8mm Mauser Cast Bullets...

[Afy]

Have a friend who picked up a nice looking 8MM Mauser, with all matching numbers. Unfortunately after cleaning the barrel thoughly, the barrel looks fairly pitted.
So I have suggested that he shoot a a couple of dozen cast bullets, to essentially lead lap the barrel before going back to copper jacketed bullet.

Does it make sense?

Also what would a decent load of a 168 grain cast bullet be? Preferably with VV powders.

 

[NuJudge]

I've always been a believer in jacketed bullets doing a better job at smoothing barrel roughness. About 50 rounds. After that try cast bullets.

I've only had one Mil-Surp barrel that did not smooth- and shine-up with shooting jacketed bullets, a M1917 which had been used by Veteran's organizations with corrosive blanks for many years.

CDD

 

[Offfhand]

Do this: Tell your pal to get a David Tubb Final Finish barrel lapping kit. It is easy to use and usually helps. It works with jacketed or cast bullets, and in my experience works better with cast lead alloy bullets. Probably because they hold the lapping compound better. And to be quite honest, you can get the same effect by coating cast bullets with a fine grit lapping compound.

 

[NCsmitty]

Afy, I have a 1903 Turk Mauser, and it had a dark bore, so I mixed up some 320grit lapping compound with some Lee liquid Alox and coated some loaded surplus FMJ and allowed it to dry over night. I shot 5 rounds and it did shine up the bore quite nicely. Big difference in the bore condition after cleaning.



NCsmitty

 

[Afy]

The Tubb bullets are not available in France, and I am not going to try risk carrying them across borders from the UK. He isnt that good of a friend.
Where do I get 320 grit lapping compound, and lee liquid alox?

 

[snuffy]

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=646612

This wheeler fire lapping kit will work to smooth out any barrel. It has 3 grit grades that you imbed onto whatever bullets you have for your rifle. Works with either jacketed or lead.

I used it to rescue a barrel on a 7 mag Savage that some damn fool had spun a bore brush wrapped with steel wool to clean it! Turned a 6" grouping rifle into acceptable 1.5" groups.

 

[NuJudge]

Lee 'Liquid Alox' is a product of the former Alox Corporation, now owned by Lubrizol Corporation. They make a wide range of high pressure lubricants and corrosion protection products, including Alox 606, which is a Calcium soap. Two other Alox products are important to shooters, Alox 350 and 2138F, but never mind them now.

When the solid Alox 606 is partially disolved in 45% mineral spirits it has a consistency like honey, they sell it as Alox 606-55. When disolved in 30% mineral spirits it has a consistency of tar and is sold as Alox 606-70. Both are used for industrial rust prevention and undercoating cars to prevent rust from salt used on roads to melt snow. Alox 606-55 also works well to prevent Leading in rifle & pistol bores. Lubrizol sells both only in large containers. Lee Precision, a reloading manufacturer buys large containers of Alox 606-55 and breaks the contents down into small containers:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=466811

I seem to remember France not using a lot of salt on roads, but people may undercoat cars anyway to make the frame and floorpanels last longer. See if you can find someone who does this.

 

[Afy]

If it isnt a casing or bullet/primer/case I can source it from Midway UK.

 

[snuffy]

If it isnt a casing or bullet/primer/case I can source it from Midway UK.

You simply roll whatever bullet you want to shoot between the two hard ground steel plates with some of the grit paste on the plates. With a lot of pressure, it embeds on and into the surface of the bullet. Obviously lead would be easier to do than copper jacket/gilding metal.

5 or 10 bullets each for the 220 cutting grit, then the same for 320 smoothing grit and finally the 600 polishing grit. Cleaning between the grit sizes.

The Tubb final finish consists of caliber specific bullets that already have the grit embedded in/on them. He also sells loaded ammo with the final finish bullets loaded by him.

http://www.midwayusa.com/Search/#tubb%20final%20finish____-_1-2-4_8-16-32_1_16_BrandName%20asc

 

[NuJudge]

Unfortunately, MidwayUK seems not to have it. They do have something that conceptually works the same way:
http://www.midwayuk.com/apps/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?SaleItemID=746916

I have no experience with the Rooster products.

 

[snuffy]

http://www.midwayuk.com/apps/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?SaleItemID=646612

Took me a little over a minute with midways search engine.

 

[earplug]

Before messing with lapping and such, try shooting it first. If it shoots ok with the open sights, leave it alone.
All the bore polishing will do is make it shiny and somewhat easier to clean.
Shooting bullets coated with grinding paste down a old pitted bore does not make a old war horse a tack driver.

 

[Kernel]

Afy, you can buy silicon-oxide abrasive paste at any store that sells repair parts for cars. It's sold as valve lapping compound, very inexpensive, but the same stuff they sell for guns. A tiny jar will be plenty for 100 barrels, or more.

They will likely have kits with multiple grits - course, medium, fine, and extra fine. Medium and fine should be all you really need for lapping an old surplus rifle’s barrel, weather you do it by hand or by fire lapping.

39 grains of N135 will make a very mild load for shooting caste bullets in a 8x57. With 168 gr bullets I would estimate about 2,200 fps from a 24” barrel.

 

[Afy]

Thank you everyone. Will update on what route he finally goes down.