lead fouling

hammer58 · January 21, 2013, 03:31 PM

Does anyone have a recipe to remove leading from a barrel? I have a Ruger sp101 with a 4" barrel. I loaded some cast bullets and it looks like I loaded them a little too hot. Now I have lead fouling in the barrel and am having trouble getting it all out. Any suggestions?

Magnum Wheel Man · January 21, 2013, 03:50 PM

this is what I used on a 22 barrel one time that was extremely leaded...

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/398...nt-4-oz-liquid

biganimal · January 21, 2013, 04:04 PM

I use Kroil
I run a soaked patch thru two times
Then let it set 5 minutes
Wrap a patch around a wire bore brush
Soak the whole thing in kroil
Run that thru 8-10 times
Follow with 4-5 clean patches
Usually does the trick
Occasionally I need to repeat

max it · January 21, 2013, 04:11 PM

HI, I use Lewis Lead Remover Tool from Brownell's
also have Butch's Bore Cleaner,
both are great
gotta keep that bore clean for accuracy.

mehavey · January 21, 2013, 04:53 PM

Get lead-away patches

http://www.amazon.com/Kleenbore-Care...ead+away+cloth

First time through what you think is a clean/lead-free bore.... you will mouth the word "magic"

Ifishsum · January 21, 2013, 07:19 PM

Strands of a copper chore boy scrub pad wrapped around an old bore brush - the flat shape tends to peel the lead out of the grooves very well. The Lewis Lead Remover is a nice tool if you plan on shooting a lot of lead. Makes it real easy to clean up.

jcwit · January 21, 2013, 09:10 PM

^^^^^^^^^^^^What he said^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

One word of warning. Take a magnet with you to the store so you are sure to get copper and not plated steel from china.

biganimal · January 21, 2013, 09:14 PM

Now THAT'S funny
Putting lead on something from china
AFTER you buy it!!

GP100man · January 22, 2013, 09:35 PM

Soak barrel with favorite solvent give it 10 min then hit it with the choreboy wrapped around a brush . & I own lewis lead removers .

jepp2 · January 22, 2013, 10:45 PM

I soak overnight with Ed's Red (about the same as Kroil) and use the bore brush wrapped with Chore Boy strands. Lead just comes out in flakes. I use the Lewis Lead remover for revolver cylinders and the forcing cone. Bright and shiny.

Having all the copper out before you shoot lead really reduces leading.

EliteGeek91 · January 22, 2013, 10:58 PM

Pro-Shot solvent/lube, over and over again..

Tennessee Jed · January 25, 2013, 04:43 PM

Chore Boy wrapped on on old brush works great for me. I couldn't get it to work at first, but a more experienced shooter suggested that I use a nylon brush instead of a bronze brush. Had something to do with the nylon doing a better job of pushing the Chore Boy strands deeper into the rifling grooves.

Whatever the reason, using a nylon brush made a world of difference.

fishbones182 · January 25, 2013, 05:56 PM

Im a choir boy fan myself. Lets find the real issue with your gun and load though. What is the hardness of the lead bullet? Why do you assume it was loaded too hot? Is the fit of the Bullet correct for the barrel, throats of the cylinder? Whats the angle of the forcing cone. There can be so many issues with only one need to be bad to cause leading in that revolver. I have 44 mag loads with 19 grains of 2400 using a lead 240 grain wad cutter and have no leading issues. I would start by first slugging the barrel of your revolver and buy a bullet that fits correctly. That in itself could eliminate your problem. Look at the hardness of the bullet most bulk produced cast bullets are too hard for the application they are used for. Most 38 spl bullets i use are a bhn or 10 to 12 and load them behind 3.7 grains of tight group out of my gp100. Get it worked out and shoot allot cheaper with just as good results. Good luck.

GP100man · January 25, 2013, 08:41 PM

My guess is undersized bullets.

do they fall thru the throats ??

fishbones182 · January 25, 2013, 09:16 PM

Another thing we would want to look at is where the leading is in the barrel? Is it leading near the forcing cone, near the end of the barrel or the entire length of the barrel? Could even be as simple as poor lube on the bullets as well.

Texas Range Ammo · January 27, 2013, 11:34 AM

The folks that mention to make sure you know your actual bore diameter, compared to the actual diameter of the bullets your shooting are making a very valid and important point.

Firearm manufactures produce barrel's that are best described as, different.

So, you need to slug the barrel.

As a competitive shooter, who has put thousands of lead rounds through various barrels, I'm going to fall back on my Dad's method.

When your done shooting, clean your gun. If you notice leading, go to the range, and fire max pressure jacketed bullets through the gun. Then clean it.

I have found that method works great, and has not effected accuracy IN HANDGUNS ! I don't recommend that for rifles.

m&p45acp10+1 · January 27, 2013, 12:00 PM

I will warn you if using the strands of Chore Boy take a magnet with you. Most are copper plated steel. If it is atracted to a magnet do not use it. The solovent will eat the copper off. Then you are rubbing the insed of your barrel with steel.

I do the chore boy. Though I have eliminated the need to use it as of late. The only times I have had to use it was when I was using a powder that was too hot. It made my barrel look like it was plated with lead after 3 shots. After cleaning, and changing powders the leading stopped.

If the lead starts at the forcing cone, and follows the rifling then either the bullet is undersized, or your chambers are undersized. Slug the chambers, and the barrel to see for that one.

If it strats about half way down the barrel, and leaves lead around the crown then it is a lube issue.

If it looks like the entire barrel is plated with lead, and you can not see the rifling at all then the powder is too hot. Either start using gas checks, or switch powders.

mehavey · January 27, 2013, 12:13 PM

I again recommend Lead-Away patches.

http://www.amazon.com/Kleenbore-Care...ead+away+cloth

I used the Chore-Boy and Lewis Remover for years -- still have them -- but 98% of any problem with cast bullet cleaning/lead removal can be done with two wipes of a LeadAway patch

WSM MAGNUM · January 27, 2013, 03:39 PM

I use this with the Lewis lead remover.

http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleanin...-prod1160.aspx

ky hunter · January 27, 2013, 05:13 PM

Hands down the best LEAD AWAY patches. Don't use it on the Blue it's OK on SS it will remove lead slick as a whistle.

January 21, 2013, 03:31 PM	#1
hammer58 Member Join Date: July 29, 2012 Location: Lubbock, Texas Posts: 45	lead fouling Does anyone have a recipe to remove leading from a barrel? I have a Ruger sp101 with a 4" barrel. I loaded some cast bullets and it looks like I loaded them a little too hot. Now I have lead fouling in the barrel and am having trouble getting it all out. Any suggestions?

January 21, 2013, 03:50 PM	#2
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	this is what I used on a 22 barrel one time that was extremely leaded... http://www.midwayusa.com/product/398...nt-4-oz-liquid __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

January 21, 2013, 04:04 PM	#3
biganimal Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2001 Location: south carolina Posts: 435	I use Kroil I run a soaked patch thru two times Then let it set 5 minutes Wrap a patch around a wire bore brush Soak the whole thing in kroil Run that thru 8-10 times Follow with 4-5 clean patches Usually does the trick Occasionally I need to repeat __________________ Other than That, Mrs Lincoln, How was the play?

January 21, 2013, 04:11 PM	#4
max it Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: SoCal; are we done yet? Posts: 272	remove lead fr barrel HI, I use Lewis Lead Remover Tool from Brownell's also have Butch's Bore Cleaner, both are great gotta keep that bore clean for accuracy.

January 21, 2013, 07:19 PM	#6
Ifishsum Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2005 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,033	Strands of a copper chore boy scrub pad wrapped around an old bore brush - the flat shape tends to peel the lead out of the grooves very well. The Lewis Lead Remover is a nice tool if you plan on shooting a lot of lead. Makes it real easy to clean up. Last edited by Ifishsum; January 21, 2013 at 07:30 PM.

January 21, 2013, 04:53 PM	#5
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,882	Get lead-away patches http://www.amazon.com/Kleenbore-Care...ead+away+cloth First time through what you think is a clean/lead-free bore.... you will mouth the word "magic"

January 21, 2013, 09:10 PM	#7
jcwit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2007 Location: Upper Indiana Posts: 609	^^^^^^^^^^^^What he said^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ One word of warning. Take a magnet with you to the store so you are sure to get copper and not plated steel from china. __________________ U.S. Army Veteran NRA Certified Range Officer

January 21, 2013, 09:14 PM	#8
biganimal Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2001 Location: south carolina Posts: 435	Now THAT'S funny Putting lead on something from china AFTER you buy it!! __________________ Other than That, Mrs Lincoln, How was the play?

January 22, 2013, 09:35 PM	#9
GP100man Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2007 Location: Tabor City , NC. Posts: 1,969	Soak barrel with favorite solvent give it 10 min then hit it with the choreboy wrapped around a brush . & I own lewis lead removers . __________________ GP100man

January 22, 2013, 10:45 PM	#10
jepp2 Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2008 Location: Loveland, CO Posts: 1,476	I soak overnight with Ed's Red (about the same as Kroil) and use the bore brush wrapped with Chore Boy strands. Lead just comes out in flakes. I use the Lewis Lead remover for revolver cylinders and the forcing cone. Bright and shiny. Having all the copper out before you shoot lead really reduces leading.

January 22, 2013, 10:58 PM	#11
EliteGeek91 Member Join Date: April 14, 2012 Location: Central Texas Posts: 38	Pro-Shot solvent/lube, over and over again..

January 25, 2013, 04:43 PM	#12
Tennessee Jed Member Join Date: July 14, 2010 Posts: 92	Chore Boy wrapped on on old brush works great for me. I couldn't get it to work at first, but a more experienced shooter suggested that I use a nylon brush instead of a bronze brush. Had something to do with the nylon doing a better job of pushing the Chore Boy strands deeper into the rifling grooves. Whatever the reason, using a nylon brush made a world of difference.

January 25, 2013, 05:56 PM	#13
fishbones182 Member Join Date: August 1, 2012 Location: Florida Posts: 98	Im a choir boy fan myself. Lets find the real issue with your gun and load though. What is the hardness of the lead bullet? Why do you assume it was loaded too hot? Is the fit of the Bullet correct for the barrel, throats of the cylinder? Whats the angle of the forcing cone. There can be so many issues with only one need to be bad to cause leading in that revolver. I have 44 mag loads with 19 grains of 2400 using a lead 240 grain wad cutter and have no leading issues. I would start by first slugging the barrel of your revolver and buy a bullet that fits correctly. That in itself could eliminate your problem. Look at the hardness of the bullet most bulk produced cast bullets are too hard for the application they are used for. Most 38 spl bullets i use are a bhn or 10 to 12 and load them behind 3.7 grains of tight group out of my gp100. Get it worked out and shoot allot cheaper with just as good results. Good luck.

January 25, 2013, 08:41 PM	#14
GP100man Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2007 Location: Tabor City , NC. Posts: 1,969	My guess is undersized bullets. do they fall thru the throats ?? __________________ GP100man

January 25, 2013, 09:16 PM	#15
fishbones182 Member Join Date: August 1, 2012 Location: Florida Posts: 98	Another thing we would want to look at is where the leading is in the barrel? Is it leading near the forcing cone, near the end of the barrel or the entire length of the barrel? Could even be as simple as poor lube on the bullets as well.

January 27, 2013, 11:34 AM	#16
Texas Range Ammo Member Join Date: January 23, 2013 Location: North Central Texas Posts: 18	Simple, yet effective The folks that mention to make sure you know your actual bore diameter, compared to the actual diameter of the bullets your shooting are making a very valid and important point. Firearm manufactures produce barrel's that are best described as, different. So, you need to slug the barrel. As a competitive shooter, who has put thousands of lead rounds through various barrels, I'm going to fall back on my Dad's method. When your done shooting, clean your gun. If you notice leading, go to the range, and fire max pressure jacketed bullets through the gun. Then clean it. I have found that method works great, and has not effected accuracy IN HANDGUNS ! I don't recommend that for rifles.

January 27, 2013, 12:00 PM	#17
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	I will warn you if using the strands of Chore Boy take a magnet with you. Most are copper plated steel. If it is atracted to a magnet do not use it. The solovent will eat the copper off. Then you are rubbing the insed of your barrel with steel. I do the chore boy. Though I have eliminated the need to use it as of late. The only times I have had to use it was when I was using a powder that was too hot. It made my barrel look like it was plated with lead after 3 shots. After cleaning, and changing powders the leading stopped. If the lead starts at the forcing cone, and follows the rifling then either the bullet is undersized, or your chambers are undersized. Slug the chambers, and the barrel to see for that one. If it strats about half way down the barrel, and leaves lead around the crown then it is a lube issue. If it looks like the entire barrel is plated with lead, and you can not see the rifling at all then the powder is too hot. Either start using gas checks, or switch powders. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

January 27, 2013, 12:13 PM	#18
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,882	I again recommend Lead-Away patches. http://www.amazon.com/Kleenbore-Care...ead+away+cloth I used the Chore-Boy and Lewis Remover for years -- still have them -- but 98% of any problem with cast bullet cleaning/lead removal can be done with two wipes of a LeadAway patch

January 27, 2013, 03:39 PM	#19
WSM MAGNUM Senior Member Join Date: September 30, 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 750	I use this with the Lewis lead remover. http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleanin...-prod1160.aspx __________________ Henry - Life NRA Member, USCCA Shield Member If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

January 27, 2013, 05:13 PM	#20
ky hunter Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 2010 Posts: 132	Hands down the best LEAD AWAY patches. Don't use it on the Blue it's OK on SS it will remove lead slick as a whistle. __________________ Cross the Jordan it's better on this side.

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