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Barrel Polishing Question?
- Thread starter Painterman
- Start date
I've never polished a barrel that didn't show a noticeable difference in accuracy, leaning better, once completed, so long as it is done correctly. The noticeable difference varies depending on the barrel. Especially a barrel that screams I was one of the last couple hundred or so made before the tooling was changed. This will show up with the use of a bore scope to examine the lands or by pushing a pellet down the barrel and examining the striations left on the pellet. Getting the lands polished while removing as little material as possible is ideal but it must be done very symmetrically. There are many wrong ways to go about this and a good hand full of right ways. Don't get in a hurry and do your homework if not familiar with how to accomplish this. Ask an accomplished smith how to go about it or let one do it for you. The way I go about it would take a good 20/30 min phone call. No way am I typing all that out. It's not difficult just time consuming and the correct supplies are a must.
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I've successfully used 3M Tri-M-ITE Wet Dry Polishing Abrasive Paper 400-8,000 grit, cut and wrapped evenly around a oil-wet mop. This stuff works great for knocking down high or rough spots, polishing in or even removing a choke, and carefully making and smoothing a lead ramp.
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Aw, screw it. For the procedure you need JB bore cleaning compound, a high-quality cleaning rod preferably with ball bearing handle, synthetic or carbon fiber, 8 or so bore mops (good ones), Flitz polish, machine oil, and patience. Remove the barrel from the gun entirely. Lock it down in a vice, however you choose without having to clamp too hard and damage the barrel. Some sort of padding around the barrel to protect it from the vice or use a barrel vice. ALWAYS work from breech to muzzle and do not under any circumstances allow the mops to exit the muzzle end whatsoever. This will damage the crown. Make sure your barrel is very clean before you start. This is important, very clean! Install a mop onto your high-quality cleaning rod. Apply a small amount of JB bore cleaning compound to the mop and spread it around with your clean fingers, using nitrile gloves wouldn't hurt. Work the polish back and forth along the first 5" of the barrel starting from the breech end for say a 20 ish inch barrel. Work it back and forth for 20 strokes. Use a different mop to apply a small amount of machine oil to the area just worked to aid in cleaning the surface metal removed by the bore compound. Toss the first mop. Get a new mop and repeat the polishing process for the first 10" of the barrel then use the mop with machine oil on it adding a small amount more to clean the 10" area. So now the first 5" will have 40 strokes and the second 5" will have 20 strokes. Toss the second polishing mop and get another. Repeat the polishing process with JB on the mop 15" down the barrel, 20 more strokes. Now the first 5" will have 60 strokes, the second 5" will have 40 strokes and the third will have 20. Clean with machine oil mop. If machine oil mop is looking nasty start with a fresh one with fresh oil applied. Then toss the third polishing mop. Repeat the polishing process the entire length of the barrel and do not allow the mop to exit the muzzle end. So now first 5" 80 strokes, second 5" 60 strokes, third 5" 40 strokes and the last 5" 20 strokes. Clean entire barrel with machine oil mop then toss it. Clean the barrel very well to remove all polish and debris. Now run the entire length of the barrel with a fresh mop with Flitz polish on it for 20 or so strokes. Do not allow the mop to exit the muzzle end. Use a fresh mop to remove most of the Flitz polish, clean the barrel thoroughly, re-install the barrel and go shoot. After a short time, you should notice tighter groups. The effectiveness of this process will depend on the state of your barrel. However, you should notice that you now have better groupings at longer range. Results will vary, leaning better if done correctly. This is my method for polishing gun barrels. Works great for me hope it helps someone else.
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The guns this was done too were already accurate. Now they are more so, especially at longer range shooting. There is always room for improvement until there isn't. Manufacturers will only go so far. To each his own though.
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One thing to consider. IME having done this to my barrels, even though already accurate enough, are now much more forgiving and allow me to use a broader range of pellet brands, weights, head sizes, etc...
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