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Effects of a dull bore?

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Emop

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I've noticed that almost all the guns I've owned had highly polished bores. Particularly the match-grade barrels that have lands that look like mirrors. The Smith revolvers look pretty good but certianly not on the top of the list. Some are shinier than others, especially the older models I've looked at. My guess is the match barrels are lapped as a final step but was wondering what S&W's process is for new production revolvers... and if it has any effect on function and/or durability? The main difference I have seen myself is the highly polished barrels clean up easily and look a lot nicer. My most recent S&W purchase was a factory new 629 that's more on the dull, scratchy looking side. It also takes 3 times longer to clean, although it doesn't look very clean afterward.
I was wondering if there is any downside to dull besides cosmetic. I've read about people hand polishing handgun barrels, like the Benchrest shooters, and wondered if it's worth the effort? Does anyone bother with that?
 
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I've got a Model 28 with a barrel than shines like a mirror. It just takes a couple of patches to clean. Of course, it has had tens of thousands of rounds down the tube since I bought it in 1972.

Emop said:
Some are shinier than others, especially the older models I've looked at.
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I think that some of the older ones have simply been shot more.
 
You can look at them all you want to, the important thing is how do they shoot?

I am presently breaking in an old Shilen target barrel, on a 22 Win Low Wall, it started as a project in 1970 and just got it finished. It started out very dirty and with the last 20 rounds is starting to look pretty darn good, that is after 200 rounds.
 
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Smith’s current rifling method is responsible for the dull appearance.

The older pistol’s rifling is sharp and shiny not because of lots of rounds down the tube but because it was made that way.
 
Rpg said:
Smith’s current rifling method is responsible for the dull appearance.

The older pistol’s rifling is sharp and shiny not because of lots of rounds down the tube but because it was made that way.
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I see. It's too bad. Might be another reason many of the older Smiths have a bigger price tag than todays.
 
I am sort of guessing here (as I do not own any S&W's made after 1994) but they might have gone towards the Glock style Polygonal Barrel Rifling. More than likely it is a cost cutting process but I could be incorrect - strictly a guess.
 
In production, the EDM process leaves a slightly sandblasted looking finish. There are ways to make an EDM surface pretty smooth, but that takes longer than most production times are allowed. Time is money. The faster you can make something, the less it costs to make it.
 
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We like to see shiny bores, but it may not make any accuracy difference. Plenty of older guns with pitted, ugly (think black powder and uncleaned) bores that still shoot great.

How does your dull bore gun shoot?
 
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murphydog said:
We like to see shiny bores, but it may not make any accuracy difference. Plenty of older guns with pitted, ugly (think black powder and uncleaned) bores that still shoot great.

How does your dull bore gun shoot?
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Shoots fine... better than me I think, but doest look like it would. Don't get me wrong... I'm just curious why they look that way and if it's sub-par work. I suppose I'm use to seeing shiny and was wondering if Smith changed something for some reason? My only complaint is dulll and scratchy bores take a lot more time and effort to clean and you don't have that mirror look as payback after it's finished. Also wondering why I read about people having bores polished. Is it for accuracy or looks or easy to clean?
 
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I am not too familiar with the polished bore story - I know some rifle barrels are "lapped" or special projectiles are used to accomplish this, but I don't know if it is for accuracy or cleanliness purposes. Perhaps other Forum members who have experience with this will chime in.
 
Even with the old "shiny" bores, it frequently took a couple of hundred jacketed rounds to knock the machining burrs off and smooth things out. Hand lapped barrels are pretty much specialty items from barrrel specialists, not production products. Registered magnums possibly excepted.

I've got an old rifle that has a barrel that looks like 26" of bad road. Shoots 1 MOA or better. Did you buy the product to shoot or admire metal finishing?

I profoundly doubt that S&W is going/has gone to polygonal rifling. It has it's own set of issues and would require a massive tooling expense.
 
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I don't care if the inside of my barrel is "Green" and moving...........
as long as it is a shooter.

I have bought barrels for my inaccurate, very used barrels that were "Stock Items", both rifle and pistols.
Never went the high end target barrels , yet.

Thought those fancy target barrels do catch ones eye !!
 
I kind of enjoy breaking in a new barrel, you shoot a group, then clean and shoot another one and clean and slowly but surely she cleans up and shoots as good as she can, now you can play with other loads or 22 cartridges to see which is best.

There is a book named "22 Rimfire Accuracy" by a gentleman who used to write for Shooting Times, I think his name was Caulfield. It is 1,000 pages of what your question entails and very well worth the time reading if you are interested. After reading it you will never walk past a spent cartridge and taking a little time reading what the spent case has to tell you.
 
IF you want to do something....

If you are dissatisfied with the finish and think the gun could shoot better fire lapping is a good solution. You can buy lapping rounds or do it yourself with lapping compound and regular bullets. I've never done it of felt the need but if my barrel was not oversized and I thought it would help I wouldn't hesitate
 
Ed Fowler said:
There is a book named "22 Rimfire Accuracy" by a gentleman who used to write for Shooting Times, I think his name was Caulfield. It is 1,000 pages of what your question entails and very well worth the time reading if you are interested. After reading it you will never walk past a spent cartridge and taking a little time reading what the spent case has to tell you.
Click to expand...

The book is The Art of 22 Rimfire Accuracy by Bill Calfee available through abebooks.com.
 
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