Old powder and lead residue - Is there damage?

Target Hammer · February 26, 2010, 06:43 PM

I recently purchased a Smith & Wesson model 29-2 in like new condition from an internet sale. The owner said he had fired it years ago and stored it in the safe for the last 20 years or so and I guess he never cleaned it.
When I received the gun, there was light gray residue in the throats and forcing cone. The rest of the barrel was shiny.
I figured I would just run a Hoppies soaked brush through the bores and clean it up but the stuff does not want to budge. I even used a little square of that ADCO EZ Brite cloth on a jag and although it came out black, the residue is still there. Do I just need to keep at it?

Is this gun damaged beyond repair or will this stuff come out? What do I need to do to clean it up? Thanks for your replies. Bob

**Unclenick** · February 26, 2010, 07:09 PM

No permanent damage. He probably polished the lead when he cleaned it so he couldn't see it, but the years dulled the surface enough so you can see it better.

Four solutions:

Buy a Lewis Lead remover in .44 Cal.

Buy an Outer's Foul Out electrolytic metal fouling remover.

Buy Sharp Shoot-R's No Lead, lead solvent.

Buy an all copper (not copper-washed steel) scouring pad, like Chore Boy brand, and wrap strands around a .357 bore brush until you have enough uilt up to scrub the bore fairly firmly with it using a cleaning rod. Oiling the bore with penetrating oil the night before makes it work better. Same with the Lewis lead remover.

Target Hammer · February 26, 2010, 09:09 PM

Thank you Nick for the excellent suggestions for lead removal products. Some of these I had never heard of before.
I will pick up a couple of them and have at it again.
Would spinning a bore brush lubricated with solvent in a variable speed drill at low speed be detrimental?
I am relieved to hear you say you don't feel that the chambers and forcing cone are permanently damaged. I will be happy when they are nice and shiny again.

Here are a few photos of my new Smith. She's a real beauty! Thanks, Bob

drail · February 26, 2010, 09:21 PM

Many shooters use a brush in a slow speed drill to remove crud (in the chambers, not the bbl.). Go easy and if that doesn't remove it try the Lewis lead remover. With patience it will all come out.

Target Hammer · February 26, 2010, 09:21 PM

Oh, one more thing. What about the front of the cylinder? Plastic gun toothbrush (stiff nylon bristles) and solvent and just keep scrubbing? Bob

Bill DeShivs · February 26, 2010, 09:43 PM

Spinning a brush in the bore will leave fouling in the edges of the grooves.
Try this:
Use a tight fitting wad of 0000 (not 00, not 0, not 000) steel wool. Stuff it in the barrel and pour a little solvent on it. Push it through the bore with a cleaning rod, allowing the steel wool to follow the rifling-until the lead is gone. You may have to use several pieces.
No, it won't hurt the bore.

**Unclenick** · February 27, 2010, 05:55 PM

The 0000 steel wool with Kroil or PB Blaster (if you can stand the smell) or some other penetrating oil should handle the cylinder face without taking the bluing off. The bronze gauze in the Lewis remover or the Chore Boy will scrub those off in combination with the penetrant. I even have some bronze wool I use when I'm unsure how hard the finish is? These all leave some copper coloring behind, though, and you want a tube of Gunbrite or Flitz to follow up to remove the coloring traces.

I'd forgot about the lead wipe cloths. These have some abrasive in them, and I admit the idea of that bothers me, and even though they claim they are safe for finishes, be sure you never touch aluminum with them. They can be cut into patches for getting lead out of the bore and chamber, which is fine, but frankly the Lewis or the Chore Boy are both fastest (three or four passes are usually enough), and they don't mark the bore. The lead wipe patches can follow that to detail clean the corners of the lands.

Target Hammer · February 27, 2010, 07:12 PM

Thanks guys for the continued reply's and ideas. I spent some quality time with my new 29 today and did a little lead removal with an old cleaning rod that I cut off at about 6 inches long and chucked in my hand drill. I used a .44 brush and some cleaner and penetrating oil and honed the cylinder bores at low speed. A little in and out, nice and slow did the trick.

A lot of the gook came out and I was glad to see the metal nice and bright. That took a lot of it out of the cylinder but the forcing cone is still packed full.
I ordered a Lewis lead remover as that looks like the only way to get it really clean.
Thanks again, Bob

drail · February 27, 2010, 10:26 PM

That is REAL pretty! The Lewis tool has an attachment for the forcing cone. Sounds like somebody was running swaged soft lead slugs through that poor thing.

February 26, 2010, 06:43 PM	#1
Target Hammer Junior Member Join Date: October 11, 2009 Posts: 13	Old powder and lead residue - Is there damage? I recently purchased a Smith & Wesson model 29-2 in like new condition from an internet sale. The owner said he had fired it years ago and stored it in the safe for the last 20 years or so and I guess he never cleaned it. When I received the gun, there was light gray residue in the throats and forcing cone. The rest of the barrel was shiny. I figured I would just run a Hoppies soaked brush through the bores and clean it up but the stuff does not want to budge. I even used a little square of that ADCO EZ Brite cloth on a jag and although it came out black, the residue is still there. Do I just need to keep at it? Is this gun damaged beyond repair or will this stuff come out? What do I need to do to clean it up? Thanks for your replies. Bob

February 26, 2010, 07:09 PM	#2
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	No permanent damage. He probably polished the lead when he cleaned it so he couldn't see it, but the years dulled the surface enough so you can see it better. Four solutions: Buy a Lewis Lead remover in .44 Cal. Buy an Outer's Foul Out electrolytic metal fouling remover. Buy Sharp Shoot-R's No Lead, lead solvent. Buy an all copper (not copper-washed steel) scouring pad, like Chore Boy brand, and wrap strands around a .357 bore brush until you have enough uilt up to scrub the bore fairly firmly with it using a cleaning rod. Oiling the bore with penetrating oil the night before makes it work better. Same with the Lewis lead remover. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

February 26, 2010, 09:21 PM	#4
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	Many shooters use a brush in a slow speed drill to remove crud (in the chambers, not the bbl.). Go easy and if that doesn't remove it try the Lewis lead remover. With patience it will all come out. Last edited by drail; February 27, 2010 at 10:25 PM.

February 26, 2010, 09:43 PM	#6
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,981	Spinning a brush in the bore will leave fouling in the edges of the grooves. Try this: Use a tight fitting wad of 0000 (not 00, not 0, not 000) steel wool. Stuff it in the barrel and pour a little solvent on it. Push it through the bore with a cleaning rod, allowing the steel wool to follow the rifling-until the lead is gone. You may have to use several pieces. No, it won't hurt the bore. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

February 27, 2010, 05:55 PM	#7
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	The 0000 steel wool with Kroil or PB Blaster (if you can stand the smell) or some other penetrating oil should handle the cylinder face without taking the bluing off. The bronze gauze in the Lewis remover or the Chore Boy will scrub those off in combination with the penetrant. I even have some bronze wool I use when I'm unsure how hard the finish is? These all leave some copper coloring behind, though, and you want a tube of Gunbrite or Flitz to follow up to remove the coloring traces. I'd forgot about the lead wipe cloths. These have some abrasive in them, and I admit the idea of that bothers me, and even though they claim they are safe for finishes, be sure you never touch aluminum with them. They can be cut into patches for getting lead out of the bore and chamber, which is fine, but frankly the Lewis or the Chore Boy are both fastest (three or four passes are usually enough), and they don't mark the bore. The lead wipe patches can follow that to detail clean the corners of the lands. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

February 26, 2010, 09:09 PM	#3
Target Hammer Junior Member Join Date: October 11, 2009 Posts: 13	Thank you Nick for the excellent suggestions for lead removal products. Some of these I had never heard of before. I will pick up a couple of them and have at it again. Would spinning a bore brush lubricated with solvent in a variable speed drill at low speed be detrimental? I am relieved to hear you say you don't feel that the chambers and forcing cone are permanently damaged. I will be happy when they are nice and shiny again. Here are a few photos of my new Smith. She's a real beauty! Thanks, Bob

February 27, 2010, 07:12 PM	#8
Target Hammer Junior Member Join Date: October 11, 2009 Posts: 13	Thanks guys for the continued reply's and ideas. I spent some quality time with my new 29 today and did a little lead removal with an old cleaning rod that I cut off at about 6 inches long and chucked in my hand drill. I used a .44 brush and some cleaner and penetrating oil and honed the cylinder bores at low speed. A little in and out, nice and slow did the trick. A lot of the gook came out and I was glad to see the metal nice and bright. That took a lot of it out of the cylinder but the forcing cone is still packed full. I ordered a Lewis lead remover as that looks like the only way to get it really clean. Thanks again, Bob

February 27, 2010, 10:26 PM	#9
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	That is REAL pretty! The Lewis tool has an attachment for the forcing cone. Sounds like somebody was running swaged soft lead slugs through that poor thing.