Bore Cleaning (Rust)

[Smokey Plainsman]

What are the procedures for cleaning up/polishing an old and moderately rusted/pitted SMOOTHbore barrel? I'm thinking a scotch Brite pad on a jag? Thanks for advice in advance!

 

[tenngun]

Depend on how bad it is. Very fine steel wool works. Bronze brush or grinding compound.
Navel jelly can spill on to your outside, so can mar it.
SOS soaped cleaning pads also work.

 

[Grimord]

A bore sized bronze brush with a patch wrapped on it with JB bore paste. I use a rod extension and chuck the works in a cordless drill on slow. Works great if the bore is not pitted too bad.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Thanks, it's an Aston with a bit of pitting in the bore. Any way to polish it up enough for shooting?

 

[smo]

Smokey, it really depends on how deep the pits are...

If there not too deep and the gun is safe too fire.. try it.

I don’t know how much it would matter if your shooting shot.

The only problem I can see would be due too the pits it would be harder to clean after shooting, the crud just wants too sit in there.

I’m not sure it would matter with a round ball either, other than maybe tearing your patch while loading.

If it were me my main concern would be how much meat is left beyond the pitting...

 

[Kansas Kid]

Evapo Rust followed by red scotch bright.

 

[ppg1949]

Kansas Kid is right about Evapo Rust. Be careful using it because it can also remove bluing. Good idea though.

 

[DaveC]

I used just a bit of a steel "tornado" bristle brush, lots of patches, followed by a good deal more copper bristle brushes... Plenty of elbow grease! Finished with several applications of J&B bore paste.

On another .69 cal. I had the bore re-lined by R. Hoyt, although admittedly that one was a rifled barrel, not a smooth bore.

 

[FlinterNick]

Depends on how bad the rust is.

I just turned away from a Coach Harness Brown Bess because the bore was too rusted out. Excess rusting can cause even the best reproduction barrels to become unsafe for shooting and the costs are to rebore and reline are just to very worthwhile.

if the barrel for a gun is moderate rusty and dirty from not being cleaned well over the years, I use a 5/16 dowel rod with a slot cut into the tip, like a jag and I clean with hot water and scotch bright steel wool.

Then I'll polish the interior of the barrel with 1500, 3000 and then 6000 grit wet dry paper. (I only do this for guns that need it), I wouldn't' do this often as it will wear down the barrel.

But generally steel wool with hot water cleans out a barrel very well.

When I'm finish I mop out the bore, dry it with a bore rope and then oil.

 

[FlinterNick]

Thanks, it's an Aston with a bit of pitting in the bore. Any way to polish it up enough for shooting?

The only way to get rid of pits is to polish it out, start with 120 grit and work up to 600 grit, then finish if off with 1500, 3000, and 6000 grit.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

The only way to get rid of pits is to polish it out, start with 120 grit and work up to 600 grit, then finish if off with 1500, 3000, and 6000 grit.

Thanks. Should I use sanding paper on a jag, or something else?

 

[Zonie]

Regular sandpaper is made for sanding wood or plastic. It doesn't work well when it is used on steel.

There is a black "wet/dry" sandpaper made with silicone carbide grit that is very good at removing steel available at most hardware stores. That is what I use whenever I want to "sand" a steel part.

Even though the carbide is very hard, this kind of paper does wear out rather quickly. That said, one sheet of it will provide enough material to smooth out a gun bore.

It comes in several grit sizes. I think I would start with a 120 grit paper. Then go to a 220 grit. Probably a 320 or 400 grit paper is as fine as you need to use. Going to an even finer grit will not be worth the trouble in my opinion.

 

[FlinterNick]

Thanks. Should I use sanding paper on a jag, or something else?

Well it depends how bad the pits are. You’re essentially polishing off metal of the gun bore, in very small amounts. I only do this if the pits are tiny.

What I do is I cut a slot in the end of the dowel very thin to hold the paper down tight then wrap it around and ram in and out over the suspected area, you can also attach it to a drill for a higher polish.

Some guys I know use bore mops coated with polishing compound and lap the barrel... however this isn’t strong enough grit to clean out a pitted area.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Thank you, friends. When my horse pistols gets in we'll see how the bore looks, maybe I'll try and get a photo of inside the bore, then we can develop a plan. I want to make it a range shooter for sure.

 

[Kansas Kid]

If there pistols then a cylinder hone would be a good choice. Flex hone in the proper size from a place like MSC industrial.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Thanks, all. The gun arrived today and boy was the bore bad. It’s a 172 year old gun and it looks ever bit of it! Pits galore, sewer’s pipe.

Going to send ‘eem in to Bobby Hoyt for a reline. This is also to make sure it’s even safe to fire. The nipple is also in sorry shape and will need to be replaced. Luckily the threads are cherry. Stock is perfect and in untouched condition with sharp cartouches and no sanding. Lovely. Metal on the outside has some nice patina and aging but perfectly legible markings and all original parts.

In due time, I’ll hit the range with her with a brand new bore and cone. Breathin’ new life in these old guns, settin’ up for success for another couple centuries! !