Author Topic: Fire Lapping  (Read 744 times)

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Offline killswitharrows

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Fire Lapping
« on: September 01, 2006, 05:44:21 AM »
What is fire lapping?

Why would you do it?

How would you do it?

Is it hard to do?

Thanks

Offline The Sodbuster

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Re: Fire Lapping
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2006, 04:30:39 AM »
It involves smoothing or polishing the barrel by firing abrasive coated bullets through it.  You can buy abrasives designed for coating bullets.  David Tubb also sells kits of 50 bullets coated in 5 series of progressively finer abrasives (sets of 10).  These are available from Cabela's, Midway, and from Tubb's website.  I think he makes loaded ammo now in addition to just selling bullets.  I've brought the topic up on this website in the past and gotten no positive feedback. 

Nevertheless, I tried Tubb's system on my .308 Win.  I can't say whether it improved accuracy or not, as I did this when the rifle and barrel were new.  What I can say is that it takes fewer patches to clean than my other barrels; and, I see less copper fouling in it. 

If you have an expensive, after-market barrel that's been hand-lapped, I doubt there's an advantage to using it.  It's made mostly for cheaper, factory barrels.  I won't recommend it or argue against it.

Offline Mikey

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Re: Fire Lapping
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2006, 02:55:47 PM »
Firelapping is shooting soft lead mild abrasive coated bullets, sized to your bore specific dimentions, at very slow speeds so as to impart controlled wear to the bore and in the process remove obstructions and imprefections in the bore.  You firelap a bore to improve the accuracy.  You can have a ball doing it and you get to know your rifle a lot better.

Drop on down to Veral Smith's forum further down the line here at Graybeards - he has written quite a bit of information on the firelapping process.  And then visit the Beartooth Bullets website for their firelapping info and data.  It is very interesting and has worked for me quite well in the half dozen firelarms I've firelapped.  HTH.  Mikey.

Offline Questor

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Re: Fire Lapping
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2006, 03:54:57 AM »
I would start by buying a gun that is of known good quality. It will not likely need fire lapping or any other barrel work. Today we can expect really good factory guns at reasonable prices. Some still do fire lapping anyway and claim it helps in their rough barrelled guns.
Safety first

Offline nomosendero

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Re: Fire Lapping
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2006, 09:41:41 AM »
To me it is a fact. I have used the Tubbs system on a couple, one being a highly accurate Sendero
with a rough bore & it worked big time!!!! I know some very serious shooters who use it now as std. procedure on all factory gus & on a few others. I am about to order a kit for an unfired 22-250 VS, I am not going to see how it does first either, in other words I am sold on it.

The Veral Smith & Beartooth method are for revolvers & leverguns, cast bullet velocity guns & for
those types these systems work too!

You will not make peace with the Bluecoats, you are free to go.