Plymouth Rifle Loads?

[B-Davis]

Since I had two weeks of "stay-cation", I worked on my new project, the Plymouth rifle. I had repaired the poorly done stock splice, I stripped (with citrus strip) both pieces of the stock. I restained with a two part stain, and repaired the splice with two pieces of all thread and glass bedded the stock.
2722

I also cleared out the obstruction from the barrel and finally got the clogged nipple out.(With gentle heating and kroil. Then a ratchet wrench and cheap Japanese socket that I didn't mind losing got it to turn and come out)

The rifling is present, but it has pits. I am hoping a healthy dose of shooting time at the range will help the bore also.
2723

My question now is, does anybody have a recommended load for this rifle? I have a Rapine .685-500 mould. I casted about 100 rds. It seems a tad bit loose, but before I break down to buy another mould, I was wondering if anybody us using one of these bullets for this rifle and at what powder load. Any suggestions?

[gemmer]

Since I had two weeks of "stay-cation", I worked on my new project, the Plymouth rifle. I had repaired the poorly done stock splice, I stripped (with citrus strip) both pieces of the stock. I restained with a two part stain, and repaired the splice with two pieces of all thread and glass bedded the stock.
2722

I also cleared out the obstruction from the barrel and finally got the clogged nipple out.(With gentle heating and kroil. Then a ratchet wrench and cheap Japanese socket that I didn't mind losing got it to turn and come out)

The rifling is present, but it has pits. I am hoping a healthy dose of shooting time at the range will help the bore also.
2723

My question now is, does anybody have a recommended load for this rifle? I have a Rapine .685-500 mould. I casted about 100 rds. It seems a tad bit loose, but before I break down to buy another mould, I was wondering if anybody us using one of these bullets for this rifle and at what powder load. Any suggestions?

I shoot 50 gr. of Goex with the Rapine .685-500 sized .686 in my rifled 1842 as a target load and 70 gr for whitetail. My bore size is .687.

Duane

[Pat in Virginia]

Duane,

You might want to do some conditioning of the bore before you start to shoot it. Most of my related experience is in getting military black powder cartridge rifles of the 1860's+ with not so good bores to shoot reasonably well. For some there just was no hope and replacement barrels were needed. What worked for me was to oil the bore and then start scrubbing it down with 0000 steel wool over a patch. Sometimes coarser grades of steel wool were called for. A brush under that patch is a better idea than a jag. What you are trying to do is to knock off the rough edges of the pitting and smooth out what remains of the lands and grooves.

If the bore is really bad I have gone so far as to take a straight dowel and cut an inch to an inch and a half slit in one end. (This will work for a 35" barrel using commonly available dowels.) Into the slit I would thread some wet-or-dry abrasive paper: a 4 or 5 inch long piece cut to the correct width. I would cut down the other end of the rod if need be (depending on the caliber of the barrel and my drill's chuck max opening) so that I could chuck it up in my hand drill and then I would go after the bore with the drill and what has become a bob on the other end of the dowel. As the wet-or-dry spins it self-centers. You want to move it back and forth as you clean and polish the lands. It will remove some metal from the lands, but that isn't necessarily bad when the barrel is in poor condition. I developed the feeling that I was actually putting a better edge on the top of the lands, but that may just be wishful thinking on my part. You can work your way down from coarse to fine grit with the wet-or-dry and then finish by burnishing the barrel with the 0000 steel wool assuming the grooves are okay.

Normally I would attach the grooves first if they needed some help and then finish with the lands as outlined above. To start with I would use a brush covered with a patch or two, then steel wool into which I would rub bore lapping grit of various sizes starting with the larger and working down. Oil the bore first. Sometimes initially I would use bronze wool to get the soft crud out. Again I would spin the rod with a hand drill and move it back in forth in short strokes as I went after the gunk in the grooves. Then I would switch to a hand rod and repeat the process moving the steel wool back and forth without spinning it as many times as needed or until I decided enough was enough.

Finally, you can also lap the barrel if you are willing and able to get the barrel de-breeched. Just remember though if the barrel is really badly pitted the lap when poured will go into the pits and then you will have a heck of a time getting the lap out, even getting it to move. Follow any lapping with the 0000 steel wool burnishing treatment.

If and when, things began to look and feel pretty decent I would switch from the hand drill to a normal cleaning rod and just go back and forth without any spinning. I think of 600 grit paper about like I do 0000 steel wool, but the steel wool will burnish while the 600 grit will still be cutting. You want to burnish/polish as the last step.

You'll save yourself a lot of time, lead, and frustration at the range if you bring that bore into reasonable condition before you start shooting. If all else fails have the bore relined or get a second drop-in barrel made for it. In my case, I was usually able to get the BP cartridge rifles shooting reasonably well at 50 yards (the normal distance I could shoot on my own property at that time) by using the techniques above.

If the barrel is really bad you don't have much to lose using the more aggressive techniques. As to the use of 0000 steel wool, as mentioned above, it basically burnishes and does not cut and what you want is a smooth and well burnished bore. Lee Shaver published an article in the Single Shot Exchange on the use of 0000 steel wool on new as well as problem barrels back in June (I think) of 2013 on how he used it to break in new barrels and to help make old barrels shoot again. It'll cost you $4 to get it as a back copy from the Single Shot Exchange, 803-628-5326; Corey will be glad to help you find the right month, should you be interested. In case you don't know the name/person, Lee in addition to being an excellent gunsmith and editor of the Single Shot Exchange is a shooting member of as well as the coach of the US International LRML Team. He knows his stuff in both endeavors.

Pat

[gemmer]

Pat,

I should have noted that my '42 has a Hoyt reline. My bad.

Duane

[gmkmd]

In my Plymouth, I use the Rapine bullet and 60 grains of 3F Goex. It will shoot cloverleaf groups all day.

[Pat in Virginia]

Duane,

Not a problem. Maybe what I shared with you will help somebody else out that has what appears to be a marginal barrel.


Pat