Firelapping in the basement

[subsonic]

I've been trying to compile a list of all of the stuff I want to take to the range to fire-lap a couple of guns. I was going to re-load the cases at the range so I don't get stuck with a bunch of loaded lapping ammo after I'm done. So I'd need slugging stuff, my pin gauges, reloading stuff, cleaning stuff, guns, components, lap compound, steel plates, chronograph.....

Then I got to thinking. Why don't I just lap in my basement? Shoot into something to catch the slow boolits and wait until my wife isn't home! Now, I know that lead fumes are bad and all that jazz. My biggest concern is catching the boolits safely without ricochetts!

I can get 55gal plastic barrels free. What should I put in it? I was thinking fine sand or rubber mulch and shoot down into it from above.

This makes me wonder about powder position with the powder at the front of the case when shooting down. I plan to use wadcutters seated as deep as the casewalls will allow, but this still might allow for less than 2gr of powder to fall away from the primer.

Ideas?

[Shooter6br]

This may get some bad comments But use newpaper tightly stuffed in brown bags . Two bags will stop moderate loads. If you put all your shots into the same spot you need to watch if the first bag is tunneling thur. "Myth Busters" put telephome books in car doors and made a highly bullet resistant ( no rifle on 50 cal BMG rounds) As always this is not an adorsement of this info. Results may vary Wet packs also may work. Your results may vary. as always use info at own risk

[Shooter6br]

Link wet pack http://usrange.org/smf/index.php?topic=459.0

[Billwnr]

I did it and shot into a box with a couple of scrap tee shirts in it. The bullets didn't go thru more than one layer of tee shirt. One thing I will council with the light loads is make sure all bullets exit the barrel. If they don't they can easily be pushed thru with a metal rod.

The crack is quieter than just a primer going off.

One reason I mention about ensuring the bullets exit the barrel is if they don't the next shot will slightly bulge the barrel.

[crabo]

I've done everything from 22s, 357s, 44 mag, and 45/70 in my garage. I just use a stack of phone books. You are going low power, just enough to get it out of the barrel without sticking. You can also find your load without loading a bunch that are going to stick. I don't think I have had any go through 2 BIG phone books. (4")

My wife just shakes her head and looks on as if I am only slighty deranged.

[Shooter6br]

My "half basement: 20 ft x 20 ft has been used to test HP cast with water filled milk jugs. just make sure you have ventilation (I do)

[Frozone]

I'm trying to think of a reason why you couldn't use hotglue or wax bullets to firelap.
I can't, as long as you used little more than the primer to launch the things they should work as well as lead.
It's the grit that does the job not the bullet.

[crabo]

The glue boolit has no integrity when it would hit the tight spots.

[Frozone]

The glue boolit has no integrity when it would hit the tight spots.

I'm not sure I understand your point. "no integrity"? It would lie, steal,cheat??

Hot glue is flexible and should expand (obdurate) nicely, All it has to do is carry the medium to just past the restriction. I think it will actually work Better than lead will.
Same with a stiff wax, it should do a better job than lead.

[BABore]

Flexibility is what you don't want and it is the reason that you should use 11-13 bhn boolits. Anything harder, or flexible, will pass through a constriction and expand back out. The idea is to progressively cut out the tight spot. The lapping boolit gets sized down as it cuts out the constriction and then passes down the remainer of the bore with little to no cutting action. Sucesssive rounds cut just a little more and a bit farther down the bore. A completed firelapping job will show progressive cutting down to just the where the muzzle shows slight abrasion. This results in tapered bore and groove dimensions. Firelapping with jacketed bullets results in a nicely tapered bore, but lightly touched groove diameter and reduction in rifling height.

[303Guy]

That was the idea behind this 'fire-lapping bullet'. To get into the grooves. It was for rust removal and smooting of rust pit edges and it did that just fine. The band out front was to guide it straight in the bore and was just on bore diameter. It was custom cut to fit the throat. It worked but it is risky - I've had a few jam in the throat and it takes some drilling to get them out! Worse still is the pressure trapped in the case. My next ones will have venting grooves in them!

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo327/303Guy/MVC-565F-1.jpg

[76 WARLOCK]

I have a pile of lead in my garage which I shoot lap rounds into.

[timkelley]

My wife just shakes her head and looks on as if I am only slighty deranged.

Man you have a super wife, Mine is convinced I am completely bugnuts.:-):-):-)

[GaryN]

I'd just use a five gallon bucket of sand. I shoot full power 44 magnums into a bucket of sand and it stops them.

[GaryN]

Of course that is lengthwise with the bucket laying on it's side.

[curator]

Loading light charges of Bullseye with a tuft of dacron allowed me to shoot straight down into a 5-gallon bucket filled with sand for fire lapping. I have fire-lapped several rifles and a bunch of revolvers this way in my garage. Afterward I can pour the sand through a screen and salvage the lead. Most are in the top 12 inches. The only time they got near the bottom was firelapping a NEF .45-70 with 405 grain bullets. A couple of them made it to within a few inches of the bottom but no dents or splits so there was still a small safety factor.

[303Guy]

Just be super careful with firing a gun straight down into a sand bucket. Feet and legs and other parts of the anatomy are getting a little in front of the firing line! (Not saying I don't do it, just to be careful).

[Southern Son]

My wife just shakes her head and looks on as if I am only slighty deranged.

Mine is doing that right now!!!!![smilie=l:

[Lizard333]

I imagine that if you filled a five gallon bucket to the top with the rubber mulch from the hardware store you would be fine, that is on light loads. I might stack stack two for anything high power. This makes it much easier to recover the lead, to melt down down and use again!

[subsonic]

I'd just use a five gallon bucket of sand. I shoot full power 44 magnums into a bucket of sand and it stops them.

That's what I did last night. I shot into a slightly tipped bucket filled with sand from above and a few feet away. I used 2pieces of 2x6 under the bucket as "insurance" and to help get the angle on the bucket. The slower boolits seem to penetrate better than the faster ones. Weird. 1gr of "mystery powder" went half way down when they left the barrel. 1.5gr of the same powder left the boolits about 1/3rd of the way down.


Mystery powder is some unknown Winchester ball powder for loading 12ga 1oz loads. It was in a mason jar when I got my shotshell presses from my wife's uncle. He couldn't remember exactly what it was, but knew it was Winchester brand and used for 1oz loads. I almost used it as fertilizer a couple of times, but though I could use it for things like this instead. Works good! Clean and lights off well with magnum pistol primers for these lapping loads. I used the magnum primers because I haven't found any cast loads that shoot well with them, and have 400+ on hand.

[303Guy]

The penetration of a slow boolit in fine soft sand is amazing!

[williamwaco]

Mystery powder is some unknown Winchester ball powder.



Most people have some mystery or blended ( poured the powder measure back into the wrong bottle. ) powder.

It is also good for fireforming cases.

[blackthorn]

Quote: "Most people have some mystery or blended ( poured the powder measure back into the wrong bottle. ) powder.

It is also good for fireforming cases."

Not at my house!! Mixed powder goes on the lawn.!! I would not take a chance by using any mixed up powder.