Barrel lapping will help accuracy, precision, and consistency. It makes the inside of your barrel much smoother so that the air potentially has no microscopic rough patches to make the air turbulent and cause the bb to fly in an unpredictable manner. The reason expensive, high quality barrels are expensive and high quality is because they are lapped. If a barrel is lapped improperly it will have negative effects on the bbs flight path which could make it less accurate than before it was done, but as long as you are careful and pay attention to what you are doing, it isnt too hard to do right.

 

Okay cool thank you!

 

Lapping helps by smoothing out the bore so it has less effect on the BBs flight path.

I have been able to get good results by just using cotton cloth and lapping compound wrapped around a cleaning rod.

 

Lapping helps by smoothing out the bore so it has less effect on the BBs flight path.

I have been able to get good results by just using cotton cloth and lapping compound wrapped around a cleaning rod.

What compound do you use?

 

What compound do you use?

I have had good results in the past using Flitz buffing compound.

 

What compound do you use?

Barkeepers Best Friend (linestone powder) in a 50-50 mix with water.
I always get a mirror finish in my barrels with it.

 

The reason expensive, high quality barrels are expensive and high quality is because they are lapped.

What barrels come lapped from the manufacturer? Prometheus and PDI don't. HS5 scoped the bore and you can see how rough they are.

 

Barkeepers Best Friend (linestone powder) in a 50-50 mix with water.
I always get a mirror finish in my barrels with it.

That's awesome. I'll have to try. So you just use a cotton cloth, right? Mind posting a picture of what you use? Thanks

 

I use either a strip from an old t-shirt or Scotts shop towels. I just stick it through the loop on the end of the cleaning rod.

 

What barrels come lapped from the manufacturer? Prometheus and PDI don't. HS5 scoped the bore and you can see how rough they are.

Not quite lapped but more polished, or treated with a coating to decrease friction which works under the same principle. Doing it yourself can produce better results and make the barrel better than what you can purchase.

 

Take a look at my DIY barrel lapping thread, I list all the items needed including the perfect size cleaning jag for 6mm barrels.

 

Resurrecting this topic again. I’m interested in wether the idea of lapping barrels has grown in acceptance, and do people think it’s worth it?

 

Like, does it work? Definitely. Does it make a huge difference? Depends on how bad your bore quality was originally. Is it worth doing? Well, depends on how bad your bore is, and what the intended use is. Like I wouldn't lap my 1911 or SOB2, given that those are for closer ranges. My KC02 or SPR, on the other hand, would be viable candidates as they're for longer distances.

Worth noting that a potential downside of lapping is that you increase bore diameter when doing so. It's usually not too noticeable, but depending on how much material you lapped off, you may notice a slight decrease in fps.

 

^Which isn't a bad thing if you get accuracy and consistency.

However I do not suggest lapping of any material but brass.

Trying to lap Stainless is a longer and harder process.

It's just cheaper to buy a good barrel. In fact last Saturday I was out at TCA and a guy came up and was wondering how to get better accuracy. His new TBB, a 6.02mm was not giving him the grouping he wants.

A few targeted questions and I said...I surmise your barrel is too tight and you bbs are of a low grade.

His barrel was a 6.02mm from Airsoft Station. BBs Elite force .25s.

I asked him if he would be willing to pull his barrel and let me inspect it. He obliged.

On the external of the Stainless barrel it had ROC 6.02x363mm on it. It is a Taiwanese made SS barrel and I know the factory agent (damn you Eddie).

I removed the stock hop-up and 80 durometer packing and tried the bb drop test. Surprisingly the bb did not move. It wouldn't drop down the barrel...what? I give it a tap and it just sticks...~3/4" down.

I blow it out and look down the barrel...aha!

I asked...why is the barrel oily? Player said he cleans it with silicone oil. I told him not to do that...he asks why...I asked him...do you use oil in your windshield fluid reservoir? And I could just see the light bulb go off in his head.

Then I added here is your other contributing issue. I handed it back to him and said...point it at that red shed and look through it...look at the side of the inner barrel wall. He goes...yeah? It shouldn't be all wobbly like that.

I happened to have spare barrels that day and I dug out a G&P 363mm and peeked into the barrel and then I handed it to him. Look at this barrel...absolutely smooth I said. He looks and says "oh yeah".

Want me to put something together for you for accuracy and range? He replied yes.

So, I put a G&P brass, ML Super Mac and hollow concave nub. He reinstalled and sauntered out to the chrono range.

As I was talking to someone else he came back with a poop eating grin on his face. He waited patiently while I finished up with other person and he goes..."wow".

He said he gained ~20 yards in range ( he was hitting the 60 yard target, an 8" lid) and he said his accuracy was a significant improvement.

I told him...welcome to the 21st century in Airsoft technology.

 

^Which isn't a bad thing if you get accuracy and consistency.

However I do not suggest lapping of any material but brass.

Trying to lap Stainless is a longer and harder process.

It's just cheaper to buy a good barrel.

Longer and harder, yes. Especially if you don't use the right tools and abrasives(so not barkeep's friend or flitz, for stainless steel). But no. It's cheaper to lap a barrel you already have, than it is to buy an entirely different barrel. Now if you mean that buying a good barrel is cheaper than buying a poor quality barrel and lapping it, that's a different story(especially now that lambda is on the market).

Getting the right hones and abrasives isn't difficult or expensive. It's just a matter of how industrious you're feeling. Same reason people pay me to fix their knives for them... They're too lazy to do the work themselves.

 

So, if i get your statement correctly, lapping a ss Prometheus barrel would not be worth the effort? I’ve been running an R hopped Prometheus from UA, and have been happy with the results. They are now offering lapping services for $100 on their R hopped barrels. But if it’s a good straight SS barrel, I should leave well enough alone?

 

Honestly...no...I say that because the proper lap/hone is hard to get. One that is both the length of the barrel and of the right diameter where it removes material spots that is too tight over removing material overall is not something you can get.

For example I have a flex hone with a 4" contact area. The diameter is roughly 6mm. How can I evenly run that through a 363mm barrel and "evenly" remove material? There is no gauge to stop contact if there is "need" to remove material.

I only use that hone for "polishing"...where I draw it through in one pass in an even rate.

If you can get something that is truly the bore you seek and has guides to not remove excess material and can be done from home...I am all for that...