Original P58...need help with rusty bore

[brazosland]

Picked this up a while back and decided to start going through it.

She really is in great shape. 58 Navy, ‘61 dated lock, Preston marked bands, all correct except the rear sight is gone. The stock was shellacked a long time ago and whatever inspector stamps the stock had are gone. No extra markings on the buttplate tang. No Kings mark on the lock, so she was built to be exported...with no other evidence to the contrary I am just going to assume she was used by Texas sharpshooters at Gettysburg...

Now the issue is the bore. Pics below. The first three inches or so of the bore from the muzzle looks likes these pics. The rest of the bore is shiny bright.

Cleaned with a ton of patches and Breakfree. Ran some 0000 steel wool on a jag soaked in oil to get it started and that cleared the rest of the bore. It sat over night with the bore soaked in Kroil. That loosed a lot more.

So the rest of the barrel looks great. It’s just these last few inches. Suggestions?

 

[brazosland]

Pardon my bench, the shops a mess.

That first pic makes it look like the bore is rusted through down there, it’s not. There is a good easy transition from the pristine bore to this area...the camera just lost focus there.

 

[deermanok]

I recently acquired a rifle with similar condition. The first couple of inches down the barrel.
I hit it with my steam cleaner, bore brushed it. A whole bunch of patches later. I finished up using cut strips of scotch brite pads. A smaller caliber cleaning jag attached to the ramrod with the strips wrapped around. About 60 strokes, changed strip every 10.
It don't look perfect but way better than it was.
I shot the gun last Saturday and found that it actually shoots pretty good.

 

[TFoley]

Very nice rifle, I hope!! The P58 is prized above the three-band because the shorter barrel and five-groove rifling has a tendency to shoot tighter groups. You'll need some work on it though but I'm certain you'll enjoy doing it - I would!

Deermanok seems to me to have a good fix worked out - can't hurt to give it a try, right? TBH, I've seen, and shot, far worse-looking barrels than that!

Not sure what you mean by 'King's mark' on the lock? The ruling monarch in UK from 1837 to 1901 was Queen Victoria...

 

[brazosland]

King, Queen...whatever. Not my sovereign.

Locks accepted into military use had a VR stamped below the crown behind the hammer. See pic below.

 

[dave951]

I'd say shoot it if the rest is in good shape

 

[brazosland]

Gonna try the scotch bright pads.

Anyone ever used valve grinding compound? Does that work on rust?

 

[dave951]

Gonna try the scotch bright pads.

Anyone ever used valve grinding compound? Does that work on rust?

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

 

[brazosland]

Tell me how you really feel, Dave.

Ha!

Actually the scotchbright pad did a good job. Followed it up with some 0000 steel wool and then more green pad. Knocked most of it down to smooth. Used breakfree as lube for all that.

Letting it soak with Kroil in the bore again tonight.

Looks a lot better.

 

[nit wit]

Gonna try the scotch bright pads.

Anyone ever used valve grinding compound? Does that work on rust?

you can use it on cleaning patches. make sure you have a bore guide to protect the muzzle.. scotch pads first. Shoot some round ball with VG compound rubbed into the patch.
Nit Wit

 

[excess650]

JB Bore cleaner and oil on a tight patch, and then just shoot it!

 

[dave951]

The problem with valve grinding compound is exactly that- it's a grinding compound. The rifling is shallow on these and it won't take but just a bit to completely ruin that gun. Try shooting it before going any further.

 

[appalichian hunter]

How about a paste made of comet clenser, it is abrasive but not like valve grinding compound. Just thinking out of the box.

 

[Stantheman86]

I've fired rifles with far worse bores and the paper didn't know the difference.

It may be out of the Match Rifle class but it probably shoots fine. The cool part about Rifled Muzzleloaders is worst case scenario , if the bore is roached, it will shoot as well as a Smoothbore, at least. Cleaning will take a little more effort.

Patched round balls may catch in the rough spot when loading , maybe, but Minies will be fine.

In my experience with old, beat "Unmentionable" military rifles, overcleaning rough bores can ruin accuracy. Sometimes 100 years of carbon and dirt can seal up bore pitting like a hot patch on a road surface.

Both my original 1861 Springfields have worse bores and I plan to shoot them.

 

[brazosland]

Great advice from all. There were two small patches of rough rust.

I used oiled 0000 wrapped around a jag on those two spots by pulling to that side of the bore as I went in and out with a brass rod...worked well. Then back with the green pad.

You could feel a cleaning patch on the jag bouncing over that area before, but not now. Decided not to over do it.

I hope it shoots decent. I’ve read that coning Is bad for bullet guns...this muzzle seems a “bit” coned from use. We will see, gotta get a new rear sight...but tempted to try it with out one just to hear her speak.

I have a bunch of Pritchett and Williams bullets to shoot. Burton’s too, but the Williams balls seem to always shoot the best.

 

[dave951]

Great advice from all. There were two small patches of rough rust.

I used oiled 0000 wrapped around a jag on those two spots by pulling to that side of the bore as I went in and out with a brass rod...worked well. Then back with the green pad.

You could feel a cleaning patch on the jag bouncing over that area before, but not now. Decided not to over do it.

I hope it shoots decent. I’ve read that coning Is bad for bullet guns...this muzzle seems a “bit” coned from use. We will see, gotta get a new rear sight...but tempted to try it with out one just to hear her speak.

I have a bunch of Pritchett and Williams bullets to shoot. Burton’s too, but the Williams balls seem to always shoot the best.

We N-SSA members shoot these in competition. There are some things that are common to all minie ball guns to get them to shoot well.

 

[Buckskinquin]

Gonna try the scotch bright pads.

Anyone ever used valve grinding compound? Does that work on rust?

Spray PB Blaster in barrell, then swab with 0000 on a jag. I have used valve grinding compound also. If you have a slightly smaller jag with a multi folded patch, it’ll settle in the lands better. But no reason not to shoot it. Ive rescued a couple of nasty barrels.

 

[Dave Fox]

For what it's worth, muzzle corrosion can apparently result from a tompion left in a damp or fouled bore. Two-inches of roughness would about fit this scenario. I display my muskets with tompions, but grease them with RIG first.

 

[Relic shooter]

It's great if you can find originals with mint bores but don't discredit those with barrels that have frosted bores & prominent rifling.
I've been shooting primarily original rifles & pistols with less than perfect bores in competition for over 50 years & have found them to produce superb accuracy & groups as long as the rifling was prominent & any outstanding surface corrosion was removed by some of the methods described above. Of course optimal results always require that the proper sized slug or round ball & patch combination be used to fit that particular barrel's requirements.

 

[TFoley]

King, Queen...whatever. Not my sovereign.

Locks accepted into military use had a VR stamped below the crown behind the hammer. See pic below.

View attachment 84758

VR = Victoria Regina - Queen Vic. Whether you approve or not is immaterial to me, but it is part of the history of that rifle. That war is long over, Sir, we are all supposed to be friends now...

So here's a clearer stamp -

You have no idea how much I envy you your collection of Pritchett bullets - just the thing to shoot in this Pritchett rifle, then......