Experience is the name we give to our Fuck-Ups...and I have LOTS of "experience" using that definition!

I have made it a practice (because of my "experience") to paint the handles of all my power tools and hammers red so when reaching for them I have to stop and think about it for a moment before using them on a rifle I'm working on.

At one point I even thought about wiring them up to a power source so I would get shocked when I picked them up!

I just hate to see guys mess up a really nice rifle by trying out the "gimmick-of-the-week" some gun writer is touting as the best thing since sliced bread.

Rick

Anytime someone is contemplating modifying or performing an action to a weapon the first question that needs to be asked and answered is: "What is it you are trying to accomplish?"

What has lead you to believe that your new barrel is not accurate...and what has lead you to believe that the "problem" is one that will be addressed by lapping the barrel?

I have no idea what your shooting experience is...but "accuracy" is a very relative term when you consider all the variables in both the rifle and the individual using it. In addition...a competition shooter may have a far different accuracy expectation from his rifle than a hunter does.

My experience has tended to show that most any rifle will be capable of far greater accuracy than the average person using it will be. I have seen people at the range complaining about the accuracy of their rifle/barrel/scope/ammo, etc...and yet when a more experienced shooter fires the same weapon they seem to have absolutely no problem getting nice, consistent groups.

I am not trying to question your shooting ability, just advising against trying to fix something until first determining whether or not it is really broken...and whether or not the intended action is the best or proper way to fix it.

After doing all that you also need to ask yourself if you have the knowledge, skill and tools to do the job without making things worse. Lapping a barrel involves a bit more than just smearing some compound on a rod and running it back and forth in the bore until things look smooth and shiny!

"Fire-lapping" is another method and the opinions on that process are pretty mixed from what I have heard and read. Some people swear by it...others say it is a waste of time and money...others even say that it damages accuracy.


Rick

Handlapping sounds easy enough and should be, but the reality may be something else. As I understand it, the way it should be done is to start with a cast plug not much different than casting a chamber but made for the bore instead, but of corse it needs to be loose enough to run up and down the bore rather freely. Thats the first trick is the right equipment. It then needs to be used in conjunction with a rod and lapping compound like JB's or ??

Personally I think things like this and (especially) firelapping are unnessesary and possibly even harmfull. Just place a few hundred bullets down a new tube with thourogh cleaning at regular intervalls and you should accomplish very much the same thing with a higher degree of accuracy and less risk to the bbl.

Now if the proper plug/rod were made available along with some lapping/polishing compound made specifically for the job it could be very beneficial. Thats my 2 cents and its probably worth what you paid for it.