Barrel re-hab post #173. Is this going to work?

[Deavis]

Greetings,

By BP introduction, I owned a .50 Hawken for a time and currently own a .45 Huntsman converted to open ignition which may be for sale soon if I can get this sorted.

A buddy had a .50 Lyman trade rifle that was shot years ago and not cleaned.

Three days of Evaporust, filtering the chemical and running patches (like 100).

Then Kroil and using a light fitting brass brush with my cordless driver.

More Kroil, more brush, more patches.

There is some, rough pitting about 3" down the bore. See photo.

The rest looks OK.

If it were a normal rifle I chop it.

Planning on bore butter and shooting soon.

Do you think it will work? Perform?

Should I be doing something more?

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[Andy54Hawken]

I'd shoot it first.
I have seen worse bores that still shot fine.
Andy

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Is this your rifle now or is it still his? If it's yours and does not perform there is always Bobby Hoyt.

 

[Deavis]

I was going to flat buy it then saw the bore. He said take it and clean / shoot it.

I can pay him or return it!

Nothing else to do with that scaling? Steel wool around a brush and the cordless?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Steel wool around a brush and a cordless might help....
But again....If it was mine...I'd shoot it first and see what I was dealing with.
Andy

 

[drstrangelove]

Rifling is still pretty sharp. I would use bronze wool on a jag and remove the rust. Try to fill the pitting with a few bare minie ball shots, only spit swabbing between shots. If you can get the lead to level with the bore, switch to PRB only and don't use lead solvent in the future. The lead should prevent further rust pitting. Ok to oil bore for storage but not with ballistol. It eats lead.

 

[Deavis]

Warning: further reading will expose you to very aggressive methods which may be objectionable by some readers.


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I could not take the thought of that scaling and pitting gouging soft lead and sending it Willy nilly down range.

I utilized a small diamond round file to carefully knock down the hard rough edges and followed with a used M16 chamber brush and more Kroil and patches.

The result was a MUCH better looking bore and I can run a rod and patches down with feeling those rough spots nearly as much (like I don't need a slide hammer to pull the rod out.

Maybe some JP bore base, solid cleaning and bore butter and off to the range.

How it performs we will see.....