Did the search and read through what little has been said about fire-lapping an airgun barrel. I'm often amazed at the collective knowledge we've got here and I'd guess we've got some (hopefully) experience-based insight amongst the members.....
So, I bought and had a barrel kinda-machined that I'd like to improve. It's an unchoked .22, meant to be a rather high-power output barrel, something like 45-55fpe would be plenty for me. (well, by my opinion of power cut-offs "high", many these days would consider it mid-power probably). Absolutely abysmal with slugs, pretty ho-hum with .22 MRDs, but better with them than slugs. Honestly would be pleased to get it to shoot a 23+ grain slug at a decent speed ACCURATELY, or the .22 Monster RD pellet better than it does now. Pushing anything through it gives a catch and grabby sensation the whole length, like "loose, tight, loose tight." Rifling engravings on pellets/slugs pushed through show that the lands are rough as your average section of asphalt (ROUGH!).
The first big improvement was when I gave it a leade. Prior to that it'd barely hit paper, and "chambering" a pellet took some oomph on the side lever. The crown could maybe use a little help, but it's not horrible.
I'm thinking of fire-lapping the dude, as there's not much to lose. I was planning on slathering some JB bore paste in the breech, mashing the heaviest slug I've got (most bearing surface) in behind the slug, and letting loose 15 or 20 times and then pulling the barrel, cleaning it up and then pushing a pellet through to see if it's still feels as stop and go as somebody learning to drive a stick like it does now. A friend suggested the Eun Jin/Seneca type pellets that essentially have lube grooves in the head (ala muzzleloader minie ball), so that it'll carry more abrasive agent.
Is JB bore paste abrasive enough to get anywhere by using it this way? If not, what would be a suggested alternative agent?
Anyone had success with improving a barrel in this manner?
So, I bought and had a barrel kinda-machined that I'd like to improve. It's an unchoked .22, meant to be a rather high-power output barrel, something like 45-55fpe would be plenty for me. (well, by my opinion of power cut-offs "high", many these days would consider it mid-power probably). Absolutely abysmal with slugs, pretty ho-hum with .22 MRDs, but better with them than slugs. Honestly would be pleased to get it to shoot a 23+ grain slug at a decent speed ACCURATELY, or the .22 Monster RD pellet better than it does now. Pushing anything through it gives a catch and grabby sensation the whole length, like "loose, tight, loose tight." Rifling engravings on pellets/slugs pushed through show that the lands are rough as your average section of asphalt (ROUGH!).
The first big improvement was when I gave it a leade. Prior to that it'd barely hit paper, and "chambering" a pellet took some oomph on the side lever. The crown could maybe use a little help, but it's not horrible.
I'm thinking of fire-lapping the dude, as there's not much to lose. I was planning on slathering some JB bore paste in the breech, mashing the heaviest slug I've got (most bearing surface) in behind the slug, and letting loose 15 or 20 times and then pulling the barrel, cleaning it up and then pushing a pellet through to see if it's still feels as stop and go as somebody learning to drive a stick like it does now. A friend suggested the Eun Jin/Seneca type pellets that essentially have lube grooves in the head (ala muzzleloader minie ball), so that it'll carry more abrasive agent.
Is JB bore paste abrasive enough to get anywhere by using it this way? If not, what would be a suggested alternative agent?
Anyone had success with improving a barrel in this manner?
