Bringing back a barrel from the dead

[Idaho Ron]

Back when I was finding donor parts for my long range rifles I got a TC Renegade with a 50 cal barrel. I looked down the barrel and it was almost solid rust. I got the whole rifle from a guy in Mississippi for 125.00 all I wanted was the stock, and hardware. Well the barrel was put on the back burner. I cleaned it a couple of times trying to get some of the rust out. I have used some things that would make a rifle shooter cringe. I got to the point I could see the metal in the barrel two years ago. Today I decided to work on it some more.
I have decided to try it with round balls, and maybe REAL's. Today I first took off the TC sights and installed a Lyman 17 AML. Then I looked down the barrel. it was looking a little rough still but there was no "active" looking rust. I found some stuff called outers rust remover. I used it and some steel wool first. Then I went to the JB bore cleaning compound. It is looking better but not good. I can see pits, but they are not super deep. All I expect from this barrel is to shoot varmints at close range. Has anybody had any luck bring a barrel this bad back? What have you used to get the rust out? Thanks, Ron

 

[Birdman]

adding to Ron's question, would it be better to take out the breech plug while working the barrel? Seems to me like it would so ya don't fill up the breech area with crud n such, but am I completely wrong.?

 

[Blizzard of '93]

yeah I have. I cast a slug and lapped the barrel and got it shootable but it fouls quickly (the pitting seems to catch the fouling) it shoots OK but have to wet-patch every shot in order to load it.

 

[xxgrampa]

hi ho ron,

if it is an older tc, the breech plug is made to come out for cleaning. if it is, pad a vise, put an adjustalbe wrench on the plug and twist it out.. usually if you have a removable cleanout, you have a removable plug..

befor you wear yourself out cleaning rust out of that rascal, shoot it with about an inch of 'filler' on top of the powder. filler is some of the best bore scrubber in the universe..

you maybe surprised how well it shoots even with that crapped up bore. one of my most accurate guns has a bbl that looks like a sewer pipe.. :hmm:

..just make sure the crown is not damaged..

..ttfn..grampa..

 

[White Cloud]

XXGRANPA,I'm kinda new to some things but i'd like to know what your calling "Filler" I've used cornmeal to mix in with lead shot that they called "filler" and i've reloaded some blackpower cartriges for SASS matches that I had to use Cream of Wheat to take up the space so the primer fire would have power to hit and some call that "Filler" so would you tell me what "Filler" your using? White Cloud :hmm:

 

[bingo1952]

Give grits a go. They are a little harder than either corn meal or cream of wheat and scrub a little better. Iused to use them back in the day when I was still skirmishing with the NSSA in a Sharps breech loadin carbine. :wink:

 

[2172]

I bought a pair of pawnshop guns in January..both had rusty bores...a Traditions Hawkens cleaned up with just some steel wool and JB Bore paste as a patch lube on 2 rbs...the CVA Bobcat was still bad after all of that, and everything I could try. In desperation, I soaked a patch in Naval Jelly and ran it down the bbl and left it overnight. The next day, I had a clean bore..the lands are shiny, there are some pits in the grooves, gun shoots accurately, haven't shot it enough to know if it'll foul faster or not...expect it probably will...right now, I'm trying to re-stock it with wood...Hank

 

[Idaho Ron]

I have been thinking about the Naval Jelly. I used it once but man you have to be careful with that stuff. It will take blueing off right now. Ron

 

[xxgrampa]

greetings mr cloud,

like the runner said; 'grits is good' if you are going to use a filler just this one time, go with grits. or crushed walnut shells or old dried coffee grounds.

howsomever, if you think your gun shoots better with a filler, then there are some good commercial fillers available.. there are also some that don't work so good..


good luck and ..ttfn..grampa..

 

[2172]

Ron, I've got a bare patch near the muzzle that says you're right...Hank

 

[doulos]

Ron, I have a .50 cal renegade barrel that is pitted like yours. I cleaned it with JB paste and I have to say it shoots really well with PRB's. I just cant shoot many shots without swabbing. Only 2 or 3 shots at most.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I got to get out and try it. I got it cleaned good with the JB bore paste. Man that stuff workes the junk out. If I can get minute of rabbit at 30 yards I will be happy. :hatsoff:
Ron

 

[LFC]

I had spectacular success with electrolysis. (Yeah, the idea scared me, too, but I have to say, it really worked.) Check out the threads on the subject. I borrowed my dad's car battery charger, put the barrel into a plastic tub full of a mix of washing soda and water, hooked the negative end to a wire attached to the gun, hooked the positive end to a steel bolt I didn't mind getting rusty, put both in the tub (not touching), and turned on the power. No change for a while, so I left it. When I came back, both barrel and bolt were fizzing, bolt was covered with rust, and the rust on the barrel had pretty much turned into black slime that I could just wipe off. It selectively targets the rust, and tends to leave the unrusted metal untouched. Now, mind you, it doesn't fill pits back in, so what's gone is gone. I also don't know how well that would work on the inside of the barrel; I've heard some people say that it works best where there's a direct line of sight between the part to be de-rusted and the part that's getting the oxidation. The really great thing is that you're not trying to scrub away good metal, just selectively dissolve the rust.

 

[Dphar]

Back when I was finding donor parts for my long range rifles I got a TC Renegade with a 50 cal barrel. I looked down the barrel and it was almost solid rust. I got the whole rifle from a guy in Mississippi for 125.00 all I wanted was the stock, and hardware. Well the barrel was put on the back burner. I cleaned it a couple of times trying to get some of the rust out. I have used some things that would make a rifle shooter cringe. I got to the point I could see the metal in the barrel two years ago. Today I decided to work on it some more.
I have decided to try it with round balls, and maybe REAL's. Today I first took off the TC sights and installed a Lyman 17 AML. Then I looked down the barrel. it was looking a little rough still but there was no "active" looking rust. I found some stuff called outers rust remover. I used it and some steel wool first. Then I went to the JB bore cleaning compound. It is looking better but not good. I can see pits, but they are not super deep. All I expect from this barrel is to shoot varmints at close range. Has anybody had any luck bring a barrel this bad back? What have you used to get the rust out? Thanks, Ron

It is nearly impossible to shoot BP in a pitted bore. Drastically increases the fouling. Its not the few big pits that are the real problem. Its the micro pit that is produced by some "replica powders" that catches and holds fouling.

Will probably need recutting to be right and its easier to just buy a good barrel.

Dan