Never trust a clean bore, at least on a used rifle

[swquiro]

I recently bought a TC New Englander on one of the auctions and it arrived in as described condition - excellent. However, it arrived loaded, with a big conical and powder, which I pulled, and then cleaned the bore until patches came out snow white. My first session at the range was a trying experience, the rifle shooting with no consistency what so ever. I tried diferent powders, patches, and balls, but to no avail. I was beginning to believe that I had just wasted my money. But then I recalled an article titled "Dont Trust a Clean Bore" that I had read in either Muzzleloader or Muzzle Blasts a couple of years ago. The author had a similar experience with a rifle that just wouldnt group worth a darn. His bore appeared squeeky clean. Then he took a wire brush and Shooters Choice Bore Cleaning Gel and gave the barrel a good scrubbing. After that his rifle shot like a dream. So, I decided to do the samething. Eureka! My rifle now prints one and 3/4 inch groups at fifty yards with standard issue open sights, and that is not too shabby considering my ageing eyes. I am a very happy camper now.

I pass this info on because many of us buy used rifles, but may never consider that the bore may have lots of lead remaining after shooting numerous conicals. If the used rifle that you bought wont group, give this a try. It just might put a big smile on your face.

 

[roundball]

I recently bought a TC New Englander on one of the auctions and it arrived in as described condition - excellent. However, it arrived loaded, with a big conical and powder, which I pulled, and then cleaned the bore until patches came out snow white. My first session at the range was a trying experience, the rifle shooting with no consistency what so ever. I tried diferent powders, patches, and balls, but to no avail. I was beginning to believe that I had just wasted my money. But then I recalled an article titled "Dont Trust a Clean Bore" that I had read in either Muzzleloader or Muzzle Blasts a couple of years ago. The author had a similar experience with a rifle that just wouldnt group worth a darn. His bore appeared squeeky clean. Then he took a wire brush and Shooters Choice Bore Cleaning Gel and gave the barrel a good scrubbing. After that his rifle shot like a dream. So, I decided to do the samething. Eureka! My rifle now prints one and 3/4 inch groups at fifty yards with standard issue open sights, and that is not too shabby considering my ageing eyes. I am a very happy camper now.

I pass this info on because many of us buy used rifles, but may never consider that the bore may have lots of lead remaining after shooting numerous conicals. If the used rifle that you bought wont group, give this a try. It just might put a big smile on your face.

I've had the same experience as yours with used TC Hawken barrels that wouldn't group...now when I buy a used barrel, I don't even waste time going to the range until I've completely gone through it with the gel...great stuff.

And the experience also points out how misleading a "white patch" can be...really means nothing in terms of a clean bore...I'm convinced that a simple piece of cloth around a round jag cannot possibly get all those square land & groove corners scraped out clean.

In a rifled bore with 6 lands and 6 grooves...that's 12 - 90* corners, each about 3 feet long, so you're looking at 36 linear feet of sharp angle corners...36 feet !!...that asks a lot of a piece of cloth wrapped around a round jag...and it's why I always include a couple dozen brush strokes with every cleaning session to avoid buildup in those corners...so far, so good.

 

[Gary]

Never read that article but thank you. I try to learn something new every day and this is it for the day. Now, if I could only remember what I learned yesterday I'd be making progress. :shake:

 

[redwing]

I had this happen with a Tenn. .50 flint lock. I bought the rifle from one of the web auctions. The bore looked great shot terrible. I put a swap soaked with Hydrogen Peroixide Topical slouthen down the barrel let it set a few minutes. When you drop the light down the lead will show up.
You will see grey where the lead is deposited.

Redwing

 

[Runner]

Wad up a piece of paper towel a little bigger than the bore. Pound it in with the short starter and ram it to the breech. Use your ball puller screw to pull it back out. When the screw goes in, the paper gets even tighter in the bore. It will reveal all sorts of problems you did not know were there, even if you use a bore light.

 

[Slamfire]

I haven't scrubbed a bore since I bought an Outers "Foul Out". Removes copper or lead right down to the molecular level by electo plating the fouling onto a steel rod. The rod is positioned by "O" rings and eletrodes are attached to the rod and barrel. A metal specific electolite sets up the current. A really bad bore can take a couple of days, and you'll have to polish the rod several times with steel wool. Ain't tecknowledgy wonderful? :applause:

 

[roundball]

I haven't scrubbed a bore since I bought an Outers "Foul Out". Removes copper or lead right down to the molecular level by electo plating the fouling onto a steel rod. The rod is positioned by "O" rings and eletrodes are attached to the rod and barrel. A metal specific electolite sets up the current. A really bad bore can take a couple of days, and you'll have to polish the rod several times with steel wool. Ain't tecknowledgy wonderful? :applause:

I have one of those and have used them on centerfire rifles in the past...they'll sure pull the copper of the[url] walls...de[/url]-leaded some revolver barrels that way too.

However, the ML barrels I had trouble with had hard "black tar" packed along the corners of the grooves, like it was oil/fouling buildup that had simply been pressed in place like asphalt...the S/C BP Cleaning Gel just dissolves it...AND...the bronze brush over night also if you don't read the directions and flush it clean!
::

 

[robinghewitt]

And never trust an oily bore. The seller showed me the bore lit from behind and it looked great, a little Adam's 5 shot revolver. I got it home and found two huge rust pits, one halfway up the bore the other in the forcing cone, couldn't see them 'till I cleaned his oil out.

Sure is a pretty gun though, even if it doesn't shoot worth a light :thumbsup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

The old boiled linseed oil or varnish trick. Coat the bore, then buff it with a paste waxed patch to hide the pits and rust.

P.T.Barnum and W.C.Fields might have been gun traders.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Ah, to recall the old days, when a bottle of mercury was SOP for deleading barrels. Fill the bbl with mercury, let it set over night, pour it out and give it a normal cleaning, all the lead was gone.