wbm
Well-Known Member
Nay!
fire-lapping bullets yes or no?
- Thread starter 270yotekiller
- Start date
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J E Custom
Well-Known Member
The idea of lapping is to smooth out tool marks and any other discontinuity to render the barrel as good as it can be.
Any kind of lapping removes barrel material, how much and where is the problem with lapping at all. The more you lap, the more material you remove.
The custom barrel makers lap to a diameter spec. and finish. and you get a good correct bore diameter and finish when you receive it. If it is a Quality barrel, it should never be touched by anything but the bullet.
From there on "any" lapping is not recommended even by someone that has done it many times and knows how and when to stop lapping. Lapping is a risky procedure and any short term improvement may end up a long term problem and a very short barrel life
Any kind of fire lapping is just that, A short term improvement. In many cases fire lapping has helped the accuracy of a poor quality barrel but the nature of the process removes more material from the chamber end of the bore that from the muzzle end of the bore. If the rifle is a hunting rifle, and the expected number of shots are less than 4 or 500 in it's life time, then fire lapping may be a viable option.
After looking at hundreds of barrels using a bore scope lapped by normal means, hand lapped and fire lapped. My opinion is that the bullet will do the best job of uniformly lapping, breaking a barrel in and any form of lapping is risky and can shorten the bore life. Also, any barrel that needs to be lapped will never be totally smooth end to end and the last thing a bullet sees Is the muzzle and this is the part the fire lapping does nothing for.
I am not against any kind of lapping, just be sure that the results are what you expect, and live with your decision.
Just My Opinion
J E CUSTOM
Any kind of lapping removes barrel material, how much and where is the problem with lapping at all. The more you lap, the more material you remove.
The custom barrel makers lap to a diameter spec. and finish. and you get a good correct bore diameter and finish when you receive it. If it is a Quality barrel, it should never be touched by anything but the bullet.
From there on "any" lapping is not recommended even by someone that has done it many times and knows how and when to stop lapping. Lapping is a risky procedure and any short term improvement may end up a long term problem and a very short barrel life
Any kind of fire lapping is just that, A short term improvement. In many cases fire lapping has helped the accuracy of a poor quality barrel but the nature of the process removes more material from the chamber end of the bore that from the muzzle end of the bore. If the rifle is a hunting rifle, and the expected number of shots are less than 4 or 500 in it's life time, then fire lapping may be a viable option.
After looking at hundreds of barrels using a bore scope lapped by normal means, hand lapped and fire lapped. My opinion is that the bullet will do the best job of uniformly lapping, breaking a barrel in and any form of lapping is risky and can shorten the bore life. Also, any barrel that needs to be lapped will never be totally smooth end to end and the last thing a bullet sees Is the muzzle and this is the part the fire lapping does nothing for.
I am not against any kind of lapping, just be sure that the results are what you expect, and live with your decision.
Just My Opinion
J E CUSTOM
Factory barrel yes if you are not happy with the performance only I see this as a last ditch effort to save a factory barrel before going custom
wbm
Well-Known Member
FWIW: Years ago I bought a NECO fire lap kit. When you finally got to the "fine print" they did not recommend fire lapping for custom match grade barrels. Sinclair later said the same.
I have always enjoyed goodgrouper's posts/responses. He was one of the 1st LRH members that influenced me. He has some awesome hunting stories and real-world experiences and knowledge to share. I have not heard from him in a long time (Last seen Jul 21, 2017), I hope he is doing well.
HARPERC
Well-Known Member
No! Don't solve a problem until you actually have the problem.
Grandad's old 60's era 700, that was never cleaned much less properly, and improperly stored for a couple of decades, won't shoot sure why not. A new barrel from almost any of todays manufactures are quality.
Grandad's old 60's era 700, that was never cleaned much less properly, and improperly stored for a couple of decades, won't shoot sure why not. A new barrel from almost any of todays manufactures are quality.
HARPERC
Well-Known Member
This one was definitely BC-before coffee. LOL!
