How do you all polish your barrels?
- Thread starter Maizen
- Start date
orion the iguana hunter put out a video which I found quite helpful. you must be careful at the crown with your brush. The video is on youtube.
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I first clean bore with a few pull through patches to get out any loose stuff. Put a nylon bore brush on your rod, and wrap with a cotton patch. Saturate with JB paste, insert in breech end of barrel, scrub with advancing back and forth motion for length of barrel. Repeat the process until you're tired of it, or out of bourbon. Clean the bore again as normal with pull-through patches and your usual cleaning agent, I generally use Ballistol or WD-40.
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Tools
The tools needed are a cleaning rod with a ball bearing swivel [1], brass jag and cotton patches (or Brownell's VFG adapter and pellets), and a fine abrasive like J-B Bore Compound [2].
Step-by-step
1. Always work from the breech end to avoid any chance of damaging the crown. If you must work from the muzzle end, use a guide bushing or some equivalent means to protect the crown.
2. Lightly oil the patch with a low viscosity oil like Kroil or pneumatic tool oil. Not saturated and dripping, just a little. Then smear a uniform coating of the compound onto it.
3. Apply more strokes at the breech end and fewer as you make it toward the muzzle. A good place to start for most barrels is something like 25 strokes to 1/4 of the length, another 25 strokes to 1/2 of the length, 25 more to 3/4, and 25 more for the full length. In other words, you'll have applied a total of 100 strokes near the breech and just 25 at the muzzle. At first the friction will be quite high but you will soon notice it becoming easier as the compound does its thing. If not, congratulations...your bore is apparently already in good shape.
4. It pays to spend a little more time at the breech end to smooth the leade...specifically the leading edge of the rifling. Many barrels have a sharp step where the rifling begins, left behind by the blunt end of the reamer that was used to cut the leade. If that is left untreated, the pellet will tend to snag as it is being chambered, cutting it and causing it to chamber crooked. When I see a sharp step, I like to start with something more aggressive like 400 and 600 grit wet/dry on a dowel to break the edge. Or you can use a Cratex point (rubberized abrasive bit) if you’re careful. Then the polishing treatment further smooths the transition so pellets can ease into the rifling, staying neatly centered and undamaged.
5. Load a new patch when you feel the pressure against the inside walls of the bore has diminished quite a bit. If using the Brownell’s VFG adapter and felt pellets, you can incrementally thread the pellet down onto the taper (see photo above) to bump up the pressure again a few times until it eventually shreds. If using a brass jag and a cotton patch, replacement will need to be more frequent. It works fine though...don’t feel like you have to get the VFG stuff to do a good job.
6. Do not let the patch exit the muzzle, else a subtle bell mouth will develop. Clamping a stop block of some kind at the muzzle makes it easy to avoid so you can focus your attention on the fundamental goal.
7. When done, use a cotton swab to clean up any compound trapped in the leade or barrel port, then clean the bore until patches come out clean.
8. If so inclined, do a followup with a finer polish like J-B Bore Bright, Flitz, etc. I always do because it’s a small additional effort compared to setting up and dragging out my supplies. I usually apply about half as many strokes as with the previous compound.
9. Clean again, reassemble and test!
Footnotes:
1. Cleaning rod: The purpose of a ball-bearing rod is so the scrubbing action follows the rifling. Some guys don’t concern themselves with this aspect and seem to get satisfactory results (e.g. Ernest Rowe) but it seems to me it misses the tiny inside corners of the rifling where lead really wants to accumulate. These comments assume a traditional rifling geometry. I doubt it matters much with a rifling that has a gentle transition between the hills and valleys (e.g. polygonal).
2. Abrasives: If you're wanting to improvise different abrasive compounds, try them on a piece of polished steel like a knife blade and see if it hazes the surface or takes it to a finer polish. In order to help knock down the surface fretting left over from the drawing and/or rifling processes, most new bores are going to benefit from starting with something coarse enough to haze a polished surface. Then move on to a finer compound if desired.
The tools needed are a cleaning rod with a ball bearing swivel [1], brass jag and cotton patches (or Brownell's VFG adapter and pellets), and a fine abrasive like J-B Bore Compound [2].
Step-by-step
1. Always work from the breech end to avoid any chance of damaging the crown. If you must work from the muzzle end, use a guide bushing or some equivalent means to protect the crown.
2. Lightly oil the patch with a low viscosity oil like Kroil or pneumatic tool oil. Not saturated and dripping, just a little. Then smear a uniform coating of the compound onto it.
3. Apply more strokes at the breech end and fewer as you make it toward the muzzle. A good place to start for most barrels is something like 25 strokes to 1/4 of the length, another 25 strokes to 1/2 of the length, 25 more to 3/4, and 25 more for the full length. In other words, you'll have applied a total of 100 strokes near the breech and just 25 at the muzzle. At first the friction will be quite high but you will soon notice it becoming easier as the compound does its thing. If not, congratulations...your bore is apparently already in good shape.
4. It pays to spend a little more time at the breech end to smooth the leade...specifically the leading edge of the rifling. Many barrels have a sharp step where the rifling begins, left behind by the blunt end of the reamer that was used to cut the leade. If that is left untreated, the pellet will tend to snag as it is being chambered, cutting it and causing it to chamber crooked. When I see a sharp step, I like to start with something more aggressive like 400 and 600 grit wet/dry on a dowel to break the edge. Or you can use a Cratex point (rubberized abrasive bit) if you’re careful. Then the polishing treatment further smooths the transition so pellets can ease into the rifling, staying neatly centered and undamaged.
5. Load a new patch when you feel the pressure against the inside walls of the bore has diminished quite a bit. If using the Brownell’s VFG adapter and felt pellets, you can incrementally thread the pellet down onto the taper (see photo above) to bump up the pressure again a few times until it eventually shreds. If using a brass jag and a cotton patch, replacement will need to be more frequent. It works fine though...don’t feel like you have to get the VFG stuff to do a good job.
6. Do not let the patch exit the muzzle, else a subtle bell mouth will develop. Clamping a stop block of some kind at the muzzle makes it easy to avoid so you can focus your attention on the fundamental goal.
7. When done, use a cotton swab to clean up any compound trapped in the leade or barrel port, then clean the bore until patches come out clean.
8. If so inclined, do a followup with a finer polish like J-B Bore Bright, Flitz, etc. I always do because it’s a small additional effort compared to setting up and dragging out my supplies. I usually apply about half as many strokes as with the previous compound.
9. Clean again, reassemble and test!
Footnotes:
1. Cleaning rod: The purpose of a ball-bearing rod is so the scrubbing action follows the rifling. Some guys don’t concern themselves with this aspect and seem to get satisfactory results (e.g. Ernest Rowe) but it seems to me it misses the tiny inside corners of the rifling where lead really wants to accumulate. These comments assume a traditional rifling geometry. I doubt it matters much with a rifling that has a gentle transition between the hills and valleys (e.g. polygonal).
2. Abrasives: If you're wanting to improvise different abrasive compounds, try them on a piece of polished steel like a knife blade and see if it hazes the surface or takes it to a finer polish. In order to help knock down the surface fretting left over from the drawing and/or rifling processes, most new bores are going to benefit from starting with something coarse enough to haze a polished surface. Then move on to a finer compound if desired.
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ALWAYS slug your barrel to make sure you won't be opening up the bore too much. Ruined one of my barrels with the slightest of polishes because the bore was so loose from the get-go! It used to be super accurate, and not pellet picky. Still waiting on a new barrel from across the pond for that gun.
Upvote 0
Tools
The tools needed are a cleaning rod with a ball bearing swivel [1], brass jag and cotton patches (or Brownell's VFG adapter and pellets), and a fine abrasive like J-B Bore Compound [2].
Step-by-step
1. Always work from the breech end to avoid any chance of damaging the crown. If you must work from the muzzle end, use a guide bushing or some equivalent means to protect the crown.
2. Lightly oil the patch with a low viscosity oil like Kroil or pneumatic tool oil. Not saturated and dripping, just a little. Then smear a uniform coating of the compound onto it.
3. Apply more strokes at the breech end and fewer as you make it toward the muzzle. A good place to start for most barrels is something like 25 strokes to 1/4 of the length, another 25 strokes to 1/2 of the length, 25 more to 3/4, and 25 more for the full length. In other words, you'll have applied a total of 100 strokes near the breech and just 25 at the muzzle. At first the friction will be quite high but you will soon notice it becoming easier as the compound does its thing. If not, congratulations...your bore is apparently already in good shape.
4. It pays to spend a little more time at the breech end to smooth the leade...specifically the leading edge of the rifling. Many barrels have a sharp step where the rifling begins, left behind by the blunt end of the reamer that was used to cut the leade. If that is left untreated, the pellet will tend to snag as it is being chambered, cutting it and causing it to chamber crooked. When I see a sharp step, I like to start with something more aggressive like 400 and 600 grit wet/dry on a dowel to break the edge. Or you can use a Cratex point (rubberized abrasive bit) if you’re careful. Then the polishing treatment further smooths the transition so pellets can ease into the rifling, staying neatly centered and undamaged.
5. Load a new patch when you feel the pressure against the inside walls of the bore has diminished quite a bit. If using the Brownell’s VFG adapter and felt pellets, you can incrementally thread the pellet down onto the taper (see photo above) to bump up the pressure again a few times until it eventually shreds. If using a brass jag and a cotton patch, replacement will need to be more frequent. It works fine though...don’t feel like you have to get the VFG stuff to do a good job.
6. Do not let the patch exit the muzzle, else a subtle bell mouth will develop. Clamping a stop block of some kind at the muzzle makes it easy to avoid so you can focus your attention on the fundamental goal.
7. When done, use a cotton swab to clean up any compound trapped in the leade or barrel port, then clean the bore until patches come out clean.
8. If so inclined, do a followup with a finer polish like J-B Bore Bright, Flitz, etc. I always do because it’s a small additional effort compared to setting up and dragging out my supplies. I usually apply about half as many strokes as with the previous compound.
9. Clean again, reassemble and test!
Footnotes:
1. Cleaning rod: The purpose of a ball-bearing rod is so the scrubbing action follows the rifling. Some guys don’t concern themselves with this aspect and seem to get satisfactory results (e.g. Ernest Rowe) but it seems to me it misses the tiny inside corners of the rifling where lead really wants to accumulate. These comments assume a traditional rifling geometry. I doubt it matters much with a rifling that has a gentle transition between the hills and valleys (e.g. polygonal).
2. Abrasives: If you're wanting to improvise different abrasive compounds, try them on a piece of polished steel like a knife blade and see if it hazes the surface or takes it to a finer polish. In order to help knock down the surface fretting left over from the drawing and/or rifling processes, most new bores are going to benefit from starting with something coarse enough to haze a polished surface. Then move on to a finer compound if desired.
Thank you! I do have to work from the muzzle end though
.Upvote 0
remove barrel from receiver
mono fishing line with loop in the middle
long patch impregnated with water diluted Turtle Wax Heavy Duty Cleaner paste placed in loop
run the line up the barrel from the breech
pull patch back and forth until you are "out of bourbon"
clean it thoroughly!!!!!!
***This cannot be done with the barrel on the gun as you would be cramming paste into the transfer port***
mono fishing line with loop in the middle
long patch impregnated with water diluted Turtle Wax Heavy Duty Cleaner paste placed in loop
run the line up the barrel from the breech
pull patch back and forth until you are "out of bourbon"
clean it thoroughly!!!!!!
***This cannot be done with the barrel on the gun as you would be cramming paste into the transfer port***
Upvote 0
Upvote 0
Tools
The tools needed are a cleaning rod with a ball bearing swivel [1], brass jag and cotton patches (or Brownell's VFG adapter and pellets), and a fine abrasive like J-B Bore Compound [2].
Step-by-step
1. Always work from the breech end to avoid any chance of damaging the crown. If you must work from the muzzle end, use a guide bushing or some equivalent means to protect the crown.
2. Lightly oil the patch with a low viscosity oil like Kroil or pneumatic tool oil. Not saturated and dripping, just a little. Then smear a uniform coating of the compound onto it.
3. Apply more strokes at the breech end and fewer as you make it toward the muzzle. A good place to start for most barrels is something like 25 strokes to 1/4 of the length, another 25 strokes to 1/2 of the length, 25 more to 3/4, and 25 more for the full length. In other words, you'll have applied a total of 100 strokes near the breech and just 25 at the muzzle. At first the friction will be quite high but you will soon notice it becoming easier as the compound does its thing. If not, congratulations...your bore is apparently already in good shape.
4. It pays to spend a little more time at the breech end to smooth the leade...specifically the leading edge of the rifling. Many barrels have a sharp step where the rifling begins, left behind by the blunt end of the reamer that was used to cut the leade. If that is left untreated, the pellet will tend to snag as it is being chambered, cutting it and causing it to chamber crooked. When I see a sharp step, I like to start with something more aggressive like 400 and 600 grit wet/dry on a dowel to break the edge. Or you can use a Cratex point (rubberized abrasive bit) if you’re careful. Then the polishing treatment further smooths the transition so pellets can ease into the rifling, staying neatly centered and undamaged.
5. Load a new patch when you feel the pressure against the inside walls of the bore has diminished quite a bit. If using the Brownell’s VFG adapter and felt pellets, you can incrementally thread the pellet down onto the taper (see photo above) to bump up the pressure again a few times until it eventually shreds. If using a brass jag and a cotton patch, replacement will need to be more frequent. It works fine though...don’t feel like you have to get the VFG stuff to do a good job.
6. Do not let the patch exit the muzzle, else a subtle bell mouth will develop. Clamping a stop block of some kind at the muzzle makes it easy to avoid so you can focus your attention on the fundamental goal.
7. When done, use a cotton swab to clean up any compound trapped in the leade or barrel port, then clean the bore until patches come out clean.
8. If so inclined, do a followup with a finer polish like J-B Bore Bright, Flitz, etc. I always do because it’s a small additional effort compared to setting up and dragging out my supplies. I usually apply about half as many strokes as with the previous compound.
9. Clean again, reassemble and test!
Footnotes:
1. Cleaning rod: The purpose of a ball-bearing rod is so the scrubbing action follows the rifling. Some guys don’t concern themselves with this aspect and seem to get satisfactory results (e.g. Ernest Rowe) but it seems to me it misses the tiny inside corners of the rifling where lead really wants to accumulate. These comments assume a traditional rifling geometry. I doubt it matters much with a rifling that has a gentle transition between the hills and valleys (e.g. polygonal).
2. Abrasives: If you're wanting to improvise different abrasive compounds, try them on a piece of polished steel like a knife blade and see if it hazes the surface or takes it to a finer polish. In order to help knock down the surface fretting left over from the drawing and/or rifling processes, most new bores are going to benefit from starting with something coarse enough to haze a polished surface. Then move on to a finer compound if desired.
Thank you! I do have to work from the muzzle end though.
Do not work from the muzzle. You'll end up with a loose crown, and you will lose accuracy. Get a patch worm and work from the breech
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