Chiappa 44 barrel - pics added

[kjohn]

The previous thread on a Chiappa 44 prompted me to dig mine out of the pile and take a look down the barrel. The tag says I cleaned it in 2020, but not sure if I fired it after. Yikes! It was leaded up, big time. So, I cleaned and cleaned, bronze brushed, cleaned more and so on. It was an improvement but still leaded . I dropped it off at Deaners.

Picked the rifle up today. Dean says if I shoot lead bullets it will lead again. He says the bore is rough. I took it home and ran the bore scope in it. My goodness gracious! (or something along that line ) The lands look like the barrel had a very coarse tap run through it. No wonder it leaded up. Jeez, I've never seen anything like it. Way too late to take it back or hope for any warranty.

I'll post some pics from the bore scope tomorrow. To those who scoff at the idea of a bore scope, the bore looks okay to the naked eye, but, oh my, when you see what it actually looks like, you'll maybe see the value of the scope. I see and watch ever so many people at guns shows take the bolts out and look through the barrels of rifles and think they can tell what the bore is like. Many barrels look nice and shiny to the naked eye. I realize that a rough bore isn't always the death knell for a rifle, so no need to harp at me about that idea.

Here we go:

 

[alpining]

That's really good to know, thanks for posting. A rough bore is unacceptable on any new firearm, imo - Let alone one that costs over $1k.

 

[B.C.Jay]

I fire lapped mine, it was a huge improvment.

Don't write it off for using lead just yet.

 

[Painkillers]

I fire lapped mine, it was a huge improvment.

Don't write it off for using lead just yet.

Uhhhh, "fire lapped"? Can you help me out there?

disclaimer, I've lapped more valves than I could count so I know what lapping is about.

 

[B.C.Jay]

Uhhhh, "fire lapped"? Can you help me out there?

disclaimer, I've lapped more valves than I could count so I know what lapping is about.

Well you're half way there then... because that's actually what I used - course valve grinding compound.
There's a lot of info on the cast boolit forum on how to fire lap.

Actually kjohns pics look pretty fair compared to what I started out with. I had some pretty heavy pits where the tooling bit some healthy chunks out. The pits are still there, but the rest of the barrel is alright.

The barrels look like they were rifled with sub par tooling. I measured mine and it was well below samii spec for size, so I figured what the hell, it can only be better.
I mopped my barrel with valve compound, being especially careful not to get it in the chamber, then shot some moderate cast loads. I reapplied it between the first 10 or 15 and finished it with some course auto cut polish to polish it a bit.

The lands aren't quite as sharp as they started out as, but that's not a bad thing with cast. In fact, that sort of what Marlin microgroove is about.


The gun will now drill a pop can dead center at 50, zero leading with cast hand loads.

The barrel still looks like crap, but now it's got scratches end to end instead of the cross chatter.


For those that are going to ask why I didn't send it for warranty - after waiting nearly a year to get it, I expected another years wait to get back the same thing. Sometimes it's just better to fix it yourself and take a lesson.
To say I was disappointed in Chiappa, is an understatement. The rest of the gun/action/ finish is quite good.

 

[kjohn]

B.C.Jay: That sounds encouraging. I'll do some pondering on this and post my progress. Before and after pics will be interesting.

Marci cho!

 

[alpining]

...For those that are going to ask why I didn't send it for warranty - after waiting nearly a year to get it, I expected another years wait to get back the same thing. Sometimes it's just better to fix it yourself and take a lesson.....

It's crazy that this is often the best solution, but simply a reality.

 

[B.C.Jay]

B.C.Jay: That sounds encouraging. I'll do some pondering on this and post my progress. Before and after pics will be interesting.

Marci cho!

A friend used a process where he drilled a cast boolit and stuck it on a cleaning rod and hand lapped his barrel.
What he was trying achieve there was to get rid of a tight spot under the sight dovetail, so he just worked that particular area.

Try the coursest cut polish you can find, you won't get into trouble with it.

Valve compound is pretty agressive

The barrel doesn't have to look perfect when your done, just not shave lead.

 

[kelly1]

Try jb bore paste

 

[ted_dent]

Try jb bore paste

For a barrel in that condition I don't think JB is aggressive enough to make a significant improvement. After lapping with something coarser JB would be good to finish up with.

 

[Painkillers]

Well you're half way there then... because that's actually what I used - course valve grinding compound.
There's a lot of info on the cast boolit forum on how to fire lap.

Actually kjohns pics look pretty fair compared to what I started out with. I had some pretty heavy pits where the tooling bit some healthy chunks out. The pits are still there, but the rest of the barrel is alright.

The barrels look like they were rifled with sub par tooling. I measured mine and it was well below samii spec for size, so I figured what the hell, it can only be better.
I mopped my barrel with valve compound, being especially careful not to get it in the chamber, then shot some moderate cast loads. I reapplied it between the first 10 or 15 and finished it with some course auto cut polish to polish it a bit.

The lands aren't quite as sharp as they started out as, but that's not a bad thing with cast. In fact, that sort of what Marlin microgroove is about.


The gun will now drill a pop can dead center at 50, zero leading with cast hand loads.

The barrel still looks like crap, but now it's got scratches end to end instead of the cross chatter.


For those that are going to ask why I didn't send it for warranty - after waiting nearly a year to get it, I expected another years wait to get back the same thing. Sometimes it's just better to fix it yourself and take a lesson.
To say I was disappointed in Chiappa, is an understatement. The rest of the gun/action/ finish is quite good.

Thanks.

Course valve lapping compound is insanely aggressive. It will remove a lot of steel with very little effort.

 

[ted_dent]

Thanks.

Course valve lapping compound is insanely aggressive. It will remove a lot of steel with very little effort.

This is what you need. I've used it with good success. Just go slow and don't overdo it.
ht tps://www.wolverinegt.ca/wheeler-bore-lapping-kit-item-299849.html

Instructions (it's not rocket science):
https://www.btibrands.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Bore-Lapping-Instructions.pdf

 

[Donald Mackenzie]

I have 44 cal rifles and 45-70 rifles, I clean, after doing lead bullet shooting, to get rid of lead not matter how bad, Take ABOUT 5 MINUTES. Use a Lewis lead remover (45-45 cal) on a pull through, tighten nut, 1st pull will be super easy, keep loosing each pull, till pull is hard (but not super hard), when you get right amount of pull you can see lead on the copper pad, clean lead off copper pad, do barrel 3 or more times, then clean normally. (all from breech to muzzle)

 

[CRF]

After reading the OP post, I bore scoped my 2 never fired Chiappa rifles, a 1886 carbine and a 1863 50-70 carbine
and their barrel are ''almost'' as bad. But they are otherwise very nice...

 

[Painkillers]

After reading the OP post, I bore scoped my 2 never fired Chiappa rifles, a 1886 carbine and a 1863 50-70 carbine
and their barrel are ''almost'' as bad. But they are otherwise very nice...

Gawd damn!?

 

[vultr]

The previous thread on a Chiappa 44 prompted me to dig mine out of the pile and take a look down the barrel. The tag says I cleaned it in 2020, but not sure if I fired it after. Yikes! It was leaded up, big time. So, I cleaned and cleaned, bronze brushed, cleaned more and so on. It was an improvement but still leaded . I dropped it off at Deaners.

Picked the rifle up today. Dean says if I shoot lead bullets it will lead again. He says the bore is rough. I took it home and ran the bore scope in it. My goodness gracious! (or something along that line ) The lands look like the barrel had a very coarse tap run through it. No wonder it leaded up. Jeez, I've never seen anything like it. Way too late to take it back or hope for any warranty.

I'll post some pics from the bore scope tomorrow. To those who scoff at the idea of a bore scope, the bore looks okay to the naked eye, but, oh my, when you see what it actually looks like, you'll maybe see the value of the scope. I see and watch ever so many people at guns shows take the bolts out and look through the barrels of rifles and think they can tell what the bore is like. Many barrels look nice and shiny to the naked eye. I realize that a rough bore isn't always the death knell for a rifle, so no need to harp at me about that idea.

Here we go:

View attachment 572909View attachment 572908View attachment 572907

Yikes. Does chiappa have Michael J Fox doing their rifling?

 

[kjohn]

Yikes. Does chiappa have Michael J Fox doing their rifling?

No, I think they used a tap. Looks like coarse thread.

 

[Fargone4sure]

Just looked at my 45-70 and 357 Chiappa's and both bores show the chatter marks as well. But don't seem to lead badly.

Had a pair of HiPoint carbines and a Norinco next in line in the rack, so looked at them for comparison, all of which were smooth, shiny, and no chatter marks. Chiappa needs to up their game.

 

[B.C.Jay]

Thanks.

Course valve lapping compound is insanely aggressive. It will remove a lot of steel with very little effort.

One of the techniques is to roll a lead slug between two plates of glass with compound to imbed the compond in the bullet before hand loading them.

Yah, I was pretty aggressive with mine because it was well undersize and I knew it could open up some.
If I was doing it to a decent barrel I'd be using the automotive cut polishes.

Bottom line, in one form or another it works.

 

[Tudenom]

It seems like a lot of manufacturers of old school lever guns and revolvers like Chiappa spend all of their focus on the outside of the gun making it look nice, but the innards are badly machined with super heavy springs to counteract issues with parts fitment. Even more highly regarded makers like Uberti have these issues.

Italian made guns are well known for bullet, bore, chamber, and forcing cone diameter issues and mismatched rifling twist rates to standard cartridge bullet weights, even Marlin has some of these issues. For example: Uberti 44-40 rifles with a 44 mag twist rate, and a Marlin 44 mag rifles with a 44-40 twist rate. It bugs me since they're not exactly cheap guns.