Dark Bore

[Nora]

OK so their I was, minding my own business when I got lost and found myself in the strange place called a gun shop. I was over come with the desire to buy another M38. The price was more than reasonable so I gave in to the forces that be, and bought it. It's an "arsenal refurbished" job that has been counter bored. Rifling is in good shape with no pitting. But the bore has no shine to it what so ever. In appearance it is as if the inside was reparkerized as well as the outside. (I got to shoot it before I bought it and it does well) I've scrubbed at it with JB and Kroil, the patches come out clean though it did nothing toward getting it to shine. I was thinking of plugging the business end and filling it with rust and bluing remover and see if that will help to get what ever is on it, off.

Has any one tried this or any thing else with any success to de-darken a bore?

Thanks in advance

Nora

[bubba.50]

if it shoots good why worry about it?

[Three44s]

I own a '38" and think the world of it.

Quote by Nora:

"I got to shoot it before I bought it and it does well"

Pretty is as pretty does in my book.

But I do like this:

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/bulletselect/index.htm

Fifteen bucks postage paid and the best read for a cast bullet shooter. Good section on cleaning up dark bores too.

And:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=64314

Scroll down to the post made by Mike CO, he's using Naval Jelly and an SS brush.

Three 44s

[bruce drake]

JB Bore Paste, time and elbow grease. It will shine again eventually.

Or just continue to shoot as is and season it appropriately for cast.

Bruce

[shotman]

the bore lapping compounds work good too. I found they do better if you cast pure lead and a real light load. I cleaned a 03 up in about 25 shots. . Dont size the boolit use as cast and dont lube

[GabbyM]

I would use a copper remover on it to see what happens. You said JB and Kroil but no mention of ammonia based copper remover. Don't know about M38's but many old Military rifles tend to be layered with jacket metal.

After a solvent cleaning I would just shoot it with your favorite boolits. For sure would not worry about burnishing any metal. Bores wear out fast enough from shooting without helping them along, IMHO. A little JB bore paste to polish after the ammonia cleaner is as aggressive as I'd want to get. Sweets 7.62 is the old standby. Clears your sinuses out nicely too. Have some Montana Extreme that is pretty strong for everyday cleaning too. Once It's cleaned up , if it were me, I'd shoot some light cast laods to season the bore. Clean it once to see where I was. Then go from their with velocity. Goal being to find a load that would shoot all summer without cleaning. Bullet lube should give rust protection.

If you discover it is layered with copper nickel a home made foul out system may be the easiest way to clean it up.

[725]

For me, if it shoots good, I'd just keep it oiled when not using. If you have to tinker with it, firelap it with flitz or some other suitable abrasive. Leave it wet with Kroil applied right after a shooting session, when the barrel is still warm. Clean it regularly.

[mike in co]

i had several mn's with dark bores, but could see that there was rifling left. i too had tried lots of published methods. since , to me, it appeared to be a rough finish, i decided to get agressive, and went to the naval jelly and a ss brush. it got me down to a metal (vs oxidized) surface that showed strong rifling. i sold two of the rifles to happy customers, and in the end kept the third.

i did not go for a bright shinny bore.......

mike in co

[corvette8n]

Try one of those electronic bore cleaners, I made mine and used it in a couple of rifles. I used it twice on a sewer pipe Carcano, it didn't shine but at least I can hit the paper now.

[Nora]

I would use a copper remover on it to see what happens. You said JB and Kroil but no mention of ammonia based copper remover.

Yup, Butch's Bore Shine. Mmmm gotta love that nice ammonia smell. :veryconfu

Nora

[Lead Fred]

I bought some WWII heavy cleaner form a local gun show for a buck and a half.

It cleaned two fuzzy dark CZ-24s cleaned them up like new.

You have to wear gloves, and a mask. I didnt and was sick for 3 days.

US 6oz
cleaner rifle bore
POISON (and they aint kidding)


http://www.omahas.com/product_info.php?products_id=439

http://www.omahas.com/images/OTG531lg.jpg

[jonk]

Odd. I have a crate of that cleaner and find it doesn't do much except flush out corrosive salts. It's essentially just ballistol and water if the same stuff I have (milky white cleaner) and is fairly harmless and odorless- unless of course you drink it.

Now there was also a dark brown foul smelling cleaner but that is in a different can in my experience. But if it worked for you, great!