Bore Pitting

[Muleskinner]

Just wonder what your opinions are on how much pitting can you get by with in the bore and still shoot good? I have an older 45 cal rifle barrel that has what I would call mild fine pitting the bore isnt completly covered with it,you cant feel it when running a patch and jag thru it but it is visabile with a bore light,your thoughts or experiences appreciated

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

if it's very mild pitting that you can't feel with a patch it shouldn't be a problem. if it bothers you could run some fine steel wool patches to clean out most of the rust then just oil.

[Dphariss]

Just wonder what your opinions are on how much pitting can you get by with in the bore and still shoot good? I have an older 45 cal rifle barrel that has what I would call mild fine pitting the bore isnt completly covered with it,you cant feel it when running a patch and jag thru it but it is visabile with a bore light,your thoughts or experiences appreciated

IMO it needs to be lapped, recut or replaced. Life is too short to tolerate this aggravation.
Pitting is a fouling trap and will make shooting much more difficult than with an unpitted bore.
Cleaning will take far longer as well.
If its chlorate pits from using "replica" powders (high probability if its a percussion) it may never stop eating the steel and the pits may just keep getting deeper.

Dan

[Roger Fisher]

If she were mine I would go the easy route first then see.  OOOO wool tight on the jag and tight in the bore and give it at least 75 full trips in and out then check and go from there.     (Or Scotch bright pad)

[Daryl]

What Dan said.

After receiving a long rifle that Taylor built, from a friend who passed away, we found the bore to be pitted end to end.  Peter always used boiling hot water,w hich caused flash rusting- every time he cleaned the gun, which happened even before 'tea' after the shooting. ended. Peter always used real black powder, never a fake, so the pits were an accumulation of all the flash rustings - his bore never rusted in storage.

The fine pits held fouling and were nasty to load over, so Taylor lapped it with a lead lapp.  IT was improved considerably, and another lapping  finished the job- probably a total of 10 hours work.  The gun shoots find now, with barely any 'fouling' hanging on.  

[Muleskinner]

Thanks guys......I think I will just get a new one