Lapping a new barrell??

[HogginHank]

I have a few guns with custom barrels and now all about "breaking a barrel in" but I am amazed that I NEVER knew that all barrels weren't factory lapped

I have a couple Douglas Air Gauged barrels and a Hart barrell that I am pretty sure they are lapped before sent to the gunsmiths??

With that said I recently bought a 223 Youth Handi-Rifle for my 6 year old boy and I found some good info on a" Handi-Rifle" forum that talked about Lapping your barrell with some abrasives to take some of the sharp edges off of the grooves..

Any of you experienced professional or "At Home" gun smith folks recommend this on a new gun..If so what are some chemicals and methods for this..Thanks in advance..

[Rocky Raab]

The way it's done by the pros is to cast a lead slug in the bore (around the end of a stiff rod). The the slug is partially pulled out - you'll never get it back it if it comes all the way out - and coated with a fine abrasive paste. Then the slug is worked back and forth with smooth, full strokes, staying the bore the whole time.

When the first slug gets loose, the process is repeated by casting another slug and using a finer grade of abrasive. A third slug may even be used to get a mirror-smooth finish.

It's a skilled task. Keeping the slug in the bore both ways is tough, and so is pushing/pulling on the rod while never allowing it to touch the rifling. It also wears out your arm - in a hurry!

I've done it myself. Once. I had a revolver barrel with some light rust pitting, and it leaded up pronto with cast bullets. I got the bright idea to lap it. Brother! What a job.

There are also what are called fire lap kits. You fire abrasive-coated lead bullets at low speed down your bore. While this technique might rescue a really poor or fouled bore, I'd NEVER do it on a new gun. Ever. It's strictly a last chance, last try kind of thing. If fire-lapping doesn't help, you'd throw the barrel away anyway.

[Lone Star]

I have a few guns with custom barrels and now all about "breaking a barrel in" but I am amazed that I NEVER knew that all barrels weren't factory lapped
I have a couple Douglas Air Gauged barrels and a Hart barrell that I am pretty sure they are lapped before sent to the gunsmiths??

You are confusing custom barrels with factory rifle barrels. Most custom barrels from accuracy barrelsmiths are done (Hart's are all lapped, some Douglas barrels are lapped) but I'm not aware of any of the major gunmakers using lapped barrels. Like Rocky said this is a labor-intensive job and would greatly increase the cost of factory rifle barrels.

[Catfish]

I have fire lapped several barrels with mixed results. I only fire lap them if I`m convinced they have a problem. Lapping of fire lapping a barrel has about the impact on a barrel as fireing 500 to 1,000 rounds through it, your wearing out your barrel. I had 1 Douglas barrel that was suposed to be air gaged that was rougher than a cob and would not group at all untill fire lapped. I think the guy that built my gun lied to me abt. the barrel. I fire lapped a barrel that became fouled with Molly and got it to shooting again. Other than those 2 I have never gained much in accuracy, but they are eaiser to clean. Personally I recomand lapping or fire lapping as a last resort.

[HogginHank]

Thanks for the replies.. I will just clean my new handi-rifle, like all new guns I get and go to the range and send a few down at the paper..Thanks again.

[royinidaho]

I'll let ya know in a month or so, maybe longer.

Gonna replace a 338 Win bbl, (darn good shootin' one too) with a new unfired sporter weight REM 700 take off 338 Rum bbl.

I already have the Tubbs Final Finish abrasive bullets to to the job.

This is pretty much an experiment. I just like to learn new stuff.

I've heard good things from people that have used the process on new and aged barrels.

We'll see