VE6AB Technical
Muzzleloader Tune-up
What your looking at is the muzzle end of my 45 caliber blackpowder rifle that I built in my workshop some years ago, and every time I took it out to shoot it, I would have problems with the bullet patches tearing on the edges of the bore when loading. I put up with it, but realized I needed to chamfer the end of the muzzle to eliminate the problem.
I finally got around to doing something about it, first by ordering a chamfer cutting tool from Brownells a gunsmithing supply house. After receiving the chamfer tool, I set the rifle up on my tactical range box to chamfer the muzzle end as seen in this photo.
The chamfering tool that I purchased is for cutting a 45 degree chamfer. The cutting tool includes a brass pilot sized for my 45 caliber muzzleloader that protects the bore and keeps the cutting surfaces of the chamfer tool square to the bore for a precise finish around the circumference of the bore.
Before I did the work, I inserted a cleaning mop down the barrel with the ramrod. Once placed down the bore, I un-screwed the ramrod removing it from the barrel leaving the cleaning mop behind in the bore. Once the chamfer was cut, and the chamfering tool removed, I lapped the muzzle end with a brass muzzle lap and lapping compound. I then inserted the ramrod reattaching it to the cleaning mop left in the bore. I then pulled the cleaning mop out, this action cleaning out any metal shavings that may have been left in the bore.
The last step was to clean the muzzle end of any oily residue and apply cold bluing to the surfaces that had been chamfered.
I've since been out shooting with my 45 caliber blackpowder rifle, and the problem has been resolved, the patches no longer being torn when a ball and patch are inserted in the bore with the short ball starter.
