Fire Lapping

K

kansasvet

Guest
Has anyone used the Wheeler Engineering Bore Lapping Kit?
Supposedly it does the same job as the pretreated bullets from David Tubb and Neco, you just have to coat the bullets yourself.
I have a customers 22-250 that is badly fire cracked in the throat and he wants to smooth it some as cheaply as possible.
 
I have used it before to clean up throats and did so with decent success when the customer like yours wants to save his money.
 
kansasvet said:
Has anyone used the Wheeler Engineering Bore Lapping Kit?
Supposedly it does the same job as the pretreated bullets from David Tubb and Neco, you just have to coat the bullets yourself.
I have a customers 22-250 that is badly fire cracked in the throat and he wants to smooth it some as cheaply as possible.
Click to expand...

I wonder what he is trying to achieve... I seriously doubt you would get better accuracy from a badly fire cracked worn barrel.
 
Thanks for the replies.
You know some people are cheap and will rebuild an engine with new piston rings even when the cylinder has .010 to .012 taper.
It is simply their nature to cut corners and in the end just learn that it was a waste of time and money.
 
Dennis I would imagine the guy is like some of my customers, just hate to buy a new barrel.
 
I find a lot of folks are odd when it comes to money spent on guns...which is generally a great investment.

Then they'll go spend $500 on atv accessories and doe in heat urine at cabelas....

Scopes are another item that people cheap out on...

I built a 257 Roberts for a friend earlier this year, I was very proud of how it looked and shot (with my 20x Nikon on it). Then, he put a crappy scope on it...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Please point to one of the top barrel makers that recommend fire lapping?

It cost the same to pull the trigger on a round of ammo in a good bore barrel as it does to waste money in a worn out bore. I suppose a guy would be better off making a longer throat by lapping the barrel smooth past the damage caused by bore erosion. That is not fire lapping. I know they won't shoot any better with the erosion removed. But at least the customer won't see it.

I'm of the school of thought that any money put in and old worn barrel is a waste of money that should have been saved for the new barrel.

Kinda of reminds me of when I was a kid, I used to clean a bad barrel squeaky clean and then cold blue the bore. People never went past the blue bore when they looked and would look at me and ask, how come the bore is blue. Being a smart a$$ teenage kid, I would tell them "I guess that means the blue hasn't been wore out by shooting it". It was odd how many rifles I sold as a kid.;)
 
I pesonally have removed barrels from rifles without ever firing a shot through them, one look with a Hawkeye borescope and I realized it would be a waste of time. Some people are so intent on saving money that in the end it costs them their cost cuting measures plus the new barrel, it just isn't worth it to me. On the other hand, if a customer wants to try something I will voice my objections but it is his money.
 
Never seen a barrel maker say anything on it myself, but I have seen it clean up some of the barrels I have worked on.

It isn't a magical fix, but it can help now and then before a barrel is too far gone. I would never use them on anything but a factory barrel myself though.
 
Some info

When firelapping a .22 centerfire it is best to use 80 grain bullets in order to get enough contact between the lapping bullet and the barrel.

Yes if you are using a target while shooting the 80 grain bullets in a 22-250 they will keyhole.

It is much easier to use the Tubb provided lapping bullets than rolling your own. I have used the Neco roll your own kit.

Think of this process as an experiment and report your findings.

I have firelapped more than two barrels including a 22-250, .308 and a .30-06.

My experiments have concluded that you can not hurt a factory Remington barrel and can make one better. Fire lapping will always move the throat, but that really does not mean anything with a factory Remington barrel.

BTW the .308 is a real shooter even though it is long in the throat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top