cayugad

Before I lapp the barrel, I would shoot it first. Once you lapp them there is no putting the metal back. Many of the modern rifles shoot just fine, right out of the box.

If you really want to lapp a barrel I can tell you how.

Steps to Lapping a[/b] Barrel[/b]

Make sure the rifle barrel is very clean. If it is possible to remove the barrel from the stock you might want to do this. Then put the barrel in a vice. Otherwise have someone to help you hold the barrel.

Put a bore brush on the cleaning rod. Wrap a cotton patch around the rod, covering the tip of the brush. Lightly smear some of the valve grinding compound on the patch. A push down to the breech and back is one stroke. Very slowly, push the brass brush/patch smeared with valve grinding compound for 25 strokes.

After 25 strokes change the patch, smear with valve compound again and give it another 25 strokes for a total of 50 strokes. If the barrel was not all that ruff this is all they usually need.

Now give the barrel a hot soapy water bath. This will take a lot of patches to get the compound out of the barrel. After the water bath run some solvent patches through the barrel until you think it is clean. Now put on the new second bore brush and solvent the barrel and scrub it with the brush. A couple more solvent patches at this point should have the barrel clean.

Now put your patch worm on and put two cotton balls onto the patch worm. Push the cotton balls to the bottom of the breech and back about three times. Now drop a bore light in the barrel and look to see if you can spot numerous cotton ball fibers hanging in the bore of the rifle. If you do, then you might need to give the barrel another 50 strokes. with the valve grinding compound. Normally I suggest you take them to the range and shoot them at this point.. This is usually all a barrel in good shape will ever need. Although one rifle I worked on after a fellow decided to hunt with it then not clean it for over three months took 200 strokes before I realize I could never get the pits out of the barrel.

After every 50 strokes clean the barrel and retest with the cotton balls. Many times it is recommended to shoot them also. You will then be able to tell if the rifle is preforming the way you want. After you are satisfied with the lapping of the barrel then clean the barrel spotless.

Now put the cleaning jag on and a patch. Put a good coating of oil in the barrel. Change patches. Smear the next patch with some JB Bore polish and scrub the barrel good. I usually do about 50 strokes with the JB polish just like I was lapping again.

Clean the barrel one last time. You should find that the barrel cleans rather easy now. Now run a patch of the gun oil into the barrel and put it on rather thick. The lapping takes and opens the metal pores, and you need to get a quality oil in the barrel. After the oil has sat in the barrel of the rifle an hour or so, you can take the excess out.

Lapping is something I do to my barrels as a last resort. Whether your barrel needs to be lapped can be checked with the bore light and cotton balls. Normally I recommend shooting the rifle before you lapp them. Remember lapping will open the pores of the barrel and it is very important to get a good coat of oil in the barrel afterward to prevent rusting.....