smoother bore

[kingsax26]

I put up my gun rack yester day and while I was fidding with tings I decided to wipe the bores of my guns. The bore of my smoothie appears to be fairly rough... I can see machining marks all the way down the barrel. I guess this explains why it took so long to clean! so I was thinking of running patches with JB bore cleaning compound (non imbedding) to try and polish things up a bit....is this suitable for the task or should I use something else? or try a different approach?

and just as an aside , heres the empty wall of my appt now decorated with some of my BP guns... need a another rack or to to hang them all! need to find some more gun racks too...lol

 

[Patocazador]

Your landlord lets you put holes in the wall?

 

[ohio ramrod]

You can make a simple polishing system by taking a 3/8 dowel rod sawing a slot in one end wrapping some emory cloth in the slot and shimming it until it is snug with newspaper and then using an electric drill to turn it as you work it in and out. :hmm: :idunno:

 

[hanshi]

It just feels so much better when they go up, doesn't it? I recommend #0000 steel wool and give it a few dozen passes with your cleaning rod. I've done this a time or two and it works.

 

[nit wit]

PK:
Clean with GoJo hand cleaner, usually find it at NAPA.
Hanshi is right on with the steel wool.
Nit Wit

 

[Ken Cormier]

I am with Hanshi on this one.

 

[Shine]

Your landlord lets you put holes in the wall?

His Mom said it was OK. :thumbsup:

 

[Patocazador]

:rotf: Good one!

 

[kingsax26]

shine your a funny guy...good thing looks arent everything

 

[Shine]

:grin:

 

[Ed Hamberg]

Sound like the barrel wasn't reamed smooth after boring? If you can feel the roughness with a tight patch I doubt that emery, steel wool or any thing else will do much good. I would un breech it, ream it with a square reamer and then polish it.....Ed

 

[Billnpatti]

What you do will depend on how bad the machine marks are. If they are bad enough, you may need to take your gun to a gunsmith and have him polish the bore with a reamer. if the marks are not too bad, you can use various abrasives to polish out the marks. Such things as valve grinding compound on a tight fitting patch can get the job started. Then move on to finer and finer compounds until it is polished out. Another way is to use various grades of emery cloth with a snug fitting jag. Whatever you use, YOU MUST USE LONG STROKES THE FULL LENGTH OF YOUR BORE to get it polished evenly the whole length. Someone had suggested using a dowel with a slot in it to hold your emery cloth and turn it with a drill. If you go that route, be sure to have your drill set to a slow speed so you don't cause any uneven spots. Also, keep your emery cloth wet with water with a few drops of dish soap in it. Change your emery cloth frequently because it will wear out and then you will be wasting your time. Minor polishing can be done with 000 or 0000 steel wool or the green 3M scouring pads that are made for scouring pots, pans, etc. If you are polishing your bore yourself, it will take care and patience to get the job done right. Don't rush it. Take your time and do a proper job. If you get tired or find your self anxious to get the job done, that is a sign that you need to stop, and come back to it the next day.

 

[kingsax26]

so i went to the range yesterday, tried a few different things. I shot a bare ball which obviously went down fine....but didnt shoot so well...about 6 inches right and 3 inches low at 25 yards.

I discovered that the main problem with loading, is at the muzzle. with a .570 ball and .010 patch I cannot load without using a hammer...but the bore measures .582 ish at the muzzle????....so since there is no way around it. It looks as if I will have to buy a different mold...ah the joy of learning!! I realized , that its hard to ask information when you dont know what it is that you dont know ...or should be asking lol. sorry no pics ....phone is on the death bed

 

[kingsax26]

ive decided im gonna leave well enough alone. took it to my gunsmith and he said that its not terrible...I may use some steel wool on it though.
I guess I can always shoot it smooth! but that .58 cal is a hungry girl

 

[gunmaker43]

Another view on this. I know 2 brothers here who shoot a lot. Both of them say "our smoothies shoot more accurate because the bores are rough"--They are more than most I've seen. The oldest is a fantastic gunsmith & both of them are very tough to beat. The smith told me that the rough bore holds back the charge on ignition generating higher velocities ???? I don't know ???? .....Get some .562 from TOW & try them before buying another mold. ..Tom

 

[Billnpatti]

Well, if your bore is not all that bad, your friend may be onto something when he says a slightly rough bore shoots better than a slick bore. It is a fact that you can have a bore/ball/patch/lube configuration that is too slick and will not be as accurate as one that is not as slick. This is the basis for Dutch Schoultz' "dry patch" method. www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com His patches have only a slight amount of lubricant in them and this results in a more accurate load. I tried using a relatively new product called Frog Lube in my bore and on my patches. It is a great product but makes the patches and bore too slick. My measured muzzle velocities dropped off when I used the Frog Lube because the ball started moving sooner due to the decreased friction in the bore and did not build up as much breach pressure. So, I think your friend may just be right.

 

[kingsax26]

I ahve some frog lube...I tried it...no matter how little I put on all my shots hit low....I even swabbed the bore with lube then used a dry patch...shot great but was a bear to load! so I just stick with my moose milk...or spit. Ive been looking for a used .56 mold....I obviously have to drop down in ball size....but im cheap! I dont wanna buy another mold lol...I guess ill ahve to spend the 10.00 and buy some balls to see how they do. The main reason that I dislike the roughness is that it holds alot...and I mean alot of fowling when its time to clean it..

 

[Dr5x]

Bryon,
You say there is a lot of fouling when it's time to clean up.
You can prevent that with the between shot quick wipe.
And as Billinpatti says, too slick a goo allows the ball to be long gone before the proper pressure is built up.

Dutch

 

[Doug Attawy]

so i went to the range yesterday, tried a few different things. I shot a bare ball which obviously went down fine....but didnt shoot so well...about 6 inches right and 3 inches low at 25 yards.

I discovered that the main problem with loading, is at the muzzle. with a .570 ball and .010 patch I cannot load without using a hammer...but the bore measures .582 ish at the muzzle????....so since there is no way around it. It looks as if I will have to buy a different mold...ah the joy of learning!! I realized , that its hard to ask information when you dont know what it is that you dont know ...or should be asking lol. sorry no pics ....phone is on the death bed

.570 ball and .010 patch in a .582 bore is roughly .008 over sized. You need to remember that the patch is added twice since it encompasses the ball. The .562 balls mentioned would be your best bet.

d-a

 

[Dr5x]

Before you buy a new mold, you might try a slightly thinner patch material.
The purpose of the patching in a muzzleloader is to make a perfect seal between the ball and barrel wall. It has no other purpose.
The patching is the equalizer.

Dutch