Abrasive Bullets affecting accuracy

[billmaly]

Cabela's has a set of abrasive coated bullets that is advertised to improve accuracy by smoothing out the riflin inside a handgun or rifle barrel. Anyone used these? Are they worth it? Looks like a  1 time treatment, the set costs @ $25 and have to be handloaded.

[Mikey]

billmaly:  the use of bullets coated with fine abrasives is what is referred to as 'lapping' or 'fire-lapping' the barrel to eliminate roughness to improve accuracy.  It is acutally creating a 'controlled wear' process.  It works for many types of firearms but if done improperly will create too much wear and you will, in effect, lose more accuracy because your barrel becomes shot out.  

You have to ask how much roughness you have in your barrel, whether it is the barrel itself or whether the roughness you see is the result of copper or lead fouling.  

You did not mention the type of handgun you are concerned about, or the type of use you put it through or the general type of ammunition you shoot.  All have an impact on whether you should consider lapping your barrel.  There might be other considerations you may wish to think about before implementing a controlled wearing process on the barrel of your handgun.  Hope this helps.  Mikey.

[KN]

I have done this to several barrels with mixed results. I have a Super Red Hawk that wasn't very accurate and it cut my groups by half. Thats about the best results I've had. A couple of other barrels didn't really change much. Never had a bad experience doing this but I was always carefull not to get too agressive with it. You may want to try some JB bore paste and a little elbow grease before going the fire lap route. Hope this helps,  KN

[billmaly]

I have but one handgun (for now), that would receive this process, if at all. It's a .357 GP100 that is used for target and hunting. The vast majority of the bullets coming out of it are 158 grain lead SWC's, atop 4 grains of Unique. I do have about 500 jacketed lead hollow points that I may load up for target loads as well (free bullets, might as well use them). I also shoot jacketed Hornady XTP's as a hunting round. But, most bullets will be 100% lead. I can usually put fist sized groups together at 25 yards using open sights.

Having said that, any benefit to fire lapping?

[osceola]

Before the use of a lapping compound, I would check the timing on all cylinders first.  Shooting 5 shots through each cylinder at a fresh target then going to the next cylinder and doing the same will tell you volumes.  It may not be something that lapping would improve.  If you get the cylinders to group at different areas on the target it might be time to visit a competant gunsmith.    A mis-aligned cylinder can cause major havoc to the forcing cone and one could end up in worse shape than they started.

[billmaly]

I don't think that's an issue. The gun is pretty new. I am not displeased with the accuracy here...I suspect the shooter is the main problem, but if something can be done to help make a good gun better, I think it's worth considering.

I'm getting a sense that this is one of those things that might do more harm then good. I am not displeased with this gun now, and maybe just ought to leave well enough alone.