Lapping a barrel

T

the blur

New member
I took my rifle to a local gun smith. Just for a cleaning & copper removal. Maybe 500 rounds through the barrel.

He sold me a lapping job. I think I was sold.

any reason to do a lapping job when a rifle is already accurate?
 
If its not broke, don't fix it. If you want to pay a gunsmith to clean it its your $. But based on what was recommended and done, I would not go there for anything.
 
Did the smith mention and show you evidence of damage/roughness in the bore that might be contributing to fast copper accumulation? I would consider it under those circumstances. I suspect there's more to the story.
 
I was definitely sold by a new gun smith in the shop. I never needed to lap a barrel before. Not sure how it takes life off the barrel, but we'll see. Live & learn.
 
I wouldn’t worry about any extra wear on the barrel, they don’t wear out in the bore. Throat erosion is how they were out. It might even extend the life if it doesn’t require cleaning out excessive copper buildup due to a rough bore.
 
I was definitely sold by a new gun smith in the shop. I never needed to lap a barrel before. Not sure how it takes life off the barrel, but we'll see. Live & learn.
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Nobody "needs" to lap a bore, but there is a reason why the finest barrel makers do it as part of their finishing. Really depends on what your definition of "accurate" is. My personal view is a finely finished bore means slower fouling accumulation and less intense bore cleaning.

You sound like you may feel like you were "suckered" into something you don't really need. I'd call him up and ask for a simple explanation of why it's needed. You can also ask him to clean the bore first--and upon finding good evidence that the bore needs lapping to let you know before doing it. I get barrels all the time that have damage to the bores and DO affect fouling and accuracy.

You leave the maintenance of your guns to someone else--you'll always be "at their mercy."
 
I took my rifle to a local gun smith. Just for a cleaning & copper removal.
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1. Why did you think it needed it ?
Had the rifle shown you a problem ?
...rifle is already accurate
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2. What are you regarding as 'accurate' ?
(See #1 above as part of that question)
 
Unless he has some way of holding the lap in place that will not wear the throat, your rifle will lose accuracy when lapped. There's a reason barrel makers reccommend cutting off 1" from each end of the barrel. Lapping wears the barrel, especially at the ends of the strokes.
 
What mean "Sold"; ..... Rambo

He sold me a lapping job. I think I was sold.
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Kindly qualify; "Sold"...... :confused:

Did he talk you into doing this extra work and you give him permission to do so? ...... :confused:

Or did he take the initiative and do the extra work without your knowledge. ??

I think you already have the answer to this question. ....... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
Following a process I found in a 1930 something gunsmith book by Clyde Baker,
I lapped a barrel once. It was not chambered or crowned yet. I cast the lead laps in the bore around a modified brass wood screw attached to a one piece GI cleaning rod.

This was a poor barrel,with definite tight/loose spots. Did I work miracles? Well, I worked out the tight spots,and it tapered slightly smaller at the muzzle.It took time and effort and I learned appreciation for good barrelmakers.
I screwed it in a Rolling Block . Made a 40-70 Sharps reamer on my own with a spin-dex rigged to a Bridgeport that was spinning a cup wheel on a slotting saw arbor. Reamer cut good!
So it was my leap into BPCR ,getting started casting bullets.

Thats a whole lot of new ground to cover. Did I get great results? Nothing I'd brag about. Between 3 and 4in at 100 yds, And truth be told... I leaned it in some corner. I had an interest fizzle.There is a lot to learn with BPCR.

But I did learn that its extremely unlikely, if I buy a quality custom barrel.that I, as Bubba Gun Hack am going to do anything to improve a Kreiger or Bartlein or Lilja or Douglas barrel.

What I have done is taken a loser,copper smearing 2.5 MOA barrel ...one of those < $ 100 "bargain" Brownway or Midells barrels.....And figuring I had nothing to lose, I fire lapped it with cast 30-30 bullets and some mold polishing diamond compound . It was a "No Worries" project.

That doggone barrel quit fouling and started shooting about 1 MOA at 300 yds!

I'm done with "bargain" barrels. But I'd firelap a barrel where I figured I had nothing to lose.
 
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What I have done is taken a loser,copper smearing 2.5 MOA barrel ...one of those < $ 100 "bargain"
Brownway or Midells barrels.....And figuring I had nothing to lose, I fire lapped it with cast 30-30 bullets
and some mold polishing diamond compound . It was a "No Worries" project.

That doggone barrel quit fouling and started shooting about 1 MOA at 300 yds!
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In that same light, I've used Tubbs Final Finish (preloaded grit-embedded bullets) on 5 barrels for the same reason(s) over the years -- to the same effect.
 
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