Rough spots in barrel

[gunner2292]

When I try to ram a 50 cal ball down the barrel of my rifle it seems like there are rough spots. Should I run through some patches of bore butter or oil or what?

 

[paulvallandigham]

Use a bore brush, with some fine( 4-0) steel wool wrapped around it, to polish the bore. See if that won't get out the " rough spots.

After using the steel wool, I will use the same bore brush, and a cleaning patch( 3 inch square) or two over the brush( the bristles hold onto the patch(es), and put Pearl Drops Tooth paste on to further polish the bore. Mostly, this procedure only polished the hands, and the edges of the grooves. Often, particularly on new barrels, the roughness you feel are burrs on the edges of the grooves, and those can be removed with steel wool, and polished as I have described. Light rust on the lands will come off with the steel wool, too.

Some people use very light loads- just enough to get the ball out the gun-- to shoot PRB with the patch loaded with toothpaste, or more coarse lapping compounds, purchased at Auto parts stores. That is a fast way to clean the gun opf rust, and polish the lands. Provided, you then follow through with giving the bore a thorough cleaning with soap and water. Then dry the barrel and use a good oil, or a product made for storing guns for any length of time.

As long as the last 8 inches of your barrel are in good shape, the little rust you are finding further down should not affect the accuracy of the barrel.

 

[DrLaw]

Paul, I was wondering.

Do your barrels smell minty fresh?

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

The Doc is out now. :v

 

[paulvallandigham]

Kam: My nose is not worth a lot. But, I don't exactly spend time smelling the barrel after I am done, either. I don't think Pearl Drops smells like anything, but I might be wrong.

A lot of people don't know that toothpaste has abrasives in it, and you can polish lots of things- including brass- using nothing but a damp rag, and toothpaste. Breaking in new barrels is always a PAIN. As a matter of course, I run steel wood down new barrels every time. It saves shooting up 200 balls, or so, and all that powder, to accomplish the same degree of wear, to get the gun to shoot accurately.

Any welcome odor disappears with the firing of that first load with Black Powder. Then, we are back to rotten eggs, again! Ah-h-h-h! :shocked2: :blah: :thumbsup:

 

[cowpoke1955]

Right on Paul!! :thumbsup: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[Stumpkiller]

I would start with a product like J-B Paste on a tight fitting cotton patch and try polishing out the bore. More aggressive methods can ruin a barrel in a short while and it's a shame to do that.

Fire polishing is an aggressive way to treat the softer steels used in muzzleloaders. Even toothpaste can abrade steels like 1137 or 12L14.

You don't brush your teeth at 1,600 feet per second and 800 degrees, usually.

I have used 0000 steel wool on a brush, but carefully and only after other methods had failed. If the barrel was otherwise shooting well I wouldn't have done that, either.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

You don't brush your teeth at 1,600 feet per second and 800 degrees, usually.

So YOU say, but I've converted my electric toothbrush to diesel! It's quite a sensation at rendezvous! :haha:

 

[Stumpkiller]

You brush your teeth? When did this start? :blah:


:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[J.D.]

You don't brush your teeth at 1,600 feet per second and 800 degrees, usually.

So YOU say, but I've converted my electric toothbrush to diesel! It's quite a sensation at rendezvous! :haha:

Obviously a Red Green fan. :rotf: