Well dudes...

I've officially finished fire lapping my rifle and I'm most pleased with the results. Had a full day of working on the rancho but made it out to the range at about 4:30 and stayed until dark so that I could shoot the break-in procedure. This is 29 rounds of "who's your daddy!!!" stuff.

Just like during the lapping, each successive set of rounds proved to be closer and closer together. While shooting the round #6 of five shots, I wacked the heck out of my knuckle on the finger aft of trigger finger. Busted it open some how at the shot. After cleaning the rifle for the final time, I sat down to shoot rounds 25 through 29 at target #7.

http://www.baitshopboyz.com/forum/uploads/444Pfinished.jpg

I tried putting the damaged finger outside the lever loop to get it away from the recoil and round #1 went to the right. Changed position of the finger outsided the lever loop and #2 went high. Got tired of being a wuss, put the finger where it's supposed to be and look where #3,4, and 5 went :D I wish I would have just sucked it up and shot the five shot group like your suppose to and it would have been a pretty sight. That 3-shot group measures .37"! That's from a bullet that is .0017" UNDER bore diameter but the only one I have a mold for right now.

If you haven't done the lapping procedure, don't put it off any more. My rifle shot great before but it is going to be something to behold. Marshall, thanks for all the fine work and putting everything together! Even though I'm sitting on a ton of lead I sent in an order for BTBs! I will use them as the standard of performance to reach.

More pictures of the procedures to follow...

Ranch Dog!
Really enjoyed your series on your 444, also your endeavors to design a mold for your rifle. The technical detail is very much appreciated.
Good work.... more please!!

Regards,
Bryan

I ordered my lapping materials yesterday, Michael. You have inspired me! I think I will do it on the 45-70 and one 30-30.

Thanks fellows...
You've got to do it. The lessons learned are really something. Eventhough I'm a caster now, I also will be using a stock of BTBs as I think they will set the standard that I need to try to achieve in my work. I probably won't ever be that good.

Marshall has asked me to put all these parts together in text and pictures which I will work on as soon as I'm done with a couple of things.

Dr. A... glad to see you made it over from MT. Your knowledge of what make a critter work, he's a vet fellows, has taught me a lot in what it takes to make things stop working. I hope you will continue relaying your hunting experiences here like you did on MT.

Speaking of which... My Ranch Dog, Sheila, got ahold of a deer ham bone the other night and ate a piece about 1/2" in length. I've never fed my dogs those bones because they splinter so bad. But anyway, three days later she hock up the following fragments.

http://www.baitshopboyz.com/forum/uploads/hockedup.jpg

She seems okay but should I be concerned about her. I was thinking about taking her to the vet...

My Labra-Disposal Retrievers have eaten literally a truckload of deer and hog bones over the years, generally I boil them for an hour or so to soften them up first.

Never seen anything looking like a bone fragment come out of either end.

Thought dogs could handle digesting such things? Dunno......

Thought dogs could handle digesting such things? Dunno......

I've heard of them piercing intestines with fractured deer and hog bones so I've always been real careful. She was fine for 3 days and then... brock! hack! Up came the fragments. Really suprised me as she wasn't feeling bad and isn't now. My wife can't believe I posted that picture but hey... it's not like it came out the other end!

Nice work Dog.What I would like to know is what effect if any will the lapping have on jacked bullets.What I mean is if you were to shoot some factory loads,would you expect an improvement ?Have you tried any of those old Hornadys I'm sure you have taking up space.Seems to me that the .429s may not shoot as accurately after.Am I wrong?

Nice work Dog.What I would like to know is what effect if any will the lapping have on jacked bullets... Am I wrong?

Thanks docd...

I've got the shooting on the agenda for next week. I'm gun'na shoot some Hornady 200-grain HP/XTPs, Dutchman's 230-grain Jacketed HPs, and the some Red Hot Chile Pepper Hornady 265-grain FPs. I'm expecting a fine rifle even shoots better.

I saw my name and fire lapping brought up over on MO and basically I think there is a very big misconception about the procedure. Well, heck... let's clear it up!

http://www.baitshopboyz.com/forum/uploads/Lapping_vs_Jacketed.jpg

This is a .429" Hornady 200-grain XP/XTP. I even checked the diameter with a micrometer. I could no more push this into the barrel of my freshly lapped 444P that I could stick my thumb in there. I might be able to pound it in but whatever it would take would damage the barrel. It is a very tight fit. If you follow Marshall's procedure to the letter all you are going to do is true your barrel up. I've taken a rifle that was really a shooter and made it into something special!

If done per the procedure, the soft bullets are traveling at airgun velocity and simply remove constrictions and square the lands... that's it. There is no doubt in my mind that what this corrects for lead will work for jacketed bullets. If you have the tools and take the slug samples you wonder how the rifle can begin to hit a target. It's really an eye opener and every firearm I own is going to get it's turn.

That is quite the project RD! If i get a big bore marlin and bullet casting stuff, i may just give that a try!

NH_Hunter

Hey NH Hunter... been trying to get by the www.baitshopboyz.com but this has been a heck of a week for me!

The one thing I would like to add about this project is that it is a labor of love/shooting. It might not be for you if you truely don't enjoy time at the range or messing with your rifle. A lot of people just want to fire a couple and get after that buck... and that is okay.

This is something that should not be rushed or tackled without a little bit of time. I'm a really busy fellow but I can get to the range very quickly as it is extremely close to the house. It is also something that needs to be done slowly and throughly... like checking the velocity of those lapping bullets before hand. I don't know how many times I pulled the bolt out of that Marlin at home and at the range but it is just something that has to be done if it is going to be done right. You can work at it in spurts if you have to, but you just have to follow the procedure. There isn't one thing that I would do different with what Marshall has outlined.

From what I've observed over at the BaitShop, this is something that you would enjoy and it would make you stop chasing those Rugers! Of course, you can do it to any rifle or pistol as it is not just about a leveraction rifle.

That was what I expected.It doesn't seem likley that lapping would "ruin"the bore and make it unstable.That was just one of the issues I didn't see addressed in yours and others reports on their SUCCESS from lapping.
I did post at the MO forum on this and I see you read some of the responces.I had a little log on problem here so I couldn't ask it directly,until now(thank god).I was hoping you were lurking over there and respond.I was Doctor Disaster on MT and here until something went wrong.Anyway I'm glad to be able to communicate here now.
The other thing I noticed,someone wrote is about the "first round flyer".In a thread someone stated that their 444 had a tendency to shoot the first round high on a freshly cleaned bore.I must admit I don't recall having this problem,but the poster was sure it happened every time.He would get a good group after the barrel was fouled.I'm wondering if lapping would help him.That brought back memorys of my muzzel loader.I had a Thompson Thunder Hawk that used to do that.I have a friend who has a Thompson that does it too.The fact that a center fire did it wouldn't concern me as muck as the ML.You don't want to put them away without cleaning,thats for sure.
Lapping a ML another RD project?:)
Thanks again on the great read.

The other thing I noticed,someone wrote is about the "first round flyer".In a thread someone stated that their 444 had a tendency to shoot the first round high on a freshly cleaned bore.I must admit I don't recall having this problem,but the poster was sure it happened every time.He would get a good group after the barrel was fouled.I'm wondering if lapping would help him. Lapping a ML another RD project?

I had the mentioned problem with my 336-A. I would have swore that the barrel was clean but the first shot out was always high and to the left. I missed two hogs because of it and put the rifle down until the problem was found.

What it ended up being was a very dirty barrel... lots of copper and lead in various layers. It took six days of constant cleaning to actually get down to the gun metal. I used the Birchwood Casey products but now would include a copper scouring pad. All shots are now MOA out of this 50 year old rifle including the first.

I might lap my dad's M94 next as a change of pace.

Michael

Sorry about the late reply, RD, been busy trying to earn a living. I'm sure that the real ranch dog has made a complete recovery by now. The main thing to remember is not to second guess yourself. If she seems fine, and she's eatin, drinkin, poopin and peein, sounds like a full recovery. If poop is off-colored a couple of days, that would be normal in that case as well. If she is depressed, and not eating, well get her into the local Yak. I am still awaiting my supplies. How long does this take?

No problem Dr. A... The dog's doing fine, I just picked her up from the vet. The bones gave me a chance to as the doc about a growth I could feel under her skin... which they removed today. Everything is okay with my girl.

It takes a couple of weeks to get the slugging and lapping stuff. While your waiting, get a couple of things together.

1. A wooden dowel of the approximate diameter of your bore... I found a hardwood dowel, 3/8" in diameter and several feet long. I cut a piece off about 6 inches long that I used to get the slug started. The longer length will be used to punch the slug through.

2. A brass rod of similar dimensions for forming the lead slug for the chamber casting. I could not find anything near bore diameter but solved it by soldering a 9mm Luger case onto the end of the brass rod. It is almost the diameter of the 444 Marlin's bore. I was melting the lead for the next step and used that hot lead to solder the case in place.

3. Fill an empty case, that fired in your rifle, with lead. Fill it to the brim.

You can have these three things ready to go. Also get a micrometer that reads to .0001" and learn how to use it.

3. Fill an empty case, that fired in your rifle, with lead. Fill it to the brim.

You can have these three things ready to go. Also get a micrometer that reads to .0001" and learn how to use it.[/QUOTE]

Now you have me thinking.What is the purpose of the lead filled case?
I'm going to slug my bore tonight.
BTW
I would think you could get a better" R.D.Postal Match" sponsor than a 9mm case soldered on a brass rod:)
The weather here in the N.E. is finally turning for the better.I guess I should get my big boar in gear if I hope to compete.

#3. Fill an empty case, that fired in your rifle, with lead. Fill it to the brim.

Now you have me thinking.What is the purpose of the lead filled case?


Docd...
The lead filled case serves as a solid base which the lead slug that actually forms the cast comes to rest against.

The lead filled case is chambered and then an egg sinker is sent down the barrel just like slugging it. When the sinker hits bottom, against the lead filled case, you compress the sinker with the brass rod. Please read BTB Technical Guide before doing this. I offered the 3 items as a way of minding DocA's patience while waiting the slugging/lapping materials.

Oh... the back drop is just dropping hints about the match. Better tune that rifle up.