Bore Polishing

[John Spartan]

I saw the vid and used a variation of his method. Couple I didn’t as a test.
Makes a big difference in ease of loading/number of shots you can get off before fouling becomes too bad.
Can’t comment on any accuracy effects.

 

[FlinterNick]

you can get the hones from Granger, just find the size you need. same style used for deglaze of engine cylinder walls for new piston rings. I have used them on .410,28,20ga. flinters. also on rifle n handgun sticky chambers. finish with flitz n 3m pad.

I wouldn’t hone a barrel with abrasive stones, only on a precision lathe. That’s above my skill set too.

 

[doubleset]

I recognize a difference among honing, lapping, and polishing. I don't know exactly how each of these are applied throughout the industry (there is some ambiguity or overlap), but I think the distinctions are generally recognized.

I would never "hone" one of my barrels. I don't have the equipment to do that, and to me "honing" implies removing more metal than I'm ever interested in doing. This may be "just semantics", but semantics can be important.

What I use for lapping or polishing (which I personally regard as the next two steps, in order of effect on the surface) are the Timesaver Lapping Compounds (picked up at an old shop auction some years ago). It's generally critical for me to use NON-EMBEDDING compounds, and both the green (steel) and the yellow (brass/bronze/soft metal) Timesaver compounds are non-embeding. As directed, I just mix up a paste with the desired compound and oil, and then (for my barrel), simply put it on a patch and run it up and down the barrel a bunch of times. I'll use a couple of the grades (usually "fine" and "very fine", and on occasion a quick pass with "medium") since the stuff I have is not heavily abrasive. Since these are non-embedding, cleaning them off/out is not all that much of a chore, although it does require some repetition.

I also have used these fairly extensively on brass, but that's another story.

 

[Artificer]

I recognize a difference among honing, lapping, and polishing. I don't know exactly how each of these are applied throughout the industry (there is some ambiguity or overlap), but I think the distinctions are generally recognized.

I would never "hone" one of my barrels. I don't have the equipment to do that, and to me "honing" implies removing more metal than I'm ever interested in doing. This may be "just semantics", but semantics can be important.

What I use for lapping or polishing (which I personally regard as the next two steps, in order of effect on the surface) are the Timesaver Lapping Compounds (picked up at an old shop auction some years ago). It's generally critical for me to use NON-EMBEDDING compounds, and both the green (steel) and the yellow (brass/bronze/soft metal) Timesaver compounds are non-embeding. As directed, I just mix up a paste with the desired compound and oil, and then (for my barrel), simply put it on a patch and run it up and down the barrel a bunch of times. I'll use a couple of the grades (usually "fine" and "very fine", and on occasion a quick pass with "medium") since the stuff I have is not heavily abrasive. Since these are non-embedding, cleaning them off/out is not all that much of a chore, although it does require some repetition.

I also have used these fairly extensively on brass, but that's another story.

WOW! Talk about a timely post!! I'm almost out of my non embedding lapping compound and it's been so long since I bought any, I had forgotten where I got it!!!

I have also used this stuff occasionally for many years in some lock part lapping chores. It's not normally what I use, but when you need it, BOY is it sure handy!

THANK YOU!!!

Gus

 

[stikshooter]

I've recently acquired a Pedersoli Brown Bess. I was browsing Youtube and came up with this:




First off, his method seems a bit over the top, but I think the idea is great. Have any of you polished your bores? I'd like to hear your comments.

Secondly, I've recently done another batch of rifles with Dyna Tek Bore Coat. This stuff is amazing on my deer rifles. It makes fouling easy to remove, and it really improved my accuracy. I've got enough left that I think I could coat the 'Bess. The prep for this Is a deep clean of multiple passes with a light abrasive on a patch. I normally use Flitz or JB Bore Compound. I'm wondering if this would help the 'Bess. My main load will be patched .735 ball, but I'm also considering .69 cartridge loads and #6 shot turkey loads. My guess is that the Bore Coat treatment and the polishing it requires will do as good or better than running 0000 steel wool for an hour up and down the bore.

Good guess but I doubt it (LEE Shaver) makes it worth readin /World class shooter/title holder/Rifle builder/Gunsmith gives you the how , doing is up to you or guessing/Ed

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I've recently acquired a Pedersoli Brown Bess. I was browsing Youtube and came up with this:




First off, his method seems a bit over the top, but I think the idea is great. Have any of you polished your bores? I'd like to hear your comments.

Secondly, I've recently done another batch of rifles with Dyna Tek Bore Coat. This stuff is amazing on my deer rifles. It makes fouling easy to remove, and it really improved my accuracy. I've got enough left that I think I could coat the 'Bess. The prep for this Is a deep clean of multiple passes with a light abrasive on a patch. I normally use Flitz or JB Bore Compound. I'm wondering if this would help the 'Bess. My main load will be patched .735 ball, but I'm also considering .69 cartridge loads and #6 shot turkey loads. My guess is that the Bore Coat treatment and the polishing it requires will do as good or better than running 0000 steel wool for an hour up and down the bore.

Yes. Polished both barrels in my 10 gauge double mirror smooth, back in the 90’s…it really did have a positive impact on barrel fouling.

 

[Cpt Flint]

I jag the bore with a polishing compound paste and chamise cloth, I start with Emory and move up to green which is around 800 -1000 grit. I use a jag that is 1 size smaller and i shim the chamise cloth with paper. I only do this when my cleaning patches are showing some rust.

What is a “chamise” cloth??

 

[Woody Morgan]

I believe he he meant "chamois". Chamois cloth

wm

 

[Whiteoak15]

A CVA Hawken .54 came my way as it had a lovely rust colored patina showing at the muzzle and the owner wanted shed of it. A bronze brush took the rust off readily and revealed that the bore about 4" down was pretty decent. I stroked it with maroon pads for a while until a patch came out clean, then mixed 600 grit alundum with bore butter and lubed a bunch of casting reject maxi balls with it and proceeded to shoot about three dozen shots with it. When I finished cleaning it, I loaded a patched RB and proceeded to shoot some VERY nice groups off the bench. The RB's loaded easily and shot well, and patches looked really good. My intent was for the alundum to be imbedded in the maxi on firing and lap the bore as I shot it. Evidently, It worked. I thought about continuing using a finer grade of alundum but decided that my 75+ year old eyes weren't going to do much better. A bore light shows it to be shiny. All in all, a most satisfying experiment!

 

[smoothshooter]

The Pedersoli bess is chrome plated.

I had one in the 80’s and do not think it was chromed
Maybe they are now.

 

[FlinterNick]

I had one in the 80’s and do not think it was chromed
Maybe they are now.

I don’t believe pedersoli plated the bore, that would be very difficult and expensive.

I think pedersoli in the past used carbon steel tubing and changed to machined steel tubing which has certain alloys of chromium in it to prevent corrosion. Pedersoli barrels are extremely hard, much hard than steel used by other gun barrel makers.