Smoothing the Barrel

[4ked Horn]

[ QUOTE ]
......it just ran off, like water off a duck's back.

[/ QUOTE ]

I had the same thing happen using some military patches. Use an old cotton shirt cut into patches or go buy some different patches. I ran out of t shirts to cut so I bit the bullet and actually paid for some patches. (It just kills me to pay money for rags.) They work great.

Also dont use a jag. Instead use a smaller diameter NYLON brush and wrap the patch around it. For a .30 cal I use a .270 brush.

Coppermelt will attack the brass jag.

 

[Boss Hoss]

A friend of mine who is in the BR Hall of Fame and is also one of the best gunsmiths in the world got me started on ISSO paste. Just follow the directions I use it on all of my guns including the ones I use in competition.

 

[wapiti13]

I've talked to David Tubbs about his Final Finish. He says that you can get some throat erosion if you fire the coarser grit bullets if they aren't needed. You need to assess the roughness of your barrel before starting. They really iron out a rough Ruger factory barrel!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[goodgrouper]

It is currently coming from Payson sports and trophy in Payson, Utah and some Sportsmans Warehouses. Run a search on "payson" and it should bring up several posts with the number. It is well worth the effort like ss7mm says.

 

[goodgrouper]

I have had that happen too once. I think it was the patches because it still seemed to clean as normal.

I just applied the stuff after the patch was wrapped and sitting inside the solvent port on the bore guide from Sinclair Intl.

 

[goodgrouper]

Absolutely.
Sometimes (especially on custom barrels) all you need to run down it is the TMS or throat maintenance system to make it smooth again. It is a kit consisting of the last several fine grits intended to be shot several times every 100 or so rounds.

 

[Waltech Jim]

kbb 468,

I am going to have to go against the grain here.

I have been polishing the bores for at least 10 years and have not seen any problems associated with the practice.

I always polish my high volume pd rifles within the first 50 rounds of the barrels life. My custom 22-250 was polished when new and each year before I store the rifle, I do a quick polish and oil. The rifle is 6 years old.

I polished 4 Savages (22-250) last year. One of them has the tendancy to shoot in the 1s. The other three are in the 2s. I certainly can't say the polishing did anything for accuracy, but we had all four out on the dog towns this summer and they all did in excess of 100 rounds (w/moly) with no decrease in accuracy. I can't prove they cleaned easier but in my opinion they do.

I have used Flitz, Mothers and The Wax Shop Metal Polish. I can't see a difference in them.

If you want my technique, let me know your e-mail and I will get it to you.

BTW, the Savages I have been around responded quite well to being properly bedded in a wood or high quality composite stock.

Jim

 

[sniper2]

I use ooo steel wool on a slotted tip for a hundred reps, this doesn't damage the barrel just polishes it no bellieng.
I do this to all my new barrels the 22br shoots in the 2's and the hunting rifles shoot in the 3's and 4's.

 

[Boss Hoss]

Sorry for the Cut and Paste but Speedy has a lot of skins on the wall and he has never either built a rifle for me or told me anything that was not a stone cold "Accurate" fact! I have seen some stuff on this thread that borders on LUNACY--be careful what you put down your barrel and how you do it--I learned many years ago the hard way!!!!!!

From Speedy:
S.G.&Y. BARREL BREAK-IN & CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS


Many of our customers upon taking delivery of their new gun or barrel are in a quandary as how to go about breaking-in that new barrel for maximum life and accuracy. With so much written in magazines these days stating use this, don't use that, brush, don't brush...what's a person to do?? At S.G.&Y Precision, we have a unique opportunity to inspect many barrels on a daily basis with our video borescope. Consequently, we see the results of a variety of break-in as well as cleaning procedures, and most of them leave the rifle owners with their mouth agape when they see the fruits of their misinformed labor on our color monitor. We have seen practically new barrels ruined with less than a hundred rounds shot through them by some of the crazy and sometimes humorous break-in methods. Anyway here goes for what it's worth.



Bore guides - If you don't have one get one! Without a good bore guide you are just wasting your time trying to break-in a barrel or cleaning it for that matter. More barrels are destroyed by cleaning without a bore guide than by shooting. There are many types and brands of bore guides available on the market and range in price from $5.00 to $50.00. The only one we recommend is the Lucas two-piece bore guide. They are the best insurance you can buy for that new barrel. All other bore guides in my opinion are only good for keeping the solvents out of the trigger and action.



Solvents - We recommend Sweets 7.62 for copper and a solvent mix of our own (Actually Pat McMlllan gave me this formula) for powder fouling and for cleaning/storing your gun for the next match or season. This Speedy Formula is made as follows: Mix 2/3rds Hoppes # 9 Plus Black Powder solvent with 1/3rd Regular Hoppes # 9 Nitro solvent. Let this mixture set overnight and it will form a sort of gel that adheres very well to the brush and cuts powder fouling to a minimum. Note: Butches Boreshine may be substituted for this Speedy formula.



Procedure for "Break-in"- Before firing that first shot, clean the barrel as if it had been shot by following these simple steps:



Step1 - Insert Lucas bore guide into receiver and chamber. If you don't have one stop here and get one, if not, just shoot your gun and forget trying to take any care of your barrel at all. Lf you do have one, proceed and give yourself an "At-A-Boy" for being astute enough to have purchased the proper tools for the job. Note: One "Aw-[censored]" wipes out all your "At-A-Boys".



Step 2 - Run one wet patch of Sweets through the bore and let soak for approximately 30 seconds. Do not patch this out.



Step 3 – Next, run the brush through the barrel only enough to expose the entire brush. Yes, I know that you still have 12 more inches of cleaning rod you could push out the end of your barrel but we want to protect that new crown. Also. if that rod hangs out that far, you will eventually start wearing down the rifling at the crown from about 4 to 7 o'clock. This is very bad "JU-JU" for accuracy. OK, back to our next step. Once the brush is exposed, saturate it well with our Speedy Formula or Butch's Boreshine and SLOWLY run the brush through the bore 10 complete back and forth passes while keeping the rod as straight as possible. This is when the Lucas bore guide really pays for itself. Remember, the key word is slowly. We are not trying to break any speed records. Let this sit a minute or two and proceed to the next step.



Step 4 - After you have let the barrel soak for a few moments, saturate a patch with the Speedy Formula or Butch's Boreshine and pass it through the bore. Follow this with 2 dry patches and then dry the chamber with Brake Kleen or lighter fluid. Next, gently wipe the crown off with a soft cloth and lube your bolt (lets not gall the lugs just yet). Now. your ready to shoot your first shot. Then follow the schedule below to complete your barrel break-in.



1. Clean barrel / lube bolt / 1 shot.

2. Clean barrel / lube bolt / 5 shots.

3. Clean barrel / lube bolt / 10 shots.

4. Clean barrel / lube bolt /10 to 15 shots and clean again.



Additional Cleaning Tips


Each time you clean you may also follow the last dry patch with a patch soaked with LOCK-EEZ. This is a graphite powder suspended in a quick evaporating carrier that coats the bore slightly before passing that first round through a completely dry bore.



We are always asked about powder fouling and how to remove it. The only product that we have seen that really does a good job on powder fouling, especially on the carbon ring that forms just ahead of where the neck ends in the chamber, is IOSSO Bore Paste. This is used with a Pro-Shot nylon bristle brush and worked slowly in the neck and throat areas, then slowly down the entire bore. Follow this up with a few wet patches, then dry the bore as usual. and your ready to shoot.



Follow the outline above for your regular cleaning program and I promise that your barrels will deliver their greatest accuracy and life without a lot of grief and hours of wondering if they are clean.



Good Shooting,

Speedy Gonzalez