Old 40 cal barrel

[Maineshops]

I have an old barrel that slugs at .400 . Refiling is good but rough. It was suggested by someone that I try shooting it and see how it goes before I refresh it. What size ball should I try in it?... Thanks ...Dan

[msellers]

So I am assuming you are measuring the slug at at bore depth and not the grove depth. If this is so try around 5 thousandths under and use a good tight weave patch the fille the entire bore and compresses tightly. So a .395 in this case with a .015 patch or thicker depending on how much it compresses when squeezed.

Daryl has elaborated quite a bit more on this in the past here, but brain isn't functioning well enough today to direct you towards the posts.

If it shoots well, you can try using a lapping lube that has a micro abrasive that polishes and hones as you shoot. Could also lap the barrel and work out the rough without refreshing the rifling and enlarging the bore much.

Mike

[rich pierce]

Sounds like you’ve unbreeched it. I take rough bore rifles and try patch/ball combos with the breechplug out. Use lots of lube and “load it”. You’ll soon see if you’re cutting patches and making a good seal by fabric impressions on the ball.

[Daryl]

Before shooting the barrel, you can smooth it up a bit using reddish scotch bright cloth, with a light oil like WD 40, on a jag and have at it, up and down, or back and forth.
If the bore is really rough, you might have to change the material a time or two. Make 50 to 100 passes with the scotch-bright. This will not hurt the shooting characteristics
of the barrel at all. We have "saved" a few badly treated barrels using this method. It will also work with what you describe as "rough rifling".
Mike's suggestion of using a .395" ball and at least a .015" patch is a good one. I tend towards .020" and .022" denim myself. 8 oz. denim for the thinner material and 10oz. for the thicker.
11 ounce denim from Joanne's Fabrics will also work well. (I noticed the Joane's I checked had that weight - while in Yuma)

[Maineshops]

I had to cut an inch off the breach end and make a new breach. It was so bad it rattled . It looked as if someone made it with an ax and finished it with a hearshy bar and a brick. Bad even to my standards. I have cleaned up the bore with steel wool on the jag but nothing more agressive than that. Rifleing is quite pronounced . It is almost ready to shoot but there is still 2 ft of snow on my range.
Is Lee a good place to buy a mold? Haven’t bought one in 40 yrs. thanks for the input. Dan

[Daryl]

A Lee .390 mould would be good, along with a 10oz. denim patch - they run from .020" to .0225".
I would certainly think about the scotch bright treatment, if I were you, Dan.  It helps smooth things
up, compared to steel wool. As it is run in the rifling, twisting with the grooves, the shooting qualities
of the barrel are not injured in the least.
We 'salvaged' a barrel at rendezvous last fall, using this method.  It was a fouler a sit had pitting one end
to the other.  After a few minutes with the scotch bright the lady was able to shoot the entire match without
and loading trouble nor having to wipe the bore, not once. Before that, she had it up for sale as she couldn't
load it after 2 shots.
She was very happy to have "her" rifle back.

[Maineshops]

Thanks Daryl....I’ll get after it with the scotchbrite. Do I use it dry or wet? Dan

[Daryl]

I've only used it with WD40 but experienced really good results.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

You may need to use a jag for a .36 on that .40, if you go with ScotchBrite.  Use a lube like WD 40 or your patch lube, to polish out the bore.

[Daryl]

You may need to use a jag for a .36 on that .40, if you go with ScotchBrite.  Use a lube like WD 40 or your patch lube, to polish out the bore.

Yes indeed. We used a .50 jag in that .54, seem to me.

[Longknife]

 I used to do the scoth brite thing on a jag but the last time I wrapped it around a bore brush of much smaller caliber. It gives you much more contact with the barrel.  It really polished up the lands but wouldn't quite clean out the grooves to my satisfaction. I had a small amount of CLR (Calcium Lime Rust remover)so as a test I soaked a little rusty hammer head in a 50/50 (water/CLR) mix overnight and it took off a LOT of rust and didn't seem to damage the metal. Next trip to town I am picking up a new jug to try out in that barrel,,,Ed

[Maineshops]

Any one try viniger. We sharpen our files with it? Dan

[EC121]

Before buying  mold, I would order a bag of .390s and/or .395s from Track or some other place and try them.   

[Daryl]

Trying different sized balls before buying a mould would also work.
My suggestion for the .390" mould was due to the barrel's condition, allowing an even thicker patch than normal.
The more lube in the patch, whether water based or an oil or grease, the better it will be with even a slightly rough
 bore.
I normally try to get a ball that is only .005" smaller than the bore.  I found in my own .40 Goodioen barrel, a .400"
ball loaded virtually the same as my .398" Lyman mould that was marked .395. Loading was easy, even with a 10oz.
denim patch.  Hanshi now has that mould.

[Stony]

I've had a number of 40's over the years, and have never found one I couldn't get to shoot with a .395 ball. I normally experiment a little with patches when I first try one, but that dia. ball normally works just fine.

[Maineshops]

Just received my order from TOTW. Got a .390 mold and large buckhorn sights. The snow I almost gone on my shooting range and I’ll be able to try this old girl soon. If need be  I’ll try a .395 Dan

[Daryl]

That sounds great, Dan - looking forward to the results.