Author Topic: How many of you guys lap your barrels? (Read 1222 times)

DakotaElkSlayer · « **on:** April 10, 2006, 10:33:21 AM »

Just read that nifty little guide to shooting cast bullets from BearTooth Bullets; lots of good information in there.
Marshall seems to be a big believer in firelapping his barrels for shooting cast bullets. Do many of you guys do that, or hand lap them? Are you a big believer in it?
I am kinda' thinking about doing it, but wonder if it is really worth it. My SBHH already shoots much better than my ability with bargain machine cast bullets, so what would I really gain from it when I am not sitting at the bench using a rest?

Thanks,

Jim

KN · « **Reply #1 on:** April 10, 2006, 11:26:57 AM »

The only time I would consider laping a barrel is if it just wont shoot to my expectations. And that would be after I had tried every thing else first. Such as all load combo's I could think of, hand polishing with a bore paste, etc. KN

Dusty Miller · « **Reply #2 on:** April 10, 2006, 10:41:36 PM »

Isen't hand polishing with a bore paste the same thing as lapping?

jeager106 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 10, 2006, 11:45:51 PM »

Quote from: Dusty Miller

Isen't hand polishing with a bore paste the same thing as lapping?

Pretty much so.
Maybe people are better marksman than me but I doubt any human alive could notice the difference in accuarcy with a hunting handgun with or without a lapped bore.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #4 on:** April 11, 2006, 12:58:05 AM »

ive done a few and have allways had good results from it. Just take it slow and dont lap any more then nessisary.

Castaway · « **Reply #5 on:** April 11, 2006, 02:01:20 AM »

About the only advantage I see to lapping a pistol barrel would be if you're shooting cast bullets. Lapping can reduce or eliminate one of the variables that causes leading.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 11, 2006, 02:18:59 AM »

30 years of shooting guns and I never done it. Never found a need for it.

Mikey · « **Reply #7 on:** April 11, 2006, 02:53:23 AM »

I may or may not lap depending on how the pistol or revolver shoots. I hand lapped a 4" 44 mag and got superb results. Did not need to do the same with a 357 magnum. Just got through hand lapping a 45 barrel because she was leading too much - I'll see if she has improved later on this week.

I have not used bore paste and do not know what that product is. The materials that come with the Beartooth kits include Clover Compound 320 grit that can be applied with firelapping or handlapping. I have used this successfully on rifles and revolvers.

I have found it to significantly reduce leading when I have used plain based bullets and reduces copper fouling with jacketed. It also improves my accuracy with both types of bullets. Actually, I never knew the accuracy of a rifle could improve as much as it did with firelapping and I am very pleased with the reduction in leading and fouling in my revolvers and pistols. I will do it again. HTH. Mikey.

Questor · « **Reply #8 on:** April 11, 2006, 03:10:56 AM »

Barrel lapping is one of the many faddish improvements made by Ruger owners in particular to tune their "unsatisfactory" handguns. I say "unsatisfactory" because when you read accounts of the tuning process they usually started out with a pretty good gun in the first place. There's a minor industry around firelapping, forcing cone modification, part replacement, and for all I know tea-leaf reading, that forms a system of aftermarket enhancements.

This is not a dig against Ruger, which makes good guns. There's just something about decent affordable equipment that makes people want to modify it, thus spending enough money to have bought premium equipment in the first place. Human nature, I suppose.

S.B. · « **Reply #9 on:** April 11, 2006, 08:36:16 AM »

Quote from: KN

The only time I would consider laping a barrel is if it just wont shoot to my expectations. And that would be after I had tried every thing else first. Such as all load combo's I could think of, hand polishing with a bore paste, etc. KN

I've fire lapped pistol barrels for sometime now, especially Rugers (very rough bores). The cost of experimenting with reloads isn't getting any cheaper?

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #10 on:** April 11, 2006, 04:08:58 PM »

Hey there handgun shooters,

If your looking for information on "bore Lapping" you should check out the information available from LBT on the cast bullet site of GB.

Veral is an Ol'timer with that subject and knows what he is talking about.

Bore lapping does put a nice finish on a barrel, but possibly a more important use is removing "thread chock" in a revolver barrel.

Don't poo poo the idea until you have slugged our barrel. You just may be surprised.

Keep em coming! :wink:

swampthing · « **Reply #11 on:** April 14, 2006, 02:08:23 AM »

Ever go to the range and there is this custom hangun or an expensive handgun with a box of 5 different loads that is being shot for groups?
Finally the person finds that "perfect" load {or the one they held the steadiest for}.
It is safe to say that if the shots are grouping one ragged hole, with the hunting load, that person is happy enough.
Both of my Rugers, SRH and SBH Hunter, will do that with most any safe load of powder I may be using.
Both are Firelapped, both took over 200 lapping loads to correct. Would do it again, just not in one day though.
Don't forget the extra velocity with the smooth bore.

I would just do it and be done with it.

Scott T · « **Reply #12 on:** May 07, 2006, 09:30:42 AM »

I had to lap a Single Six one time. I used Veral's method and was quite pleased with the results. My .500 could probably benefit from it, it has a little constriction over the barrel threads, but I hate to mess with it since it shoots better than I can hold.

DakotaElkSlayer · « **Reply #13 on:** May 07, 2006, 05:56:03 PM »

I finally got the copper Chore Boy technique down and removed a couple of thin strips of lead from the barrel. They felt like they were a couple couple of inches up from the forcing cone... This lead has been in there probably since I first shot cast in the gun and I never noticed any drop in accuracy(tells you something about my shooting ability! :-D) All I have shot, cast-wise, is plain base, cheapo hard cast bullets at up to 1280fps.
Does it sound good enough to leave the barrel alone?

Jim

S.B. · « **Reply #14 on:** May 08, 2006, 12:20:28 AM »

Quote from: DakotaElkSlayer

I finally got the copper Chore Boy technique down and removed a couple of thin strips of lead from the barrel. They felt like they were a couple couple of inches up from the forcing cone... This lead has been in there probably since I first shot cast in the gun and I never noticed any drop in accuracy(tells you something about my shooting ability! :-D) All I have shot, cast-wise, is plain base, cheapo hard cast bullets at up to 1280fps.
Does it sound good enough to leave the barrel alone?

Jim

Enlighten me about the "Chore Boy" thechnique?

S.S. · « **Reply #15 on:** May 08, 2006, 03:18:37 AM »

Only once, I used to be on the pistol team of the department where I worked and I decided to try it on the Model 10 I used in competition.
I noticed no difference whatsoever. I think this was invented by a couple of manufacturers to "Fix" their poor quality barrels. Take that time and money to smooth up the action and I think you will be better served.

DakotaElkSlayer · « **Reply #16 on:** May 08, 2006, 05:32:53 PM »

Quote from: S.B.

Enlighten me about the "Chore Boy" thechnique?

On some handgun forum, a lot of the experienced guys were using Chore Boy to get the lead out of their barrels. Chore Boy is a brand of copper, mesh, scouring pads. They told me to get a bore brush slightly smaller than the caliber of the gun. Unroll the copper pad and cut off a strip and wrap it around the brush so it is tight in the bore. A few stokes up and down a dry bore and the lead is gone since the copper "sticks" to it. They also warned me to watch out for the stainless scouring pads...
I tried it last week and sure enough they were right on the money. For the first time, I retrieved a clean patch from my SBHH barrel since I got it!

Jim

Ahab · « **Reply #17 on:** May 10, 2006, 09:59:12 AM »

I have found it to significantly reduce leading when I have used plain based bullets and reduces copper fouling with jacketed. It also improves my accuracy with both types of bullets. Actually, I never knew the accuracy of a rifle could improve as much as it did with firelapping and I am very pleased with the reduction in leading and fouling in my revolvers and pistols. I will do it again. HTH. Mikey.[/quote]

I have had similar results and will also do it again. :grin:

S.B. · « **Reply #18 on:** May 10, 2006, 10:56:26 AM »

They told me to get a bore brush slightly smaller than the caliber of the it!

Jim[/quote]

By this do they mean a worn out bore brush of the correct caliber for the bore size your cleaning or one significantly smaller(one caliber smaller)?

DakotaElkSlayer · « **Reply #19 on:** May 10, 2006, 11:02:54 AM »

Good question, SB. Don't know what "they" meant, but being cheap, I used a bore brush of the proper caliber that was getting kinda' worn out. As long as you can wrap the copper around the brush and have it fit tightly in the bore, I don't think it would matter.

Jim