it out with Butch's Bore Shine, it was still there! So I let it soak overnight, and tried it again the next morning. No luck.

I called Olympic Arms today and asked what it could be. The repair rep told me it was parkerization and I shouldn't worry about it. What do you guys think? Does anyone else have it in the barrel? I'm the anal type that likes my weapons spotless so it will URK me everytime I see it.

Thanks AR gods!

I checked a couple of new OLY ones I have and they were clean.

Most of the manufacturers plug the barrel ends with cork stoppers when the blue or parkerize them.  It is not uncommon for some of the parkerizing solution to get into the barrel.  It won't hurt anything.  you will get dark patches when you clean your barrel and it will wear off but it won't effect anything.  Some of the barrel companies and most gunsmiths that I have been around don't plug the barrels at all, that makes the entire inside of the barrel black insted of just a streak.

Nothing to worry about.

The  first batch of SAWs that FN sent to the Army were Parked from chamber to muzzle. Ouch.

The black marks are toward the muzzle end. I haven't shot the rifle yet, so do you guys think it will go away?

Sometimes people see the gas port and think there is a problem.  Could that be what you are seeing?

Quoted: Sometimes people see the gas port and think there is a problem.  Could that be what you are seeing?

+1. Many new semi auto shooters are concerned with a "hole," "rough spot," or dark spot in their barrel, rifling. This is usually the gas port. Look again but with both eyes open and I bet it is near the front sight base.

When I rotate the upper receiver sideways, front sight post to the left eye... I look down the barrel, the black marks are approx. halfway between the muzzle and the halfway point of the barrel. It looks like 2 diagonal slash marks.

I am a newbie, and I looked for the gasport and didn't see it. Where is it?

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I have read in some FAL rebuilding posts that parking can be done to "uncorked" barrels that have chrome lining. This is because park works easiest on rough steel (media blasted) and not so well on smooth sufaces (chrome). A few rounds through the barrel and it should go away.