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Hivernant
Picture of Archie
posted
I got a free barrel today from a "buddy".
Green Mountain drop in for renegade/hawkin .50 cal 1-28" twist. Problem is he shot it with pyrodex and never cleaned the barrel. He actually said "you don't need to clean pyrodex barrels". Well I figured for free I could use it for something like a tent stake or to prop the garage door open if nothing else. Anywho, the sights are there along with the inderlug and the ram rod holders (wutjamakallits) so the parts make free even better. I pulled the breech plug and scrubbed a bunch of rusty looking stuff out of it with a bore brush and no.9. The front half (muzzle end) looks "good" but the back end is either pitted or caked with some kind of carbon looking substance I realy can't tell. When I run a jag with a patch the patch comes out all torn and ragedy and I can feel the roughness through the ramrod.

Any of you guys have experience with this stuff?

Another thought just came to me, I could have it bored out and have a barrel liner installed provided it is cost effective. Any idea the gunsmith fee for barrel liner installation?
 
Posts: 100 | Location: Minn | Registered: 13 December 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of captchee
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First , who ever told him that he didn’t need to clean a pyrodex barrel. Needs to have their head examined . Its is just as , if not more corrosive then BP .
Anyway .
Get you some PB blaster and a GOOG wire bore brush . Soke it down real good and let it set .
Once you get the fouling to break free , your going to find the area under the fouling , pitted .

What needs to be done from there on , depends on the degree of pitting. You could be looking at nothing more then a light lapping all the way to a re bore
 
Posts: 687 | Location: Payette ,Idaho | Registered: 23 November 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
Picture of Archie
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Well of course penetrating oil. Thanks.
 
Posts: 100 | Location: Minn | Registered: 13 December 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
Picture of Archie
posted Hide Post
Soaked the barrel for a few days with PB blaster and scubbed with copper scouring pad I got from the grocery store. All the crud did come out and there is some pitting in the breech end of the barrel. The lands look good so all the pitting is in the grooves. Not really sure if I can, or want to shoot it. However, it being a .50 barrel and the .45 barrel liners that TOW offers are .625OD I don't see it being that big of a project to ream or drill it out. PTG sells a piloted drill in 5/8" for about $80. I would need to weld an extension on the shank to run the length of the bore. The breech plug is 3/4-16 so no modifications should be required on that end. Then it's just a matter of installing the liner and my thoughts are green locktite to secure it in place. I had thought about welding the muzzle end and then recrowning but I am concermed about the heat effects distorting the liner.

Thoughts?
 
Posts: 100 | Location: Minn | Registered: 13 December 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Archie, I don't really have anything to add except to agree with Captchee that Pyrodex is extremely corrosive - at least in my experience and, apparently his. I am eager to hear what his or someone else's opinion might be of your barrel liner idea....or drilling it out to .54.

Too bad, I have a .50 GMB fast twist like that one and it's a real shooter with Barnes TMZ copper bullets. (I know that's not pre-1840 per forum rqmts)
 
Posts: 721 | Location: TriCities, WA | Registered: 25 January 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Is it really worth the effort and expense to save this barrel?
I consider Green Mtn. barrels to be okay, but not something special. IMHO


Know what you believe in. Fight for your beliefs. Never compromise away your rights.
 
Posts: 1296 | Location: Cherokee Land, Tenasi | Registered: 06 January 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of Walkingeagle
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I have read and re-read this thread a few times and your description of "some pitting in the breach end" is rather loose. If it were me, I would have a close look at that pitting and ask myself if it is bad enough to cause safety concerns. If my memory is correct the Renegade is 1" barrel and in .50 cal these is a lot of extra metal there. I also believe that the GM bbls list 120g ff as max. I think I would shoot it and see how it does, you may be surprised. If not then look to other options.
Walkingeagle
 
Posts: 342 | Location: Alberta, Canada | Registered: 15 January 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
Picture of Archie
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Walkingeagle might be correct on this one.
 
Posts: 100 | Location: Minn | Registered: 13 December 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
Picture of Archie
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I am finally done scrubbing the bore of this barrel. It isn't all that bad really. I wouldn't want to buy it but I think it will do for shooting. The pitting is in the grooves of the rifling about 1/3 the way up from the breech end. I think it will serve well as my experiments in browning steel. I did a search of the campfire and found some very informative posts regarding browning. Thanks again captchee!!
 
Posts: 100 | Location: Minn | Registered: 13 December 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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