Smoothing a pitted bore

[bronko220002]

I recently acquired a lightly pitted Encore 209x50 barrel. The heavier pitting was just ahead of the breech area with a couple small rough areas half way down the barrel. Nothing major. My main concern was the rough breech area. I did the usual, first using Montana Xtreme bore polish and worked it back and forth a few hundred times then cleaned. Still there so out came the J-B Compound and the same process. Bore was better but still getting some rust colored patches. OK, time for the big guns! I put a bronze brush on the range rod and wrapped it with a bit of 0000 steel wool, added a couple drops Knight Gun Oil and went at it. Fifty or so strokes the clean patches. I did this a couple times and I'm happy to report that I removed all the rust from the breech area and the slight pitting half way down the bore is all but invisible. And the bore is shining like a mirror.
Next is the big test. I'm hoping to get it out next week and shoot it.

 

[trickyricky]

Give us a range report please.

 

[4stringdude]

I love reading these success stories about salvaging a rusted and pitted barrel. Good luck at the range!

 

[bronko220002]

Will do. Maybe tomorrow or next week sometime. Actually this barrel didn't shoot too bad even with the rough barrel! I have a new breech plug I may just put in it. Who knows how many shots were put downrange with this one.

 

[Wilyote1]

Not a muzzleloader but a custom Encore barrel I bought from Virgin Valley in a Tactical 20 developed a rust patch at the muzzle inside the barrel and out. It was in a silicone impregnated gun sock. I was in a quandary since this barrel shot bugholes. My solution was to lop an inch of the barrel and recrown it. Gunsmith said use a purple 3m scrub pad pulled apart & wrapped around a 17 caliber brush with some JB bore paste. Worst case scenario is we cut and recrown. It still shoots but it hurts to look at it when I get it out.