OK, I lied. I didn't have a ton of unique, I had a ton of Universal...So I bought a can of 700X. I decided to do the lapping in my workshop using a 5 gal bucket of sawdust as the back stop. Mistake! I had to add several layers of old towels. The first two bullets went out of the bucket and into my wall. didn't stick but dang, that would have left a mark! I figured I'd use the same case for all 20 shots and then just toss it. Mistake #2. The case mouths get so worn after a couple of shots that the bullets don't build up enough pressure and the powder doesn't burn right. The end result is a bullet gets stuck in the bore. That brings me to discovery number three. When opneing the falling block of a Sharps in which a bullet has become stuck in the bore, be double sure the breech is pointing toward a safe zone. That case comes a flying out of there like hells-a-popping. Fortunately, God loves me and protects fools from their own idiocy. The case ricocheted off my ceiling and slamed into the work bench. Subsequent stuck bullets resulted in cases flung 30 feet across the yard so they do come out with force. Discovery number 4. As case mouths wear, and bullet friction decreases with the subsequent fall in pressure, one must increase the powder charge by as much as 1.5 grains or bullets stuck in the barrel will drive you nuts. Discovery number 5, Veral is dead on right about using a cold rolled steel rod near bore diameter and a heavy hammer to drive the bullet out. Nothing bad happens and the bore is not hurt in the least. So, twenty rounds later and what do I get?
Well, first of all, I need to add that I also did his bore polishing technique using an undersized brush, a patch covered in lap compound and 30 strokes full length of the bore.
After careful cleaning with Balistol the bore shines like never before. The patches go through evenly without any extra drag spots. They even seem to grip the rifleing better. I won't know how it shoots until next Saturday when I get it to the range. I am not looking for better accuracy, just much less leading at moderate velocities. I use PB bullets, hard cast from #2 Alloy lube4d with LBT soft blue and 29.5 grns of 5744 behind a 500 grn LBT LFN. Cases are 45-90 Bell.
The load I settled on for lapping was as follows:
45-90 BELL case once fired and unsized. CCI large rifle primers. Bullets were LBT 500 grn LFNs cast from wheel weights at .460 Powder charge was 4.5 grns of 700X to start and 5.5 grns at the end.
This was a messy job. I sure hope it pays off.
