Conditioning a 50-70 TD Barrel

[school of mines]

Well I am at the final stages of getting my 1870 50-70 Trapdoor project rifle ready to fire. The last task is to really clean the bore. I've been following Wolf's cleaning practice and have really removed a lot of junk. However, I can see some pretty good pitting down the bore. I am asking the members here if I should look at conditioning the barrel with some product prior to sending the first BPC down range? Would coating the barrel with TC's bore butter help? I used this product on my muzzle loader and it seemed to help with fouling, but I doubt it will help this rifle's bore condition. Any advice? Otherwise I am just going to let it rip!
:coffeecom

[NickSS]

I would try it out and see if it shoots or not. Some pretty ratty barrels still shot well but foul fast. If the barrel is inaccurate then you need to answer the question if it is a collectable gun or not. If collectable I would not do anything except keep it as original. If not I would get the barrel relined and shoot it to my harts content.

[218bee]

I have two Trapdoors...a 45/70 and a 50/70. Niether barrel looks very good. Both shoot very well. I only shoot 20/1 or softer and black powder. My 45/70 loves the hollow base LEE and I shoot the Lyman 515141...but am in for the current GroupBuy of a similar to Lyman but a hollow base design...I feel thats gonna be a goodie...ya may want to look at it.
But as mentioned just go shoot it....I bet you'll be happy.

[onondaga]

After it is cleaned out you can take out some of the roughness that causes fouling to build up.

An easy, gentle bore polishing will get some smooth back and not be destructive. Try the method I use for polishing rough bores. Use a Hoppe's Bore Snake and some very fine abrasive polishing paste wax. The Bore Snake is available for 50 caliber, get that one for your 50-70. I have success with Turtle Wax Chrome Polish and rust remover. It has a fine abrasive, drop the Bore Snake weight down the barrel then past the muzzle but stop it before the thick part of the Bore Snake cord enters the chamber. Now add one teaspoon of polish into the chamber. Pull through and then pull through 10 more times before adding another teaspoon to the chamber. Then continue adding a teaspoon every 10 pulls till you have done a total of 60 pulls. If your bore is severely rough continue the routine to 100 pulls.

Last, do 30 more pulls with no more polish. Inspect your bore, You will be happier. It is ready to shoot.

Supplier for the 50 cal Bore Snake:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=456622

The Bore Snake can be cleaned of the polish paste by a soaking with a degreaser/cleaner like 409 or Mean Green, then rinse thoroughly and hang to dry.

I use the bore snake at the range too and pull it through dry once every 5 shots. This notably helps my accuracy with my big bore rifles and keeps them very easy to clean as I usually do every 100 shots with a standard cleaning.

Gary

[Chicken Thief]

I have seen sewer pipes shoot great as long as the lat 3½-4" is bright and shiny!
Thigthies loosies and pitties as long as the last part of the barrel is (fairly) prestine then all i have seen, will/can be coaxed to shoot up to par.

The primers up until after WWII was corrosive (way more than BP!!!) and cleaning was almost never/not done on the spot so barrel fouling/eroding was most common towards the chamber. BP fouling is caustic and slightly hydroscopic (attratcs water) but MercuryFulminate mixed with Pottasium Perclorate as a primer was/is a "****ty" compound" and will build rusting salts at firing!

[Chicken Thief]

Forgot:
If you go BP then heawy blow piping is very helpfull towards minimizing fouling in a "worn" barrel.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Oh, it's just like a skillet ! Use a slick marketing name product of the cheapest industrial grade of components and it will be "seasoned". NOT !

Clean thououghly with patch and brush, and jag and perhaps both a shotgun bore cleaner (for lead traces) and modern rifle barrel cleaning fluid (for copper in case jacketed bullets were used). When you are satisfied it is as clean as it will get, lightly lube with something like Rem oil.

Prepare your ammo for smokeless or black using the appropriate lubes and techniques.

Have fun shooting. Either way, black or smokeless, don't let it get leaded, clean when established accuracy falls off, or if leading starts. It will likely shoot well. BvT

[school of mines]

I followed onondaga's recipe with the bore snake and polish and used some BPCR lube to coat the bore so it wouldn't foul right away. I've taken the rifle out twice and am pleased with the results. I used some .515" 515142 boolits with Swiss 1 1/2 FG and got some good results. The barrel didn't foul, and I did use a blow tube between shots. When I get a chance I'll post some pictures!

[school of mines]

Here's a picture of the rifle. When I got the rifle it was a mess. The bore was bulged, the firing pin and spring was broken, and the extractor spring was gone. I installed replacement parts and got the action operational. I cut 4" off the barrel to remove the bulge and re-crowned the barrel. I then dovetailed a front sight in. The stock took the longest. I sent the stock out to be duplicated and fit it to the stock and action. I decided to glass bed the barrel and it turned out pretty well. It took two years to get the rifle to it's present condition. I learned that stock work is hard and almost took more patience than I had. I look forward to working up loads for it and I have 3 molds for the 50-70!

[missionary5155]

Greetings
One caliber I always look forward to shooting when we head north are the 50-70´s. I have several to include a Trapdoor infantry rifle. I also am in for one of the hollow base group buys and I recommend you do the same. I am 60 and this is the first time in my life I will have the opportunity to buy a caliber .50 HB of proper diameter for 50-70 rifles. My TD gave me fits until I finally got my Lyman mold lapped out enough to near fill the chamber which is at .518. Even 40-1 with 48 grains 2F would not bump up enough till the mold would drop a 40-1 at .515+. 50-50 will now drop at .518+ so that at least gave me something to blast with reasonable accurately.
Mike in Peru

[herbert buckland]

I have found that when shooting the old BP cartridges to get best acuracy all ways youse a bullet of chamber diameter,even if it is way over groove diameter

[Frontier Soldier]

Hi School of Mines,
I shoot a nice M-1884 using reproduced Arsenal type loadings. I have been pre-swabbing my bore with Thompsons Bore-Butter at the shooting site, and again after the piece has been cleaned, to "season the bore". The Bore-Butter seems to do its job in keeping fouling soft, and makes things easier to clean afterwards.
By the way, if that is an original, untouched, "Real McCoy" M-1870 carbine you have there, you have a rarity. There were only about 315 or so of those made. Happy shooting.
Regards,
Frontier Soldier

[school of mines]

Hello Frontier Soldier! Unfortunately my rifle is not an original carbine. I have have sighted it in at 50 yards with black powder loads and look forward to seeing how it does at 100! I like the idea of using Bore Butter to keep the fouling soft.

[Chicken Thief]

Glad to hear it works goodhttp://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm153/Chickenthief/Blandet/Smilere/score10.gif

When i get loaded i'll have to get me a TD, scarce creatures this side of the pondhttp://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm153/Chickenthief/Blandet/Smilere/cray.gif