I want to do some firelapping on my .22 liners

Jump to latest Follow Reply
I firelap differently, and admittedly do not really check for tight spots. It's more of a firepolish. But is it possible you're just not getting even distribution of the abrasive along the length of the barrel when firing? When I do my method, I polish with a bore mop, and fire a well fitting slug through the sloppy barrel. Repeat a half dozen times or whatever you feel like.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bigHUN
Upvote 0
Last time I did the firelapping several years ago on a busted full steel barrel and I could make improvements, this my first time doing it on FX liners.
More out of boredom, but I was hoping to get out the very last 5% for ES/SD consistency and precision.
My initial idea was to "shave off" the tight spots, but as is right now - I may go repeat the firelap to eliminate the loose spots ??? Because I feel the - sort of material removal is "happening" but not as fast I was expecting.
This could be - yes - a not even distribution of abrasive. I cannot help with that other then redo a 20 shots and if not enough redo again let say 10 shots... until I got to the very bottom of enlarged OD.
I am not scared of removing too much material, I see there is a plenty of land/grove footprint on pellets I recovered from the liner.
The first I am doing the STX-A pellet liner 1:27 and following with Sup.Hev 1:18. Even for slugs if I enlarge the ID to slug OD - it won't be any blow by.
This my tinkering only at the moment.
If I catch the receipt I may duplicate for 25x600 liners as well.
But I am going one by one step by step. And tinkering out loud.
Thanks for chiming in :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Airgun-hobbyist
Upvote 0
So I finished firelapping two of my FX 25x700 liners finally, with tools that are available to me in my garage.
No way of rings testing but so far a two step J-B polishing was kind of OK-ish.
Either my own benchmark was high, but I can say the Sup.Hev 1:18 is smooth now maybe 95%, but the STX-A pellet 1:27 I can steel "feel" some inconsistencies.
I recognize it, I shall maybe invest into some tools to cast a 3-4" lead "plug" and rerun the lapping compund?
I just don't understand at the moment how can I connect that long casted plug to my CF polishing rod ???
 
Upvote 0
bigHUN said:
I just don't understand at the moment how can I connect that long casted plug to my CF polishing rod ???
Click to expand...
Take a brass jag and cut lengthwise notches in it for the cast lead to grip. Dremel with an emery wheel will do nicely.

Or take a brass screw and fashion something similar.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Revoman and bigHUN
Upvote 0
I was wanting to post an example but I had to hunt down the picture. Here's one I made from a piece of brass rod:
brass adapter sm.jpg

The notches give the lead something to grip. Note I ended up making them a bit wider than pictured because I was pulling the brass from the lead lap on occasion. In other words, the lead in the notches wasn't substantial enough and were shearing off if I got overzealous on the pull stroke.

That shouldn't be as much of an issue if you go with an off-the-shelf jag that has a few barb segments, but you'll still need to cut or grind some features to prevent rotation (You want the rod to be the thing that rotates. I know it seems like it would be okay if the lap rotates as well but I tried using a jag as-is and unfortunately I don't remember the problem but it didn't work right.)

Another option is to look for a cotton mop that has the cotton supported by spiral wire. Burn away the cotton and you're left with something that will hold a poured lap nicely.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Revoman and bigHUN
Upvote 0
I was in the store today morning searching for suitable "pot" to melt small amount of lead, have not seen any so small. And I just mentioned to wife I will borrow some leftover soup spoon she have laying around in the kitchen :) and shee didn't said anything...
I have couple brass brushes (with cotton mop) intermediate size I never use.
The lead I have plenty in my tuning-target box.
 
Upvote 0
In a pinch, an unlined soup can will do. Shorten it with tin snips and bend in a pour spout. Vice grip pliers to hold it.

I use a small solder pot with a pour handle that I bought back when I was in college. Not seeing one quite like it in a quick Amazon search but they do have some inexpensive ones that would probably work just fine. One example

[edit] Found a handheld one on aliexpress...
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Revoman
Upvote 0
I just ran into this lead ladle by coincidence, that gun store is about 15 minutes from my door. Heading out now. $15 CAD is about $11-12 USD.

www.gotenda.com/product/lee-lead-ladle-lp-90026

The confusion I need to clear....
The FX liners ... the led in pocket on breach end, and a pretty defined choke the other muzzle end...
Either end I pour in the melted lead I would need to rework that "plug", but removable only one way...

I have 2+2 liners in .25 cal with two twist rates in two different liner length. Same with .22 cal two twist rates.
So I would need to cast four plugs in total, and maybe some spares :)
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
bigHUN said:
I just ran into this lead ladle by coincidence, that gun store is about 15 minutes from my door. Heading out now. $15 CAD is about $11-12 USD.

www.gotenda.com/product/lee-lead-ladle-lp-90026

The confusion I need to clear....
The FX liners ... the led in pocket on breach end, and a pretty defined choke the other muzzle end...
Either end I pour in the melted lead I would need to rework that "plug", but removable only one way...

I have 2+2 liners in .25 cal with two twist rates in two different liner length. Same with .22 cal two twist rates.
So I would need to cast four plugs in total, and maybe some spares :)
Click to expand...
Pour from breech end. Remove from breech end cut off wider area from breech. Now you have a plug/lap that can do most of the barrel. Keep in mind that if you do not stroke 1/2 the plug length out of each end, you will wear the middle of the liner more. Yes each twist rate needs it's own lap. Yes if you lap the choke and don't want to remove it, you will need a lap for it.
 
Upvote 0
bigHUN said:
firelapped yesterday with Loctite 280 Clover compound paste - I got an impression that this paste is not very agressive abrasive.
Click to expand...
Pretty much, yes. Fire lapping with 280 grit Loctite Clover is more suited to surface smoothing than it is leveling / removing high spots / bringing the bore into better uniformity.

Why?
  1. The grit (280). As Mike was saying, working out high spots calls for 120 - 180 grit.
  2. Loctite Clover is a silicon carbide abrasive which is a material that breaks down quickly into smaller particles. Brown aluminum oxide is a more durable abrasive for the task.
  3. Fire lapping scrubs once with a very small surface area, as contrasted with a long cast lap that puts more abrasive in contact with the bore and can be scrubbed back and forth.
Both have their place, just depends on what you're wanting to achieve.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Revoman and bigHUN
Upvote 0
Learning a lot here, Thanks :)

Tomorrow morning I will start melting.
What length plug is a good to start with?

I have some diamond paste kit for quiet long time never worked with these on barrels/liners. Between 40 micron to 1 micron grit in some 12 coloured syringes. I will think about overnight to try or not ...

20250120_000814.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Ydunn.223
Upvote 0
I would avoid the diamond abrasive for this. It doesn’t break down like some of the conventional abrasives and has a higher likelihood of embedding. I would think more so in an aluminum liner.

That’s just my opinion though, others may have a different suggestion that have actually tried it. I have only used conventional abrasives in steel barrels.

Dave
 
  • Like
Reactions: RM.510bigbore and bigHUN
Upvote 0
bigHUN said:
What length plug is a good to start with?
Click to expand...
I like casting laps 3-4” long because it produces a generous amount of surface area in contact with the bore and makes the work go faster. But it’s something you will probably want to experiment with. The rod’s stiffness, the barrel’s
starting condition, how you’re supporting the barrel, guiding the rod, etc. will influence how long of a lap you’ll want to use.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RM.510bigbore, bigHUN and Revoman
Upvote 0
nervoustrig said:
I like casting laps 3-4” long because it produces a generous amount of surface area in contact with the bore and makes the work go faster...
Click to expand...
I am afraid of how can I make that long lead casted plug moving out from a .25 or .22 rifling ? ...
I have a shop compressor to cool it down, but if sticks inside ID I would need to knock it out?


Sorry for missing it, but who is Mike you referring to ? ;\
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu