bore dark and warn

[Hotwire]

Thank you for the inspiration, I built a electrolitic bore cleaner yesterday, using some welding rod, vulcanizing tape, and a trickle charger. I will be trying that out tonight. I have used water before for this purpose. some say distilled (Not very conductive at all), some say salt (Extremly conductive), you suggest amonia, Iv even heard of using windshield washer fluid (Its a cleaner, has amonia, and other elements as well). I will exparament tonight. I do belive the polarity matter big time. So I will do some more reading about that.

The twist in this is pretty agressive. I used a cylindrical slug that I had made using a drill sized too lard to fit in bore, and a block of oak. Drill the hole, melt the lead, pour some slugs. Soft face hammered it in, and used 6" sections of wood dowel to push it threw. It did get tighter as I progressed from muzzle to chambre. but that would be from the mushrooming of the slug as I pushed it threw. The material Im using to slug is commonly used for fishing weights.

The wire wool Im using is not stainless as I had stated, more of a flattened wire pot scrubber. If you know the style I mean. It rusts... rather quickly I might add. so Im not sure that its stainless, chromed, or what have you. But I will switch to some 000 Bulldog wire wool.

The fact that the slug was undersized, gives me hope, and inspiration to keep going. I will say that the lands were cleaned up quite well after my cleaning, and slugging. Now to get right into the grooves. Wish me luck, this is a nice rifle, and I want to keep it that way.

On a side note of its "Cleanliness" there are heavy deposits on the receiver. I had to use a dental pick to remove. I dont know how long it sat, or how long it went without cleaning... But it sure was abused and mistreated.

Again thank you for your suggestion.

[Hotwire]

Here are some photos from after I used the electrolysis cleaner I built. Its pretty rough.

[reincarnated]

That does not look good. It's time to try scrubbing with wire brushes, but that may not help. What did you use for the conducting liquid? Did you replace the liquid during the electrolysis? What color was the liquid after treatment?

I did that to a Kropatschek fired with black powder & steel jacketed bullets and to a Siamese Mauser last cleaned 50+ years before. In both cases, it took 3 10-minute treatments. The liquid was nearly clear after the last treatment. After all that, both rifles are capable of paper-plate accuracy at 100 yards, but will not hit anything smaller without a lot of luck.

Maybe it is time for test firing. Try jacketed bullets first.

[Hotwire]

The bore was always that rough. How ever before doing the electrolysis treatment the rifling was way less evidentm the pitting was already there. I think that running some jacketed projectiles threw it may help. As may fire lapping. But I'm going to give it an other try tonight.

[reincarnated]

Back in the early 1960s, Navy Arms (Val Forgett) imported a bunch of Norse Krags & advertised them as having "salt & pepper" bores. Their adverts said "where the salt did not pit, the pepper did". Perhaps you have one. Or perhaps yours is one with an even worse bore.

I do not think lining the bore is advisable with a high powered cartridge. Is the rifle worth a new barrel?

[Hotwire]

I Like the Krag action, I would re barrel it, with a custom barrel and just reuse the action. More info on these salt and pepper rifles would be great.

[reincarnated]

I did not buy one. Did any other Forum participant? Does anyone have a late 1950s or early 1960s gun magazine with a "Ye Olde Hunter" advert? If so, please scan & post.

Hotwire, you are in BC. Where would you get a new barrel?

Another general question about Norse Krags: What are the dimensions of the barrel threads? Would a good barrel from a Swedish Mauser fit? Could one be made to fit?

[butlersrangers]

Caution - Norwegian Krag barrels have a Left-hand thread.

[Hotwire]

I did not buy one. Did any other Forum participant? Does anyone have a late 1950s or early 1960s gun magazine with a "Ye Olde Hunter" advert? If so, please scan & post.

Hotwire, you are in BC. Where would you get a new barrel?

Another general question about Norse Krags: What are the dimensions of the barrel threads? Would a good barrel from a Swedish Mauser fit? Could one be made to fit?

I could get a barrel blank in 6.5 x 55. Then Left hand thread it lol, and go about fitting it to the action. I wanted to keep the current barrel as its numbers match.

Or get it rebored, to a calibre in the same cartridge family, or even better bored and lined. AS for being in Canada, Were not without gunsmiths here... lol

[reincarnated]

My question about barrels was one of source. I only know of 2 Canadian barrel makers. Both cater to the high-end custom gun trade & both probably have lists with enough customers-in-waiting to keep them busy for the rest of their lives.