tight spots

[XWrench3]

every time when cleaning my rifle, i feel slight tight spots via the cleaning rod. they are there even after scrubbing the barrel with many patches, lots of solvent, even differnt types, a bronze brush, and acetone (shooting sabots). i know for a 100% fact that the barrel is CLEAN CLEAN. so it has to be varience in the bore. the rifle is accurate enough, but they bug me. i was thinking about trying to pour a lap, and add some 600 grit polish and try to smooth it out. what do you think? am i nuts!? or should i just leave it alone?
(inline muzzle loader) [cva optima]

[45r]

You might want to use some JB's bore cleaner.It smooths out the barrel and doesn't remove any metal.It is recommended to use in the savage ML's before working up a load.

[skullmount]

Xwrench3,

Have you read Ned Roberts book, "The Muzzleloading Caplock Rifle" ?

He has an extensive description on lapping for consistent bore size or taper which aids in accuracy.....but if it shoots well enough for ya.......

IMHO, the bore cleaners out there won't help with a tight spot.

Is it tight in spots when loading or when you are cleaning ?

[XWrench3]

Is it tight in spots when loading or when you are cleaning ?

well, both actually. when loading, i can definitly fell varying amounts of resistace all the way down. when cleaning, it is the same thing. the barrel has roughly a 1/4th inch of relief so it is easier to insert the bullet/sabot. and it is pretty tight just below that. which is fine. then, a couple of inches in, it starts this accordian waves of differnt resistances. there is no one particular place that is loose, just different amounts of pressure to seat the bullet or saboted bullet. and while cleaning, i can definitly feel varying degrees of resistance all the way down and back. guessing, which is all i can really do, i would think it would only be a thousandths, maybe a half of thousandths of variation. if it were more than that, i would think there would be someplace where especially a lead bullet would just about (if not) fall through. which does not happen. of course, i am comparing this bore to that of smokeless guns. none of my smokeless firearms have tight/loose spots like this does. maybe this is typical of b.p. guns. i have only owned one other, which was a Knight BK-92. and that was quite a while ago. i probably never should have sold that gun. it did everything i needed it to. but it is gone, nothing i can do about that now. i do think it was easier to clean than this one is. as for Ned Roberts book, no, i have not. i agree that J.B. bore paste will not lap the barrel. unless it is some sort of fouling that i am not getting out. but i have to tell you, i have spent so much time scrubbing on this barrel makeing sure it is clean, i think i would have scrubbed out anything except baked on ceramic! if i knew where to get a small amount of 600 or 800 grit alumium oxide abrasive powder, i would try firelapping it.

[skullmount]

if i knew where to get a small amount of 600 or 800 grit alumium oxide abrasive powder, i would try firelapping it.



not sure where you can get the AO grit.......I never had to try the firelapping, the laps that I poured in place all worked out for me.
Keep us posted !

[rhbrink]

XWrench3, I would try the fire lapping with J-B first can't hurt anything maybe the tight spots are just some rough places is the rifling. I have done this on a couple modern rifles that were leading during a day long shooting session not bad but just a gradual build up of lead that accumulated over time J-B did the trick wouldn't hurt to try. Next there is a product called "Flitz" it a chrome polish that you can get at auto supply stores it is more abrasive than J-B might be worth a try. You can get various grades of lapping compound at Brownell's. Kind of expensive for the amount that you need I have read of taking the grade sanding paper that you want and burn the paper what you have left over is the grit which there isn't enough heat to hurt it any. I haven't tried that but it might work. Certainly cheaper than buying different grades of lapping compound at about $30 a pop.

Good luck hope it works out for you.
Richard

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Yet you say nothing of acuracy? Are you fixing it before it is broke? What if someone already lapped it for you? Have you measured your sabots, and bullets that are tight and loose. What if they are made by different machines and in different lots, at different times, by different makers? Can you really feel a half thousandth with a cleaning /loading rod, stuffing a patch/brush, or sabot down the barrel. .

If you want to learn about lapping get a short piece of quailty barrel. , Slug it carefully, observe its interior carefully, set a lapping goal, then go for the learning experience.

There are many who would gladly help you cure a non-problem. It is your barrel they would fix. .

BvT

[rhbrink]

Baron Von Trollwhack is exactly right. The best way that I know of to check a barrel for tight spots is to drive a over size soft lead ball through a very clean oiled barrel. A fishing sinker will work just has to be soft and larger that the groove depth of the barrel. Drive it in the barrel with a plastic mallet and push slowly through the barrel you should be able to feel tight and loose spots. Do one from the muzzle and do one from the breech end if possible. I would mark on the rod and on the barrel where you feel the tight and loose spots and try it again to make sure you are getting a good reading. Maybe you just need to index the sabots? Just how well does it shoot what kind of groups are you getting?

[XWrench3]

i can not complain about the groups. in the summer from a rest i can get just over (like 1.000 to 1.250") 3 shot groups at 100 yards. it took me almost a pound of triple 7, and a half pound of pyrodex and i can not even tell you how many different bullet styles / weights to find one that good. some of the others were close, many of them were in my opinion lousey (3"+). if it would only get 3" groups from a rest, i would have dumped it, and not even messed with it any further. i am a modern gun guy who shoots muzzle loaders to extend my season. i am not a purist traditional. i have no problem with that at all, it just isnt for me, especialy flintlocks! if all muzzle loaders were flint locks, i just wouldnt own a m.l. is there a real problem, probably not, it is just one of those little things that is annoying, like the squeek in the back of the car that you hear 3 or 4 times on the way to work. after a while, it just gets on your nerves. would i take this to a gunsmith for this? no way, i have trust issues with other people working on my stuff. i am definitly "the born looser" and "charlie brown" all rolled up in one. of the 6 times i have had firearms to gunsmiths, 4 of those were definitly less than good experiences. one was enough to make me wish i had thrown the rifle (my absoloute all time favorite rifle) in the flipping river instead of getting it "fixed". it is now "repaired", but permanantly disfigured. if i was younger, i would find a really good gunsmithing school, and change professions. but i am to old, and torn up to work on a full time basis anymore.

[firefly1957]

If you are getting 1-1.25" groups I would leave it alone. Or practice saying "good grief Charlie Brown".