Ugly Bore needs help!!

[Steve P]

Internet bargain was too good to be true.  Picked up a black powder rifle and I dont think the previous owner ever cleaned the bore.  When I first looked thru the bore I could not see any rifling.  First few patches with Gun Scrubber came out brown (rust).  Let it soak for a while, still no rifling visible.

Took the barrel off the stock and stripped it down.  Put breech plug back in and filled the barrel with foaming bore cleaner.  I let it soak for 1 hour and then ran 50 passes with a copper brush.  Finally found the rifling.  Soaked and brushed two more times, then ran 50 passes with bore paste (polish).  After about 250 cleaning passes the rifling is there and I am sure gun will shoot, but the bore is still pretty ugly. 

This method of cleaning has cleaned up several used rifles for me.  Most came out with brite bores.  Not this one. Short of fire lapping or hand lapping, have I missed anything?  Should I just go with about 30 grains of FFF, round ball, and patch filled with 600 grit lapping compound to lap/clean/repeat until it comes out brite?

Suggestions?

Steve

[SHOOTALL]

Try using Kroil on your patches , wrap a patch around a brush and scrub with it soaked in Kroil. This cleaned up a Rem 700ML for a friend that did not clean his gun for a couple years and stored it in the garage .

[Doug B.]

May be something here that will brighten that bore up.......

http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm#top

[Bigeasy]

Steve-

I would try the fire lapping method.  Worked for me on an old BP barrel I had years ago.  If you don't get that barrel smooth, it most likely will lead badly, or tear up your patches.

Larry

[Steve P]

Thanks for the replies.  I will try the kroil first.  If that doesn't work, I will do some fire lapping.

Thanks again,

Steve

[SHOOTALL]

Let it soak in for a few mins