Read a lot on here about firelapping... My SBHH in .45Colt has had its throats reamed to .4525 and I shoot .452 hard cast plain base bullets.
The revolver shoots much better than I do...even I can put all of 'em in a 4" circle at 100yds from the bench. After shooting for a year and never being able to get the barrel perfectly clean, someone told me about using a copper scrubbing pad. After a few strokes I got out a couple thin strips of lead...
With the gun shooting beyond my ability; even with lead in the barrel, is there any reason to firelap the barrel? What is considered "excessive leading"?

Thanks guys,

Jim

Good grief, I wouldn't mess with a thing!

When accuracy suffers, clean it. You might could go thru a break in procedure or shoot some jacketed to smooth out the barrel to get easier cleaning but who cares. How many rounds do you fire before the accuracy goes away?

Read a lot on here about firelapping... My SBHH in .45Colt has had its throats reamed to .4525 and I shoot .452 hard cast plain base bullets.
The revolver shoots much better than I do...even I can put all of 'em in a 4" circle at 100yds from the bench. After shooting for a year and never being able to get the barrel perfectly clean, someone told me about using a copper scrubbing pad. After a few strokes I got out a couple thin strips of lead...
With the gun shooting beyond my ability; even with lead in the barrel, is there any reason to firelap the barrel? What is considered "excessive leading"?

Thanks guys,

Jim

My opinion -- don't touch it, my friend, except for frequent shooting and cleaning as needed! What little roughness that may be there will sort itself out eventually.

I would be happy with that group at 100 yds. I am happy with a 1.5" group at 25 with my 44 mag SBH 7.5 with iron sights. At my age 100 yds is a scoped weapon, and not a six gun with iron sights. IMHO
Jim

I expect a litttle lead when shooting lead, and a little copper when shooting jacketed.
You might try some liquid alox on your lead stuff to see what happens? I am going to try it on some commercial cast stuff real soon. The cases are primed, and the bullets are now "double lubed". Once from the source, and once by me.
Liquid alox is good stuff so far.
Cheezywan

How many rounds do you fire before the accuracy goes away?


Actually, the accuracy has always been perceived by me as being consistant since I got it. When I go to the range, I rarely fire more than 100rds through the revolver and then I clean it when I get home. The only way for me to check accuracy is off the bench(speaks to my offhand skills) and the only times I shoot off the bench is when checking velocity or accuracy for a new load. After those few shots, I am SPRAYING lead offhand.

That lead that I just removed has been in there since I first shot the gun. Before the Chore Boy, I was using solvents and a brass brush and was never able to get a clean patch at the end of cleaning. Never noticed a loss of accuracy from the bench from week to week.

Jim

Unbelievable! You have an exception of a firearm. I would only clean it when the lead starts oozing out the end of the barrel and then just to keep it from looking nasty.

Congrats!

Unbelievable! You have an exception of a firearm. I would only clean it when the lead starts oozing out the end of the barrel and then just to keep it from looking nasty.

Congrats!

Chief,

Even though the gun is stainless, don't I have to worry about a dirty barrel attracting moisture???

Jim

I suppose it depends where you live, but I will admit to hardly every cleaning the bores of revolvers that have lead bullets shot in them.

Personal theory is that enough bullet lube gets left in the barrel to avoid problems. Your milage may vary.....

I live in one of the rust capitols of the south and have had little problems with rust on firearms. I have a .308 H&R Ultra that did show signs of surface runt in the barrel once and I blaimed it on the use of a lubricant that I don't normally use but I can't be sure. Conditions could have been just right. I don't clean a rifle bore during hunting season and if I am shooting targets a lot from weekend to weekend I will not clean until I have retired the firearm for a while.

DakotaElkSlayer,

Careful with the copper chore boys. Appearantly, some of the new stuff is is actually stainless steel with some kind of copper colored wash. Check with a magnet (real one, not the ones you use to paste notes to the fridge with).

Cylinder and Slide Shop sells the real copper stuff http://www.cylinder-slide.com/

Paul