Slugging barrels.... don't do this!!!!

[Sniperhandle]

Some of the better known Gunsmiths on this board claim to slug barrels all the time.

 

[DShortt]

Some of the better known Gunsmiths on this board claim to slug barrels all the time.

If I were in the business of manufacturing barrels expected to perform to high standards, I would not want just anyone 'slugging' them either. Simply because if we are to believe some of the posts in this thread steel is an acceptable medium for the slug without any specifics included. So on occasion, 'Joe Shooter' is gonna drive a steel 'slug' down his bore and have a fit when that doesn't turn out well.

 

[Sniperhandle]

If I were in the business of manufacturing barrels expected to perform to high standards, I would not want just anyone 'slugging' them either. Simply because if we are to believe some of the posts in this thread steel is an acceptable medium for the slug without any specifics included. So on occasion, 'Joe Shooter' is gonna drive a steel 'slug' down his bore and have a fit when that doesn't turn out well.

I have never heard of anyone shoving a steel slug down a barrel until yesterday, Anyone with half a brain would never do that.

Ball Burnishing is something that was carefully done by craftsman who new what they were doing and produced barrels of high quality.

Everyone knows that Bartlein barrels are of the Highest quality and I would never let a stupid facebook post bother me, If I had seen it I would have ignored it. Never have had a fakebook account anyway. People who post something without contacting the manufacturer first are just A@@clowns.

 

[AlNyhus]

If I were in the business of manufacturing barrels expected to perform to high standards, I would not want just anyone 'slugging' them either. Simply because if we are to believe some of the posts in this thread steel is an acceptable medium for the slug without any specifics included. So on occasion, 'Joe Shooter' is gonna drive a steel 'slug' down his bore and have a fit when that doesn't turn out well.

That's when 'Joe Shooter' gets to pay for his ignorance. Some people learn by example and common sense. Others have to piss on an electric fence for themselves to find out.

Don't be like 'Joe'.

 

[Bob3700]

With a lead slug and a factory bbl, u can feel where the bbl is roll stamped! If u have a bbl band front sight, u can feel the bbl restriction where the sight is clamped.
Shooting a barreled action ina return to battery rest, u should see the amount of bbl whip when the rifle is fired. The movement is amazing.

 

[jackieschmidt]

Perh

I have never heard of anyone shoving a steel slug down a barrel until yesterday, Anyone with half a brain would never do that.

Ball Burnishing is something that was carefully done by craftsman who new what they were doing and produced barrels of high quality.

Everyone knows that Bartlein barrels are of the Highest quality and I would never let a stupid facebook post bother me, If I had seen it I would have ignored it. Never have had a fakebook account anyway. People who post something without contacting the manufacturer first are just A@@clowns.

Perhaps they “ball burnished” the ID of barrels because their initial machining processes were not up to expectations.

I doubt major barrel manufacturers such as Bartlien, Krieger, Brux etc have that problem.

As a note, if you purchase any type of small gear or pulley that has a ID finished to a standard size, odds are that size was established with a carbide ball pushed through it.

 

[SKWERLZ]

That's when 'Joe Shooter' gets to pay for his ignorance. Some people learn by example and common sense. Others have to piss on an electric fence for themselves to find out.

Don't be like 'Joe'.

Lol!

 

[DShortt]

I have never heard of anyone shoving a steel slug down a barrel until yesterday, Anyone with half a brain would never do that.

Ball Burnishing is something that was carefully done by craftsman who new what they were doing and produced barrels of high quality.

Everyone knows that Bartlein barrels are of the Highest quality and I would never let a stupid facebook post bother me, If I had seen it I would have ignored it. Never have had a fakebook account anyway. People who post something without contacting the manufacturer first are just A@@clowns.

Definitely no argument from me. I have slugged multiple factory barrels and found things I couldn't imagine.

Only thing I really learned from that is that there is literally no end to the ways that a mass production factory can find to make a bad barrel.

Edit to add - I use a dead - soft lead slug.

No brass.
No copper.
Definitely no steel.

 

[jxb]

I'm pretty sure everyone knows you can't fix stupid. It's hard to imagine anyone would do this to a custom barrel. Or any barrel, but especially a match grade barrel.

It's just unfortunate those folks are allowed to vote and breed, although doing stupid things might well get them a Darwin award sooner than later and resolve the future voting/breeding issues.

 

[ELR LVR]

To all.... I will come right out and say it.... slugging barrels I don't agree with for multiple reasons. Argue with us all you want.

Customer feels his gun wasn't shooting good enough. So he makes his own steel bushing to slug the bore and threads it on to a cleaning rod and pushes it down the bore. He feels there are tight spots in it. I'll guarantee the barrels bore/lands are all scored and the barrel is junk! No warranty!!!!!!

No information on how he's cleaning it, caliber, how many rounds on it etc....I told him flat out.... not going to warranty the barrel. Not to mention no information given as to the actual diameter to the .xxxx" place the bushing was made to and what equipment was used to measure the bushing.

We had a gun manufacturer without even talking to us.... decided they were going to check the bore size of the barrels.... yes they pushed gauge pins down the bores of not one... not two but around a couple of hundred of our barrels.... every barrel the lands were scored and damaged!

Not to mention any lint or debris in the bore or any type of fouling... it's just going to amplify making something to go sour.

Don't even argue, lead slugging isn't any better or won't cause any issues. It will not give you accurate measurements.

Even Mark has gone off on guys saying they slugged a bore with a lead slug and tried to measure the grooves.

There are maybe two guys.... that I/we know that will tell you they have slugged/checked bores and they are honest in saying they can get close to the size but even what they come up with is subjective.

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels

I quick google on the process reveals to use lead, every single post I ever read when I started lapping my own barrels called out lead. I use cast bullets for this.
Steel? really ? How in the world does someone....(bites my tongue)
....."I agree no warranty", thats just (try to hold my tongue again there)
I mean copper .....brass sure but thats even difficult to push down the bore
But steel?!
sounds like one of those guys that really likes to brag about
................................... "Doing his own work"
Sorry to hear of this issue but you're a good guy Frank
I'm sure you'll find a diplomatic way of helping him understand how he just did not do his PROPER research or enough research.....and should have contacted you immediately if there were any problems before trying to correct it himself
If he wants warranty it is up to HIM to allow you to address the issue FIRST so you CAN warranty it.
When a customer of mine does his own work then calls me to try and correct his own screw up I always say
"Sorry I don't warranty other peoples work" regardless of if I ever worked on it before
You just voided your warranty
You have his own admission of guilt.
He may as well have sandblasted the inside of his bore to try and clean it.
I mean hey why not, Its clean now right? But yeah no warranty for that kind of mess.
------------
Wait hold up, this is a good business opportunity
Tell him to go ahead and keep doing what he's doing and you can keep selling him new barrels
No warranty on other peoples work though
There all fixed

 

[ELR LVR]

Some of the better known Gunsmiths on this board claim to slug barrels all the time.

any steel shrinks upon solidifying
If I were going to try and get an accurate measurement of a bore / lands/ groove dia etc
I would use epoxy and release agent myself, then push it out after it dried

 

[DGP4]

When I was collecting military rifles like Mosins and Enfields, I always slugged the barrels with a soft lead plug. I liberally greased the barrel and slowly pushed the slug with a quarter inch brass rod. I never damaged any barrel. Using common sense is not hard to do.

 

[Will Henry]

Perh

Perhaps they “ball burnished” the ID of barrels because their initial machining processes were not up to expectations.

I doubt major barrel manufacturers such as Bartlien, Krieger, Brux etc have that problem.

As a note, if you purchase any type of small gear or pulley that has a ID finished to a standard size, odds are that size was established with a carbide ball pushed through it.

I suspect the ball burnishing was the precursor for button rifling.
I knew a guy who had a Lee Enfield in which the bore was, shall we say, textured. Figuring the barrel was no good anyway, he thought he would try to smooth it out. He cut a piece of 5/16 drill rod about an inch long and tapered one end. He hardened it and polished it to a mirror finish. He then loaded it ahead of a case full of 4320, tied the rifle to an old tire, and fired it with a string on the trigger. He said it might have smoothed the barrel out some, but the rifling was still visible (didn't have much to start with). He shot some military ball through it afterward and said it shot about the same as before (dismal). WH

 

[Sniperhandle]

Perh

Perhaps they “ball burnished” the ID of barrels because their initial machining processes were not up to expectations.

I doubt major barrel manufacturers such as Bartlien, Krieger, Brux etc have that problem.

As a note, if you purchase any type of small gear or pulley that has a ID finished to a standard size, odds are that size was established with a carbide ball pushed through it.

If you read the process, They chose the best of the best barrels before they did the ball burnishing. I imagine the reason it isn't done anymore is because it's labor intensive. And it requires skilled labor which is very hard to find in a specialized business like barrel manufacturing. I know, I watched the interview with Frank talking about how hard it is to find the right people to do that specialized work.
Another machine or 2 doesn't equate to more barrel production if you don't have enough of the right people.
Older ways of doing things aren't necessarily wrong and there are lots of reasons why processes change.
Lots of the barrels you used in the past were still being manufactured on WW2 Pratt and Whitney rifling machines, Most likely the same machines Parker Hale were using, So I wouldn't discount the quality of the barrels back then.

 

[DShortt]

I'd say it's definitely fair to say that the 'cost effective' way to do things now is to have machinery do everything possible with as little human input as possible.

I remember my Grandfather saving used nails to straighten and re-use.

Times have certainly changed.

 

[butchlambert]

One can often smooth out these tight spots with a "fire lapping" treatment.

NECO sells a kit for this. It is enough material to lap hunderts of barrels.

It takes several hours to prepare the loads and fire them, but I've had it do wonders on several weapons including a USGI 30 carbine. That bore looks like glass and does not require much cleaning after the fire lapping. It's a PITA, but it REALLY DOES work!

It will move your throat out a wee bit, but the positive effects greatly outweigh this.

Four Abrasives Kit

Great way to firelap your muzzle loader. Kit consists of the four abrasives (#220, #400, #800, #1200 grits) in jars. The abrasives are laboratory grade abrasives and in a paste form.

www.neconos.com

They also sell dead soft slugging bullets for nearly all calibers if you don't want to make them yousef.

Best to use jacketed bullets for the fire lapping. See NECO site or call them (they actually answer the freaking phone??? In this day and age?)

PM me if you would like more info, and I will give you my phone number so we can talk if you wish.

mac

Not I.

 

[jackieschmidt]

I'd say it's definitely fair to say that the 'cost effective' way to do things now is to have machinery do everything possible with as little human input as possible.

I guess in the end we can all just shine each other’s shoes or flip each other’s burgers

 

[Sniperhandle]

If you look up the lyrics it's very interesting what they were saying in 1969, And kind of scary too.