I picked up a slightly used .222 Remington 700 BDL a few months back for local varmint control but have just lately begun working up loads for it. I have noticed that the barrel occassionally cuts the bullet. I have noticed on two occassions neat rings of copper coming out on the cleaning rod. I am guessing that there are still sharp edges where the rifling begins and these are cutting the bullets and lodging in the freebore cut into the barrel. There has been no trouble chambering rounds and the gun shoots around 1" or slightly better with the Hornady 50gr. V max's. I have dispatched two varmints with two shots so far with the rifle since I began carrying it a few weeks ago. Should I lap the barrel? What do you use and how?
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Interesting problem
- Thread starter ronl
- Start date
thedaddycat
New member
As far as lapping the barrel goes, I have a question. On accurized rifles and sites discussing them a lot of them say "hand lapped barrel". Above is mentioned fire lapping. I recall reading about fire lapping years ago in one of the gun mags I used to get. Maybe things have changed, but isn't that pretty much just shooting with a film of fine-grained abrasive like Clover Compound? Are there any advantages to one type of lapping over the other?
I have an unfired Mini-14 and I know that a barrel needs proper break in if it's to be decently accurate. What would the best procedure be, hand lap first, fire lap, normal break-in?
Not trying to hijack the thread, but I figured it was applicable to both of us...
I have an unfired Mini-14 and I know that a barrel needs proper break in if it's to be decently accurate. What would the best procedure be, hand lap first, fire lap, normal break-in?
Not trying to hijack the thread, but I figured it was applicable to both of us...
hand lapping:
A lead cast is taken of a small section of barrel. The cast is coated with oil, and rolled in abrasive compound. You now have a semi-elastic mold of the bore. Put the thing in the bore, work it in and out, focus on tight spots, and when finished, the bore is smoothed, and in theory, far more uniform from chamber to crown. Recrown barrel.
This is the old, reliable, long time method that still works. it is advisable to do this before, and then after swaging rifling. rough spots in the barrel are swaged right into the rifling. Same occurs in hammer forged barrels, a rough drill hole is still a rough barrel. There are few cut rifle barrels anymore, so it's moot when to lap them.
Fire lapping:
A kit with several cartridges is ordered. The cartridges are impregnated with several grades of abrasive. The barrels is cleaned utterly spotless. The first round of cartridges is fired, cutting off sharp spots and cleaning up rough spots. Bore is scrupulously cleaned again. The next level is fired, and repeat process. The last round polishes the bore. You are supposed to get a bore that is uniform from back to front, with the very first inch of rifling setting the pattern for the rest of the barrel.
Controversial. I have no opinion.
Unless there is a problem, I suggest NOT lapping.
A lead cast is taken of a small section of barrel. The cast is coated with oil, and rolled in abrasive compound. You now have a semi-elastic mold of the bore. Put the thing in the bore, work it in and out, focus on tight spots, and when finished, the bore is smoothed, and in theory, far more uniform from chamber to crown. Recrown barrel.
This is the old, reliable, long time method that still works. it is advisable to do this before, and then after swaging rifling. rough spots in the barrel are swaged right into the rifling. Same occurs in hammer forged barrels, a rough drill hole is still a rough barrel. There are few cut rifle barrels anymore, so it's moot when to lap them.
Fire lapping:
A kit with several cartridges is ordered. The cartridges are impregnated with several grades of abrasive. The barrels is cleaned utterly spotless. The first round of cartridges is fired, cutting off sharp spots and cleaning up rough spots. Bore is scrupulously cleaned again. The next level is fired, and repeat process. The last round polishes the bore. You are supposed to get a bore that is uniform from back to front, with the very first inch of rifling setting the pattern for the rest of the barrel.
Controversial. I have no opinion.
Unless there is a problem, I suggest NOT lapping.
handlerer2
New member
The only thing I can imagine is the bullet is swageing when contacting the lands. The varmint bullets have very thin jackets. The process of swageing can create some mushrooming. This mushroom could be clipped as the bullet exits the chamber and moves into the bore.
Have you thought about trying a sturdier bullet? Like a Nosler Partition, TTX, or Scirocco , if they make them in .224. A harder bullet might not swage as bad as a VMAX.
I can only remember of hearing of one other similar incident.An OP in another forum, told a story with pics about an experience on safari. A so called PH, took a customers rifle from him after wounding an animal, to finish it. The rifle was a MKV< 300 WBY. The PH reloaded and fired a 338WM instead of a 300WBY round. The bullet was swaged and actually exited w/o the PH knowing that he had seriously messed up the clients rifle. He had to do the hustle to get back to the states w/o opening the bolt, which was frozen.
When a gunsmith finally got it open the brass had flowed all over the ejector and notches, but there were supposedly copper slivers cut from the bullet moulded around the edge of the freebore? That PH was very lucky!
This sounds sort of plausible but I don't know any way to find out. Only try different bullets.
Have you thought about trying a sturdier bullet? Like a Nosler Partition, TTX, or Scirocco , if they make them in .224. A harder bullet might not swage as bad as a VMAX.
I can only remember of hearing of one other similar incident.An OP in another forum, told a story with pics about an experience on safari. A so called PH, took a customers rifle from him after wounding an animal, to finish it. The rifle was a MKV< 300 WBY. The PH reloaded and fired a 338WM instead of a 300WBY round. The bullet was swaged and actually exited w/o the PH knowing that he had seriously messed up the clients rifle. He had to do the hustle to get back to the states w/o opening the bolt, which was frozen.
When a gunsmith finally got it open the brass had flowed all over the ejector and notches, but there were supposedly copper slivers cut from the bullet moulded around the edge of the freebore? That PH was very lucky!
This sounds sort of plausible but I don't know any way to find out. Only try different bullets.