Eldon
08-26-2017, 07:43 PM
My recently acquired 1900 very nice 30-40 Krag rifle has, as the seller told me, a less than perfect bore.
After a complete cleaning and a 2 day soak with penetrating oil, I patched it out with acetone.
With my bore scope what I found was different than I have encountered before.
On the tops of the lands, about 20% was covered with scale rust not fouling.
In the grooves and on some of the lands there was deep pitting as if a drill the size of a tiny pin had been applied.
Today I fire lapped it with my Brownell's kit using the 220, 20 rounds, cleaning every five. The boolit was a Lyman .311 180 round nose with Lyman lube, with the grit pressed in between to steel plates.
Those were followed by 5 of the boolits with no grit. Load was 8 gr TrailBoss
In spite of old eyes and those terrible sights all 25 went into 2" @25 yds with no tipping.
Got it home and cleaned it with Hoppes and patches until they came out clean.
Bore scoped it and the scale was gone but the pinprick pits remain. I'd estimate 30% of the bore is compromised but the lands are sharp and you can still see rifling cutter tool marks in the grooves.
Before I have it made into a 35-40, I'd like some experience based advice on shooting it as is. The 5 I shot at the end did not lead at all.
I have a 190 gr NEI bore rider GC that drops at .311 (the back) with Wheelweights. Also a Lee Mosin mold dropping a 165 GC at .314.
I'm thinking of trying both with powder coating, the NEI unsized, the Mosin to .313.
I thought the pinpricks would fill with lead ..... they did not.
Advice sought and most welcome !
202677
After a complete cleaning and a 2 day soak with penetrating oil, I patched it out with acetone.
With my bore scope what I found was different than I have encountered before.
On the tops of the lands, about 20% was covered with scale rust not fouling.
In the grooves and on some of the lands there was deep pitting as if a drill the size of a tiny pin had been applied.
Today I fire lapped it with my Brownell's kit using the 220, 20 rounds, cleaning every five. The boolit was a Lyman .311 180 round nose with Lyman lube, with the grit pressed in between to steel plates.
Those were followed by 5 of the boolits with no grit. Load was 8 gr TrailBoss
In spite of old eyes and those terrible sights all 25 went into 2" @25 yds with no tipping.
Got it home and cleaned it with Hoppes and patches until they came out clean.
Bore scoped it and the scale was gone but the pinprick pits remain. I'd estimate 30% of the bore is compromised but the lands are sharp and you can still see rifling cutter tool marks in the grooves.
Before I have it made into a 35-40, I'd like some experience based advice on shooting it as is. The 5 I shot at the end did not lead at all.
I have a 190 gr NEI bore rider GC that drops at .311 (the back) with Wheelweights. Also a Lee Mosin mold dropping a 165 GC at .314.
I'm thinking of trying both with powder coating, the NEI unsized, the Mosin to .313.
I thought the pinpricks would fill with lead ..... they did not.
Advice sought and most welcome !
202677