How to determine a chop

[deadeye9]

How does one differentiate between a chopped ball and a barrel break by looking at the splatter? If the bolt/spring has paint on it, does that automatically mean a chop? Is it possible to have a barrel break and have paint transferred to the bolt, somehow? Maybe on the return trip, the bolt might suck paint from a barrel break onto itself?

[CaliMagFan]

chops normally pinch a ball so hard against the wall of the feed tube (because the ball is not fully fed) that the ball breaks... so when you chop you can pretty well rely on there being some shell and paint in the feed tube... i have never seen a barrel break that works its way back up into the feed tube....

the only exception i can think of is with teh older style of wire nubbins for twist-lock barrels.. they were notorious for slicing junky paint open when you had the wire nubbin incorrectly installed.... since that "barrel break" is right at teh mouth of the feed tube, its not really a chop, but might look like one if you're passive in your looking...

-kyro