Can a lubed patch ever burnish/wear a bore?

[SniderBoomer]

Lots of references to PP wearing or 'burnishing' a bore.

Struck me, if the paper is lubed/unlubed, coated/uncoated would be factors in wear. I've even read of some fellows using dry, unlubed paper patches.

I am still very much a student, been following Paul Matthews (RIP). I apply generous amount of Matthews' Lube on my patched boolits, really warming it up some with my fingers and then massaging it into the paper jacket, just before final sizing, they come out of the push-thru sizer dies looking shiny like glass. I then, rub them with graphite powder with a bit of chamois leather (Paula Matthews' method).

Keep the loaded PP cartridges in a sealed shell box to keep them clean.

What's your opinions on this wear issue with PP boolits lubed like this? I don't think I'll see any wear in my lifetime. Using these PP boolits DOES remove every last trace of leading from previous use of regular cats boolits. But as to wear/burnishing?

[Nobade]

Well, I can tell you that dry paper is pretty abrasive. It also causes problems like paper rings and not being able to chamber a round. So I lube all my PP boolits that are shot with smokeless powder. As for bore wear, I am kind of experimenting with that right now. My new 30-06 that I have been writing about recently has approximately 1000 rounds of full power PP loads through it so far, in addition to maybe 2000 rounds of normal cast boolit loads. I just checked it out with the borescope, and the reamer marks are still present in the throat. The leade into the rifling is getting slightly polished, and the bore is showing some light scratches that are no doubt the result of getting dust on my boolits before firing them. So there is a miniscule amount of wear, but nowhere near what would be present if an equal amount of jacketed loads had been fired through it. I plan to keep going with this rifle for some time, so check back in a few years and we'll see what it looks like then.

-Nobade

[MBTcustom]

I used to shoot dry paper patches in my 358 Malcolm wildcat and my 358 Winchester.
This was before the borescope became part of my collection of tools, so I really can't speak too intelligently about that, but what I did notice was that my Green Mountain barrels got much easier to clean and the appearance of the bore was drastically improved after a few hundred rounds. Definitely had a polishing effect, of in no other way but to knock the high spots and burs down.

[SniderBoomer]

Yes, these seem my experiences too. Thanks.

[Dan Cash]

I patch with tracing paper and lube them with a beeswax/oil/lanolin based lube. Some of these cartridges are carried in loops on a gun belt that sees daily use. These go through a relined .30-40 1895 Winchester that has seen fewer than 100 jacketed rounds. It has seen about 500 paper patched rounds. A bore scope shows a polishing effect but no measurable wear. Personally, if the bore wears out, and it will, I will have John Taylor put another liner in the gun.

[dnepr]

I broke a a new rifle with unlubed PP boolits , after 60 of those it copper fouls a whole lot less than when new , this was a stainless barrel but I imagine it would be the same for a normal barrel

[OuchHot!]

I had a discussion with a fellow who was into fountain pens. His comment was that modern paper is heavily recycled and lower grades that are usually colored or simply cheap will have higher silica contents. From his point of view, it was a travesty that would wear the nibs out on his pens. I can see that, but I doubt that the silica is terribly coarse and is probably more like a light application of jb bore cleaner. I have found the bores get brighter in my crappy old military irons but it doesn't seem to harm them accuracy wise.

[Stephen Cohen]

Many years ago I shot long range big bore, the rifle of choice was Omark 44, many used the then new graphite bullet lubes and found barrel life was shorter. Conclusion, I would worry more about the graphite than paper wear.

[Old Coot]

If you have ever been to an amusement park you know that the railings made out of steel pipe have been polished smooth by the millions of hands that have run along them. Everything wears even when in contact with softer substances.
Brodie

[303Guy]

It's not the graphite that was doing the wearing, if it was graphite at all. Graphite is not lamp black (soot) for example. If that is what was used then it's no wonder the wear was greater.

[montana_charlie]

I've even read of some fellows using dry, unlubed paper patches.

And, some of the guys who do that burn up a whole case of black powder every year ... some, even more.
Only one of those real heavy duty paper patchers has mentioned wear, and he had his rifle rebarrelled.
I don't remember the number he mentioned, but it took (like) fifty or a hundred thousand shots to wear his out and he does not lube his patches.

CM

[Nobade]

Yep, I am not sure what the difference is other than fit and ultimate pressure, but I don't use any lube on my BP patches in either cartridge guns or muzzle loaders. But it sure helps in the smokeless loads, trying to shoot dry patches with that powder has caused me all sorts of problems. I'm not concerned with bore wear, just about using what works.

-Nobade

[303Guy]

I would love to wear out a bore. Think of all that shooting I would be doing.

[Nobade]

I would love to wear out a bore. Think of all that shooting I would be doing.

I just got a reamer for the new 26 Nosler cartridge, since three guys want one built. I think if you started with that it wouldn't take you long to wear one out. Not a very good cast boolit cartridge though...

-Nobade