The lapping rod is equipped with a ball bearing cross-handle at the opposite end from the lap so that it
may easily be grasped and worked back and forth through the barrel. Stops are placed at both the
muzzle and breech end of the barrel so the lap will never be pushed or pulled entirely from the barrel.
Lap the barrel for eight or ten minutes, adding fresh emery, and oil frequently.
At the end of this time withdraw the lap from the barrel and wash the barrel out with solvent and examine
it to see that all burrs have been re moved, If further lapping is necessary, an entirely new lap must be
cast on the rod in the barrel, as before, for the old lap cannot be reinserted.
If you desire an extra high polish, as is often given to target barrels, the barrel can be polished with
rouge and light oil after the lapping operation. Leather washers about two or three thousandths of an
inch larger than the groove diameter of the barrel is placed upon a polishing-rod with ball bearing cross
handle. The leather washers being separated from each other with small brass washers and retained in
place by a brass nut on the end, which is made the bore diameter. During the polishing operation, this
nut can be tightened a little from time to time, to swell the leather washers slightly. The polishing
operation may be kept up for an hour or more.