Lapping Compound

[johnwayne]

Hi Veral,
I have a 72 year old Marlin 336 that often requires several hammer strikes to make it fire. That actually was beneficial as a training aid but eventually it needed fixing so I broke down the bolt. The firing pin looked awful and old grunge was everywhere. 

I had a brainstorm and chucked the firing pin in a hand drill, globbed some of your bore lapping compound onto a folded piece of paper, and spun that fp around and around. I then chucked the othe direction. That grungy fp was beautiful in no time.

What do you recommend as a rust preventative and lubricant for inside of th bolt?

What about smearing your lapping compound all over the bolt and working the action over and over. Would that be a good way to slick up the action?

Thank you.

[Veral]

   I think probqblly as good a rust preventive as you can get for inside a gun bolt, trigger mechanism etc, even outside the gun, is WD40.  Spray it in and on and let it run off.  The little that is left after the carrier evaporates will leave fish oil on the surface, which is an excellent anti moisture, lubricant, rust preventive.  --  When one runs his auto through a water puddle and soaks the underhood area so wet that the ignition is shorted, simply spraying the wires and all ignition components with WD40 will chase the 'electric shorting moisture' out immediately and the engine will start.  I've done this many times with the only distributors, taking the cap of and spraying inside, then the outside.  The treatment will last at least a couple years, and that is pretty good testimony as to the moisture barrier effect of WD40.

  If you happen to run a chinsaw or other two cydle engine, and if you use Sthl or Husky two cycle oil in your gas.  Washing your gun parts in some of the gas oil mix and letting it dry will accomplish the seme end.  I don't know about the effectiveness of other two cycle oils. but I've proven both the above, which are the top of the line performers in 2 cycle engines.

  LBT lap compound will smooth up a gun bolt, but normally the roughness  causing the hard action is too severe for this fine compound.  Better to use something quite coarse, like medium valve grinding compound.  Wash and rub both surfaces as clean as possible after lappping them and use a stiffer lubricant on the bolt sliding surfaces, than WD40.  If you'll be exposing the gun to a lot of dusty conditions, stick with WD40, applied well in advance of exposure to the dusty conditions, and put up with slightyly stiffer bolt slide, for the benifit of a lube that doesn't attract dust.

  LBT lap compound is available from LBT for $18,50 plus $6 postage.  That postage will also carry a few other items like lap plates and push through slugs or some bullet lube.  Email me, or call if you have further questions on it.  LBTisAccuracy@localnet.com       1 208 267 3588   Email is best as I'm rarely by the phone, but if you leave a message I'll call you back.