how to remove bore pits

[lyman.54]

:surrender: I have a .54 T/C Hawken 1:48 twist that I purchased with a pitted bore and I am looking for suggestions to get it back into shooting condition.

 

[jdkerstetter]

Have you shot it yet? Many guns with pitted bores shoot just fine.

If it doesn't, you can't remove the pits you have to remove all the metal until it's gone. This is known as freshing out the bore.

The other option is to have it rebored to a bigger caliber. Bobby Hoyt is the man for the job.

Contact:
Bob Hoyt
700 Fairfield Station Rd
Fairfield, PA 17320
(717)642-6696

Enjoy, J.D.

 

[lyman.54]

Rifle does not shoot well with either RB and patch or conicals. Can't even find a patch after firing but did find some smoldering embers of a patch.

 

[Oldnamvet]

Before you give up on it, try a thicker patch, different lube, or even putting in an overpowder wad before the PRB to protect the patch from burning.

 

[jdkerstetter]

Agreed. Don't give up yet. If it has lands and grooves it should shoot. Blown patches is another issue....try thicker ones.

Conicals are a all together different. You may have to try multiple bullet powder combinations to find the right one. What works in one barrel may not work in another....hate 'em....too much work, too much powder and time wasted.

Enjoy, J.D.

 

[Mad Professor]

Sort of like removing a cavity from a tooth, you'd have to grind out the bad and refill, nobody does this on guns, but as mentioned can get rebored/rifled to bigger cal.

Might be better to see if you can get it to shoot, if not buy a replacement barrel.

Regardless, a pitted barrel will require much more time and attention to cleaning to keep things from getting worse, remember the tooth analogy?

 

[jdkerstetter]

Sort of like removing a cavity from a tooth, you'd have to grind out the bad and refill, nobody does this on guns, but as mentioned can get rebored/rifled to bigger cal.

Good analogy.

Might be better to see if you can get it to shoot, if not buy a replacement barrel.

Refreshing or reboring is much cheaper than replacement....by less than half.

Regardless, a pitted barrel will require much more time and attention to cleaning to keep things from getting worse, remember the tooth analogy?

This is a good point....and if you can afford to rebore or refresh now you will only have to do load developement once instead of now and later.

Something else I believe we haven't touched on is, depending on the severity of the pitting, what is the condition of the breach? Pitting is a sign of neglect. If corrosion has worked it's way into the breach threads you have a serious problem. If Black Powder "substitutes" were used the problem is compounded due to their increased corrosive properties. You just never know with second hand guns.

For about a $100 bucks or less you can have it freshed out/rebored and the breach checked at the same time. Better safe than sorry. Your choice.

Enjoy, J.D.

 

[dbutch]

Green Mountain drop in barrel....Tip Curtis at the Frontier Shop...Cross Plains Tenn....240.00 and some change.

 

[Mad Professor]

Let me know who will rebore/rifle for < $100

I have a 15/16 " OEM 62 cal SB lyman from a plains rifle combo (NOT GPR), with some twistys it would be the ultimate lightweight hunter .

Yes there is enough metal, I have a 15/16" Toledo drop in barrel, 12 ga., extra full choke for Geese/Turkery. Have OEM proof testing data for that barrel.

 

[Dave Marsh]

Mad Professor,

I have one of those Toledo 12 gauge barrels but have not used it based on some of the comments I have received from others. A few have said safe to shoot others have said no way.

You have the proof data from Toledo? You have had no problems with it?? Any information would be appreciated.

Dave

 

[roundball]

Let me know who will rebore/rifle for < $100

Bobby Hoyt
700 Fairfield Station Road
Fairfield, Pennsylvania 17320
(717) 642-6696)

 

[lyman.54]

A reply to all of you kind enough to help me out. I see some good ideas in these replies and will add them to my bag of tricks. Thanks!

Has any of you ever fire lapped a pitted barrel?

I figure I don't have anything to loose since it is junk anyway.

 

[roundball]

In cleaning up the pitted barrels on an old 1878 Colt SxS .12ga double, I used "Barrel Flex Hones" from Brush Research.com ...got them about 99% smooth.
http://www.brushresearch.com/brush-types.php?c1=4

 

[FRJ]

I called Mr Hoyte about a month ago and asked about cost on reboring and rifling a GPR barrel. I believe he quoted me $160.00.Just saying. FRJ

 

[junkman_01]

But you wouldn't want to use them in a RIFLED barrel!

 

[jdkerstetter]

I have not fire lapped a ML and don't know that it would work effectively.

In breach loaders the bullet is forced into the rifling and fills the bore. I don't know if you will get enough friction on a bullet loaded from the muzzle to lap the bore effectively.

Besides, lapping is used to polish the bore and only removes about .0001 -.0003 from it. I suspect your pits are deeper than this.

J.D.

 

[roundball]

But you wouldn't want to use them in a RIFLED barrel!

:redface:
:thumbsup:


OK...could bore it out to a smoothie for $60.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I have salvaged many badly pitted rifles by lapping. I pour a lead lapping slug and use either a lapping coumpound or if the gun is in really bad shape a grinding coumpound.If you desire more information drop me a p.t.

 

[jdkerstetter]

That is certainly an option. You unbreach first and do it in mutiple passes, correct?

Besides needing the ability to push and pull the poured lead lap I would certainly like to know the breach condition on any pitted barrel.

Neglected ML's hide scary secrets.

I would think fire lapping is definitely out.

Enjoy, J.D.

 

[Bruce Bogart]

Who will bore them out for $60? I don't care if they are smooth, I've got a rifling machine. $60 sounds VERY reasonable.