FUBAR'd Fifty Cal ? Can it be brought back to life ?

tacfoley said:
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Click to expand...

Haven't checked the price out myself so I don't know how much it could cost. But I do know a lot of guys have it done.

Regardless of how well you might try to assure me it shoots, in that condition I wouldn't even look at buying it.

Guess it could be a modern day wall hanger.
 
Last edited:
you can certainly buy a replacement breech plug - if the barrel does not clean up my guess that replacement barrels are available ... if not, possibly check with some of the muzzle loading barrel manufacturers to see if the barrel can be freshed.
 
I bought a box full of cleaning products at an auction. There was a bp cleaner that works really well, oddly enuf it is that water soluble oil that machine shops use Works like a damn.
 
Make a "stopper" for the muzzle end - a length of wooden dowel (or something) in a length of automotive heater hose that slides over the muzzle end - tighten down with hose clamps around both the dowel and the barrel. Don't really want a plug up inside the muzzle end - want the "juice" to work right to the very end of the bore. Set barrel vertical in a soft jaw vise. Fill that bore completely with 50/50 Acetone + Automotive Transmission Fluid (ATF) that has been mixed thoroughly (I use a plastic pop bottle for mixing / shaking up). Lay something flat over the breech end - the acetone will want to evaporate if left open to air. Let soak for a day or two. Will penetrate and loosen up any rust or corrosion. Then scrub well with a bronze brush, and follow up with several patches, until they come out "clean". Will be as "clean" as you will get it. Then shoot it - don't condemn it just based on what the bore might look like - actually shoot it once all the loose crap and corruption has been removed and then decide, based on bullet holes in target, whether it is to be retired or not.
 
Evaporust works like a hot damn. Just make sure you remove all oils.
Saved an investment arms barrel, an 1830s flintlock barrel and numerous other items. It will remove bluing as well as rust. Once you soak it for 24 hours or so there will be only a little scrubbing required.
I sealed the breech end of the investarms with a wax plug
 
Bronze brush in right calibre wrapped with a cleaning patch and a liberal amount of valve grinding compound slowly back and forth. Only use Evapo-Rust if you don't mind losing the bluing. Have cleaned up some pretty far gone pieces this way.
 
wr.sainsbury said:
Bronze brush in right calibre wrapped with a cleaning patch and a liberal amount of valve grinding compound slowly back and forth. Only use Evapo-Rust if you don't mind losing the bluing. Have cleaned up some pretty far gone pieces this way.
Click to expand...


Thanks the barrel isn’t blued it’s a grey coating of some sort almost like a light cerakote type of finish on it. A 20 gauge bore brush seems to fit nicely, a little snug but seems to be working. I’m going to try the evaporust stuff on the weekend when I have some time to dedicate to it.

Will post an update on how things progress.
 
I’d start by degreasing that sucker well then boiling it in distilled water. After boiling use some JB Bore Paste alongside a wire brush and maybe some very fine steel wool on a shotgun jag to scrub alternating with clean patches with some oil to check your progress. I doubt that barrel is beyond help, you’d be surprised how well “shot out” or “rusted out” bores can shoot.
 
I will echo the recommendation of a patch with valve grinding compound. You will not remove the pits but you may smooth the bore out enough to be shootable. I also would not waste time working on the outside until you have shot the gun off a bench and confirmed that it is accurate enough to continue working on it. Start with 5 shot groups at 25 yards so that you are sure to hit the target

cheers mooncoon
 
Potashminer said:
Make a "stopper" for the muzzle end - a length of wooden dowel (or something) in a length of automotive heater hose that slides over the muzzle end - tighten down with hose clamps around both the dowel and the barrel. Don't really want a plug up inside the muzzle end - want the "juice" to work right to the very end of the bore. Set barrel vertical in a soft jaw vise. Fill that bore completely with 50/50 Acetone + Automotive Transmission Fluid (ATF) that has been mixed thoroughly (I use a plastic pop bottle for mixing / shaking up). Lay something flat over the breech end - the acetone will want to evaporate if left open to air. Let soak for a day or two. Will penetrate and loosen up any rust or corrosion. Then scrub well with a bronze brush, and follow up with several patches, until they come out "clean". Will be as "clean" as you will get it. Then shoot it - don't condemn it just based on what the bore might look like - actually shoot it once all the loose crap and corruption has been removed and then decide, based on bullet holes in target, whether it is to be retired or not.
Click to expand...

This is a good idea but the trick would be to keep the acetone and tranny fluid from separating. Shake it up in a small jar and mix it well, then set it down and watch it. You will see what I mean.
Have used this concoction on lots of frozen parts and it works very well.
 
Yes, the separation is an issue. I mix up the "juice" in clear 600ml and 1 liter plastic pop bottles. After first mix and shake, the separation seems to occur in a couple hours or less. Re-shake vigorously - ends up looking reminiscent of Milk of Magnesia "pink" - set it aside, and seems to take longer to separate as the shaking episodes continue. I always re-shake before trying to use it. Not always successful in bores - I have a 7x57 1895 Chilean that I had given up on - could not get the bore anywhere looking clean - no surprise really as I could not see light through it when first received. Based on earlier comment in this thread, that bore now soaking full of Evaporust - have nothing to loose, and at least I will find out if it cuts through more crap than the 50/50 juice...
 
mooncoon said:
I will echo the recommendation of a patch with valve grinding compound. You will not remove the pits but you may smooth the bore out enough to be shootable. I also would not waste time working on the outside until you have shot the gun off a bench and confirmed that it is accurate enough to continue working on it. Start with 5 shot groups at 25 yards so that you are sure to hit the target

cheers mooncoon
Click to expand...


Thanks for this as well and all the advice on this thread so far. Got a jug of evaporust to try out on it this weekend and see how much that helps. The exterior of the barrel is completely fine, no rust present at all. It's just the inside of the bore that's a mess.

If it looks good after the evaporust treatment I'll take it out to shoot it and see how it performs. If not will move to the valve grinding compound and see where that gets me.
 
Trying to get a response from you on the carbine I paid for but you have not shipped. Any reason why you don't respond to texts, messages? This was posted here totally in error. Big apology to Devlin. Please chalk up to an old guy trying to post and it went to the wrong place. NOT very computer savvy.
 
Last edited:
team1126 said:
Trying to get a response from you on the carbine I paid for but you have not shipped. Any reason why you don't respond to texts, messages?
Click to expand...


Errrr what? Sorry I don't have any carbines and haven't sold any think you might have the wrong person. Feel free to send me a PM on this board.

Edit to add, I've sent you a PM on here as well.
 
I am assuming Post #38 is directed to me? Took a couple tries to get a "stopper" that would work - this evaporust seems to just soak through the wood dowel and barrel was empty in the morning. Finally installed a plastic stopper apparently used to replace the cork in a wine bottle - I say "apparently" because the notion of putting away a part of a wine bottle using a plastic "cork" is outside my experience...

Anyways, here is a picture of the first patch through this morning - hope the colours come through - was quite surprised at the yellow powders looking stuff. I understand that Evaposrust is a chelaton (sp?) - is able to pull the iron atoms from the FeO2 rust, but can't pull iron atoms for the parent metal. Second patch in next post.

IMG_1330.jpg
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1330.jpg
    IMG_1330.jpg
    73.4 KB · Views: 390
Here is the second patch, following the one posted in Post #39. Sort of greenish tinge to it. Assuming that anything on the patches is no longer in the bore. Not anywheres near "clean". I will follow up with bronze brush scrub, etc. I do not like the idea of steel wool or valve grinding compound in a bore - seems to me that it can only cut off / round out any sharp edges that might be left on the rifling, but I suppose at some point that may be only option left. As I said, I believe this barrel to be beyond redemption, so a good one to experiment with.

IMG_1331.jpg
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1331.jpg
    IMG_1331.jpg
    63.4 KB · Views: 386
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom