Lead Lapping a Baker Fusil

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P1030153[/url] by Gordon Hazel, on Flickr[/IMG] Gentlemen I have been working up a mates little Baker Fusil, I actually suspect it is an English sporting rifle with a Baker Rifled barrel. It has a ver slow twist 1 in 110 .62. The bore is somewhat pitted so when I shot it the other day I used a greased hard felt wad over 2 1/2 drams of FFg goes, .61 ball and a heavy greased denim patch. 50 yards off had after the first 5 shots it settled down and put the last 6 nicely in the black. I did put over 30 rounds through and the greased felt wad did a great job of keeping the fouling in order and easy loading. But !! the ball and patch feels somewhat rough going down so I thought a trip to the smithy and a lead lapping would be the go. I used linotype which I melted over a kero primus, I keep lead away from my forge ! wrapped a cloth around a .303 cleaning rod at the join where the brass jag goes. I pre heated the muzzle on the lip of the pot , set the barrel vertical in the post vice ( lead slippers over the jaws) and poured the lap. I drove it half way out carefully and cut it a bit shorter then rubbed a little coarse valve grind paste on . I had to tap the lap up and down the barrel with a long rod and hammer a few times to and a little WD 40 to get the lap to the point where I could push it back and forth with the cleaning rod . I did not get rid of all the pitting but got rid of a rough constriction about half way down the bore. Before I replaced the breech plug I passed a patched ball down the bore and it feels nice and smooth inspite of the remaining pits. I will still use a greased felt over powder wad as the pits will still pick up to much fouling if I don't. I will see with interest next Sunday how the rifle goes at 50yds bench rested.

P1030157[/url] by Gordon Hazel, on Flickr[/IMG] Photos still an issue

 

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Here are some more photos P1030161 by Gordon Hazel, on P1030153 by Gordon Hazel, on P1030157 by Gordon Hazel, on Flickr