Household abrasive cleaner to lap or polish a bore?

[rollmyown]

Anyone tried this? Ajax, Jiff or similar? They put a shine on a dull sink fast.

I suspect they would be too light duty to lap a barrel. Post if you've used it for this purpose.

[leftiye]

I'll just say - I don't have any barrels cheap enough to take the chance with. The savings in abrasive might just cost you a barrel, and there aren't barrels that cheap. Better to pay a bit and get something tried and proven.

[rollmyown]

I agree, I wouldn't want to risk a barrel just to see if it could be done. Nonetheless, if someone has tried it and better yet had success which has been measurable I'd be interested to hear about it.

[JSnover]

There has to be at least one junk barrel or stub to experiment with...

[leebuilder]

I would expeiment first. I seen guys use ajax, and similar when piston rings glaze and wont seat. Just a "puff" through a rag, the enigines reaction was very quick. Worked well. I use metal polish or super fine lap.
Be safe.

[boltaction308]

Toothpaste

I have seen it used for lapping a bolt in an action

I used it on a reloading press that was to tight

[altheating]

I used Comet on an old muzzleloader barrel years ago on a barrel that a friend let go to long after shooting it. I made a thin paste and poured it in to the barrel while using a tight patch. Cleaned it up real well. I would use it again if needed.

[dubber123]

I've had such success with firelapping, I don't think I will need to try it soon, but it might work. I suspect it would be extremely slow. Even 320 grit can take many shots to smooth out some barrels I have done. The results from a properly done lapped barrel can be dramatic though.

[nekshot]

My question is , if your barrel needs fire lapping what is the true value of it no matter what the original cost was? I consider when a barrel needs firelapping something is the matter and what ever gets it to work is fine for me.

[leebuilder]

I hear you nekshot. Lapping a new barrel is to remove sharp edges and to remove tooling marks and leave a mirror finish so the barrel will clean easier and last. The other mentioned fire lapping and polishing to me is to remove grime and corrsion (breath new life in a new barrel), the operation its self removes metal. Abrasives like comet and ajax may cause damage in you barrel (black powder residue cleaning is slightly different you need to get through a crust and have water to dilute and remove salts),, i prefer to use known processes in a barrel, ie lapping paste and polish,,, the out come should be predictable.
Thats all, want to share my experince, hate to see you ruin a barrel. Ajax in a paste form would certainly work, how good i dont know, i never used it.
Any questions please ask.
be safe

[w5pv]

I have used BonAmi to clean macnined halves of pumps and compressors,mix it with oil and use a hard wood board to clean the surfaces without cutting any or very little metal.I don't think I would use it in any of my gun barrels.

[Frank46]

I've used auto rubbing compound for cleaning a few old barrels that regular cleaning wouldn't remove. Wrap thick patch around oversized bore brush and cover the patch with the rubbing compound. Stroke patch/bore brush full length of the barrel. When patch starts to feel loose remove it and repeat with new patch. When done use auto polishing compound after cleaning out all the gunk from the rubbing compound. Then patch over bore brush with the polishing compound and repeat. I tried this on a swedish mauser that had fouling that would not be removed. Shot better than before. You could see the barrel interior actually shine. Frank

[.22-10-45]

Wayne Swartz told me a fellow lengthened his rifles throat shooting full charge cast bullets lubed with JB compound..and this stuff is pretty harmless to rifle bores if used as directed. For fire-lapping I have always used the NECO kit..If I remember right..they advertize the abrasives as non-imbedding.

[texassako]

Turtle wax chrome polish

[Outpost75]

Wayne Swartz told me a fellow lengthened his rifles throat shooting full charge cast bullets lubed with JB compound..and this stuff is pretty harmless to rifle bores if used as directed. For fire-lapping I have always used the NECO kit..If I remember right..they advertize the abrasives as non-imbedding.

I know Wayne Schwartz well, and I'm the guy who shot out his throat fire-lapping with JB. Ever since Wayne showed me how to lap a barrel correctly, I have quit fire lapping. At best it is a jack-leg approach.

But to respond to the OP, I have successfully used Bon Ami and also Bar Keepers Friend mixed with Kroil on a cast lead lap, and find it works splendidly to clean up heavily metal fouled or lightly pitted barrels. Cast a lap in the barrel and do it correctly. Here is how:

http://www.shootingtimes.com/gunsmithing/gunsmithing_st_lappingbarrel_200805/

[dubber123]

Was the account accurate in that you used full power loads? If so, what was your reasoning?

[largom]

I have fire-lapped dozens of barrels , not with JB but with fine abrasives. If any of the throats moved forward I could not measure it. Would take an awful lot of shots or too coarse of grit to move throat.

Larry

[Clark]

I clean oil stained metal with a Bon Ami - Kroil paste mix and a tooth brush.
Under a microscope, one can see it does not scratch.

[gloob]

Green buffing bar is my answer to almost everything.

[Garyshome]

I use cleanser to lap LEE boolit molds