A high quality hand lapped barrel can be broken in in less than 10 rounds. Most of my guns are dead on after 1 fouling shot. Fire lapping will take a copper fouling button rifled or broach cut, or hammer forged barrel and make it shoot tighter groups for a longer string. If you lube the bullet with mobile one on the coarse bullets it will push the throat about .01 to .015. So do I want to loose 500 rounds of shooting out of the barrel, or do I want to burn up $100 worth of ammo instead, on a barrel I will never burn out any way. I have read many highly reguarded gunsmiths saying not to use lead bullets in fire lapping, only jacketed. There are postings on the net of fire lapped barrels using the Tubb system, that show a sharp rifleing groove and a smooth barrel. I have seen a cut open barrel by a gunsmith friend, that after fire lapping by the Tubb system did not show all the "bad" things that are sure to happen. I have fire lapped 4 barrels that copper fouled to quickly, and they all shop better, much longer between cleanings. Do I fire lap all my guns? Nope. Do I recomend it for Handis? Nope. I am thinking of pouring a lead slug and trying the hand lap method used by barrel makers and gunsmiths, to reduce the break in time however. Those that have never fire lapped a barrel will still say don't do it, cause it will Ruin a perfectly good barrel, "that copper fouls every five shots". Those that have used it on problem barrels, know it will help a problem child. Different folks have differing views on what is acceptable accuracy, and how may rounds can be fired before it needs cleaned. When I shoot a high power match, it better be able to go the whole match and be able to hit the ten ring.
