PP to clean up a pitted barrel

[bearcove]

I Know this is primarily for cartridge BP PP, but I got a pig in a poke T/C 50 cal BP Muzzleloader barrel and was wondering if I could get some feedback on firelapping a pitted barrel. It has roughness on the lands that are easy to see just looking with the eye. I have a 50 cal pistol mold I have for shooting PP'ed in my other 50 cal. If I size them like I use in my good barrel and put lapping compound on them, might this work? Should I put something like Lee lube on to make the abrasive stick? Don't care if I lap it out a bunch I can still shoot the 50 PP'ed just size less. Just want to make it useful.

Any Ideas?

Thanks for your input.
Rod

[19Echo]

I have used this kit many times.... http://www.neconos.com/category/PRESSUREFIRELAPPING-20 I found two wide flat pieces of steel plate to load the lead bullets with grit. I also use Brownells lapping compounds here.... http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/metal-prep-coloring/abrasives/lapping-compounds/garnet-lapping-compounds-prod25658.aspx These work just as well.

[country gent]

If you dont care about changing size then why not just pull the breech plug and lapp the barrel correctly? Paper will hold the lapping compounds on its own. you may end up with a hourglass shaped bore from pushing down the bore then firing back out. One of the touted benifits of fire lapping is as it smooths the throat and barrel it also shoots a desirable taper into bore this chole gets smaller towards the muzzle. Just plain paper patched bullets may goe a long ways towards smoothing the lands and grooves. I believe I would pull the breech plug make a lead plug to fit a non rotating rods end. Index and make 2-3 strokes never leaving the bore. rotate one groove and 2-3 strokes again continue for one to 2 full rotations of bore. Lightly tighten screw to expand slug and start with next finer grit making full even strokes 203 and rotating 1 groove each time. Apply oil to slug occasionally. You want the slug to be 1 1/2 inches long or so. Set up so lapp cant exit barrel at muzzle with a blocking surface. mark rod so you dont pull it out but about halfway at breech until you want to rotate the one groove. Use even continuous strokes back and forth. If you want to you can work some choke into the barrel but running the last few cycles 6-8 inches shorter each time.

[runfiverun]

use a bright white paper.
it contains titanium dioxide.
this will for sure polish out your barrel and you should see some results in about 20 rounds.

[white eagle]

nice to see you back around Rod
sorry no help on the barrel but some good ideas above

[Sharpsman]

Invest in a new barrel!

[bearcove]

nice to see you back around Rod
sorry no help on the barrel but some good ideas above

Been on the road chasing work.

[bearcove]

Invest in a new barrel!

Yeah thats what will happen some day, I'll barrel stub it. Till then it will be an experiment. I actually think it might lap out and be OK but we'll see. Maybe I'll drill it out and make it a 12 bore.

[labradigger1]

I may be mistaken but aren't t/c muzzleloaders lifetime guaranteed?

[Digital Dan]

Dunno how big your pits are, but unlubed paper patch of the onion skin variety will polish a bore fair quick. As mentioned above by runfiverun, paper with the Titanium dioxide or kaolin brightener will act as an abrasive.

Mostly I like what country gent had to say. Unbreech it and lap from the breech. It's not that tough to do.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaolinite

[montana_charlie]

Maybe I'll drill it out and make it a 12 bore.
Drill it out and put a liner in it.

[M-Tecs]

If it shoots OK don't worry about it. I have a Krag barrel that looks like a rat tail file turn inside out but it still shoots great with no fouling issues.

[bearcove]

Thats what I'll try first. See if it shoots. Then...

[country gent]

I believe it was The American Rifleman years ago had an article by a new writer about smoothing out a rifles bore and that lapping wasnt neccesary. He outlined gave a procedure for using fine sand papers wrapped over a patch and jag to a tight/snug fit. We seen several barrels the results of this with corners of lands rounded of and grooves showing a uneven angled radioused surface in the bottoms. The lapp takes the form of the rfiling before its impregnated this has it cuting much closer to form and by roptating 1 groove every few strokes keeps every thing even and equal around the bore. Ideally you want the lapp 2-3" long ( most pour it in the cut off section of the barrel) but it can be made like a bore slug driven thru the bore.

[Good Cheer]

Don't load more than one at a time. No point in wasting brass.

[fouronesix]

labradigger1- Warranty by T/C?? Good luck calling Smith & Wesson about a pitted T/C ML bore.

bc- Nothing will remove pits, but fire lapping in some form will help smooth the sharp edges of the pits and may help smooth any of the super hard iron oxide roughness.

Shooting some PP will polish the smooth areas. Shooting a few bore size very soft cast bullets with lapping compound smeared in the grooves will do the job quicker as will shooting a few cloth patched round balls with some lapping compound smeared on the patch. Cleaning between shots during fire lapping helps.

[Red River Rick]

Absolutely............if you use 240 grit wet and dry sandpaper (3M brand) wrapped around your bullets.
:kidding:


RRR

[docone31]

I have put Clover on my patches in my .50, and .54. I have also put clover in the cylinder of my Dragoon.
Not too many rounds, but, the pits are about gone. Or at least where they do not interfere with firing.
Cleans up nicely, makes shiney.
Just replace the lube with the Clover.

[bearcove]

I'll try that. Guess I need to go to the parts store.

[bearcove]

RRR I was thinking those tiny little drum sanders for a dremel tool would be great. just pour them full of lead and use.

[docone31]

Just wipe the Clover lightly on the patch. When I did my patched rifles, I used it sparingly.
Did the job.

[Good Cheer]

bearcove,
Apologies.
I thought you talking muzzleloader, then saw the paper patched cartridge title and revised my post accordingly.

I've used Clover, J-B and (don't freak out on me) gritty clay right out of the yard, to fire lap muzzleloader barrels.
With various results that tell me the clay from a creek bank is as good as it gets.

Some words of warning, friendly advice, whatever...
The big problem is as touched on above, that you want to avoid removing more metal at the front of the barrel than at the back. If you can use an expanding boolit it will be best. That of course depends upon how much metal you have to remove to accomplish the job at hand. The reason being that a patched round ball gets the most removal at the beginning of it's grit laden beginnings. In other words, the muzzle and first few inches of the bore receives the brunt of the attack.
An expanding boolit ( hollow base with a thin skirt) is best. You get the most expansion with a thin skirt and starting the removal process as deeply as possible (meaning light charges of powder) prevents having future projectiles squeezed into a rear portion of the bore that has not been so enlarged.
A way to do all this that does not involve fire forming is to cast a fairly long slug in the bore and use it to lap with. That would require a lot of time to get pits to go away. But, there's no easy way beyond reboring to the next available caliber.

[bearcove]

Yes it is a ML, I did not post, but I was planning on making them HB in the mini lathe so I could shove them down and have them push out against the bore when fired. Just looking for info on what has worked and not. Thanks for your post. Oh, Dirts, dirt weather its been screened or washed or not. Still dirt. Just a matter of flavor.