Scrubbing a leaded bore [Archive]

BattleRife

06-20-2019, 11:29 AM

I have a collection of old American Rifleman magazines and was flipping through the October 1958 issue looking for something else when I came across this. I thought maybe some here might find it interesting, and evidence that there is nothing new under the sun:

https://i.postimg.cc/tgjcZmMq/American-Rifleman-Oct58a.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

mdi

06-20-2019, 11:32 AM

Yep, there some "new and improved" stuff around that ain't really new, just hasn't been talked about for a while...

flyingmonkey35

06-20-2019, 01:11 PM

aka choreboy. great stuff

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725

06-20-2019, 01:31 PM

Used to be a guy that traded under something like "Frontier Forty Five", that sold a non-steel chore boy product. Softer on the bore. I've used it and it's good for heavy leading. Normally I use "Lead Away" cloth as a patch with Kroil / Ed's Red / PB Blaster, etc. Also good for the face of revolver cylinders, et al.

swheeler

06-20-2019, 02:49 PM

Big 45 Frontier metal and bore cleaner. I bought a bag of it couple years ago, it will rub off the rust but not harm the bluing on your favorite gun, worked good.

725

06-20-2019, 04:09 PM

Thanks, swheeler. --that's the stuff I remember.

Mitch

06-20-2019, 04:34 PM

I think this is one of the best tools i have bought since getting into casting bullets.https://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-chemicals/patches-mops/lead-remover/lewis-lead-remover-prod21587.aspx I did the choreboy thing and everything else i could think of.If chorboy works for you great.If not give the Lewis Lead Remover a try.

44Blam

06-21-2019, 12:48 AM

Three44s

06-21-2019, 01:12 AM

I shudder when someone mentions a brush chucked up in a power drill and cleaning rifling in the same sentence. IMO a brush powered and rotating across rifling is not just less effective but down right damaging. It is ineffective because the bristles are moving at a right angle to the lands and grooves leaving shadowed zones because there will be significant areas of the groove skipped over. The damage comes from the cleaning rod rubbing /scrapping across the lands and top edges of the grooves.

In my experience Copper Chore Boy fitted onto a tight enough brush passing longitudinally up and down the barrel (with the lands and grooves) along with a general or better solvent is as good as it gets ..... run by hand.

I like Lewis Lead Remover for forcing cones and Chore Boy gets the nod and is rotated on a solid rod in chambers, again run by hand.

My .02 worth

Three44s

poppy42

06-21-2019, 01:29 AM

I was talking to the RO at the range this weekend and he said he takes a brass brush on a rod and puts it on a drill and just runs it up and down the bore. I've got a barrel that is heavily leaded due to pushing lead a bit too hard. I was working on it with a brush with chore boy but I've put in about 2 hours on it and it is much better but still has some lead... Was thinking of doing the drill thing...

Viniger and peroxide 50/50. Plug one end of the bore, carefully fill the bore. Give it 10 to 20 minutes. Dump it out and rinse the bore with plain water, dry ( heat gun , hair dryer etc). Then a couple shots with a bronze brush. Repeat as needed, the whole process that is. Then clean and oil as usual. NOTE: THIS IS FOR SEVERELY LEADED BORE! Oh almost forgot, if ya get it on anything else besides the bore, clean it off right away. Never seen it happen but I imagine if left on for some period of time. It might discolor some stuff

Tom W.

06-21-2019, 02:12 AM

Didn't Elmer Keith plug the barrel of his rifle and use ammonia?

I prefer Kroil. But I finally found out how not to get leading. It took 55 years, but I think I finally got it!

richhodg66

06-21-2019, 02:31 AM

I have to wonder what people are doing to get that kind of leading. I never get any serious leading and just about all I shoot is cast. Size and lube appropriately and don't get stupid with velocity = no leading.

Vinegar? Ammonia? Spinning a brush on an electric drill through a rifle bore? All these sound like good methods to ruin a barrel.

Petander

06-21-2019, 05:13 AM

Viniger and peroxide 50/50. Plug one end of the bore, carefully fill the bore. Give it 10 to 20 minutes. Dump it out and rinse the bore with plain water, dry ( heat gun , hair dryer etc). Then a couple shots with a bronze brush. Repeat as needed, the whole process that is. Then clean and oil as usual. NOTE: THIS IS FOR SEVERELY LEADED BORE! Oh almost forgot, if ya get it on anything else besides the bore, clean it off right away. Never seen it happen but I imagine if left on for some period of time. It might discolor some stuff

This is known as The Dip. Very easy and effective but should be used with STAINLESS only.

Before anyone mentions "you get lead acetate", yes you do but yo don't need to touch it. Compared to lead exposure during "scrubbing" with all the patches,oil etc... just use common sense.

25ring

06-21-2019, 09:06 AM

Take a patch on a jag large enough that you have to tap it through the barrel,soak the patch with turpentine. You'll be amazed at the amount of lead that comes out. FWIW--Mike.

Petander

06-21-2019, 09:15 AM

Take a patch on a jag large enough that you have to tap it through the barrel,soak the patch with turpentine. You'll be amazed at the amount of lead that comes out. FWIW--Mike.

Ed's Red.

mdi

06-21-2019, 11:12 AM

I've tried a bunch of different methods to remove lead (and worked hard to learn how to prevent it). My latest method is a soak with Kroil, 24 hours or so, and the "chore boy scrub" method. Tough leading I also use a Lewis Lead Remover. A warning; if you choose to try the hydrogen peroxide/vinegar method, be very careful and don't leave the solution in the barrel for more than just an hour, or less. I "forgot" my Dan Wesson 44 Mag had some of this solution in the barrel and didn't rinse it out for mebbe 12 hrs. My gun now had a lightly pitted barrel...

A bronze/brass brush is much softer than a gun barrel so using one in a drill won't do any damage, if used "thoughtfully" and sparingly (but I don't see any advantage to turn a brush in the barrel). There is also a possibility of the muzzle being damaged bu a turning shaft (I have heard of muzzles being worn from soppy use of a cleaning rod rubbing against the crown). Of course this isn't a good idea as eventually the rifling will be "dulled". sharp, clean edges worn down/off. I would not do it...

stubshaft

06-21-2019, 12:53 PM

Tommy Bish recommended mercury in the bore.

Burnt Fingers

06-21-2019, 03:09 PM

Didn't Elmer Keith plug the barrel of his rifle and use ammonia?

I prefer Kroil. But I finally found out how not to get leading. It took 55 years, but I think I finally got it!

Ammonia works on copper, not lead.

Tommy Bish recommended mercury in the bore.

I wish I had kept that quart of mercury I had years ago. The price of the stuff now is scary.

poppy42

06-21-2019, 04:06 PM

This is known as The Dip. Very easy and effective but should be used with STAINLESS only.

Before anyone mentions "you get lead acetate", yes you do but yo don't need to touch it. Compared to lead exposure during "scrubbing" with all the patches,oil etc... just use common sense.

Notice I did say be very careful and wipe off anything bu the bore. No problem with a blued barrel as long as the solution stays in the bore and on nothing else! I actually had I had forgotten all about it. I’ve only had to use it once on a weapon and that was a Polish P 64. Couple weeks back I asked on the forum best way to clean a lead pipe and I was reminded of this 50-50 solution which worked amazingly well!

Tom W.

06-21-2019, 05:53 PM

Ammonia works on copper, not lead.

Ok. it was a long time ago when I read that. Chemicals slow my mind some....

Four-Sixty

06-21-2019, 08:30 PM

To remove lead in a barrel, I beat a lead ball from the muzzle end, back towards the chamber. The stubborn lead just rolls right up.

kevin c

06-21-2019, 10:11 PM

To remove lead in a barrel, I beat a lead ball from the muzzle end, back towards the chamber. The stubborn lead just rolls right up.

Is that soft lead for muzzle loaders (the leading and the ball both)? How about harder lead?

skeettx

06-21-2019, 10:15 PM

Lewis Lead Remover

https://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-chemicals/patches-mops/lead-remover/lewis-lead-remover-prod21587.aspx

725

06-21-2019, 10:37 PM

I'll mention it again: Lead Away cloth. Make a tight patch on the cleaning rod and scrub it back & forth.

Four-Sixty

06-22-2019, 06:12 AM

I've used the lead balls made by Hornady.

Traffer

06-22-2019, 07:00 PM

I have heard that Mercury picks up lead right smartly. Never tired it but if I had some mercury I would.

Geezer in NH

06-22-2019, 07:41 PM

Ammonia works on copper, not lead.

I wish I had kept that quart of mercury I had years ago. The price of the stuff now is scary.

The disposal cost is scarier IMHO

David2011

06-22-2019, 09:23 PM

I've have read that Kroil will creep under the lead and loosen it. I've used Kroil to help remove Mauser barrels from their actions and to get a cranky spark plug out of an aluminum head. It works well but haven't personally tried to remove lead with it.

sw282

06-22-2019, 11:00 PM

A couple jktd boolits will remove lead pretty QUICK

uscra112

06-22-2019, 11:39 PM

Tommy Bish recommended mercury in the bore.

That's how they used to do it at Smith & Wesson in the bad old days.

All-copper Chore Boys are sold in almost every supermarket. No need to be buying at inflated prices on the Internet.

Gohon

06-23-2019, 02:03 PM

If you look at a real copper chore boy, not the junk sold at Walmart, you will see it can be turned inside out just like a sock. Once you do that you can grab a strand and pull out a 18-24 inch length strand. Snip that off and wrap it around a scrub brush and you have the best tool for removing all lead. Can be used several times before it gets gummed up with lead.

jimb16

06-23-2019, 04:21 PM

GregLaROCHE

06-23-2019, 04:40 PM

A couple jktd boolits will remove lead pretty QUICK

I always wondered how shooting a few powder coated boolits would do. Has anyone ever tried it?

mehavey

06-23-2019, 05:36 PM

- Slop in Kroil/soak for 10 min
- Scrub with copper ChoreBoy-wrapped bronze brush.
- Dry patch

Max total time: 15-minutes (most of that time spent sipping a frozen Margarita) :bigsmyl2:

postscriptum: Jacketed bullets just tend to iron the stuff into the bore.

whisler

06-23-2019, 08:03 PM

Posted by Petander."Before anyone mentions "you get lead acetate", yes you do but yo don't need to touch it."

In my lifetime as a chemist, I have worked with Plutonium, Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Nickel Carbonyl (very deadly) and tons of various hazardous solvents in industrial settings. That said there is no way I am going to introduce Organo-lead compounds into my home environment. They are rapidly absorbed through the skin, and very toxic. You may not have to touch them, but you have to dispose of them, and that is not easy to do safely as a homeowner. Compared to them elemental lead is nothing to worry about.
Do as you wish, but even with all my experience, I will not take that chance.

luv45acp

06-23-2019, 08:26 PM

Correct me if I’m wrong but, if your leading up your barrel..........your doing it wrong. ie lead hardness, load too heavy or light, gas check, lube, sizing, or any of the other do’s and dont’s about shooting, loading casts. I never have leading problems. But if I did........1 or 2 jacketed rounds through the barrel and automagically no more lead.
My point being fix the problem not constantly deal with the consequence of not casting or loading correctly.

yeahbub

06-24-2019, 12:32 AM

Correct me if I’m wrong but, if your leading up your barrel..........your doing it wrong.

Amen. The simplest and most pleasant way of removing lead from a barrel that I've found is to load some ammo with a light load and use a card wad and soft lube cookie under the boolit. Near as I can tell, the pressure squishing the lube cookie between card wad and boolit gets under the lead deposits and strips them out of there. I used to shoot a lot of pin and falling plate matches using commercial cast from various sources and some of them would thickly lead a barrel. Too hard, hard lube, poor fit, etc. I learned to keep a box of .357 brass loaded with .38 Sp starting loads, card wad and lube cookie handy for after the match. It would only take 6 at the most to have a lead free barrel and a lube star forming on the muzzle. Way quicker than scrubbing. More fun too. Just keep in mind that charges need to be reduced because of the case volume taken up by the extra stuff in there. Safety first and all that.

Petander

06-24-2019, 08:49 AM

Outer's excellent (now discontinued) Foul Out electrochemical system uses Lead Acetate in it's "Lead Out" solution for electrolysis.

Doesn't mean it's safe of course. I get max 1/4 a cup of waste per year,easy to dispose.

I've never managed to 'shoot the lead out' with j-bullets. Copper just builds on top of lead.

But especially with coatings,leading doesn't happen. I like to experiment a lot and like to have a solution for an occasional disaster. When Foul Out came it was just so great,no more quessing about lead or not lead.

Traffer

06-24-2019, 01:24 PM

I was considering the post about kroil getting under it and lifting if off in flakes. It brought to mind a technique that really works for getting stuck bolts off. Like Kroil, this technique lubes between the offending surfaces. I may try it someday if I get another severely leaded barrel to clean (got a 22 from my brother that he used for rat shot in his garage for the last 20 years. it was so leaded he thought the rifling was gone. I cleaned it up with a combo of all of the above methods except mercury)
The bolt removal technique is to heat the offending nut or bolt to just hot enough to melt a candle. (probably about 180° F.) Then hold a candle to it so it melts into the joint. It works like magic. Safe for brake petcocks because it doesn't get very hot.
I thought of heating a barrel to about 180° to 200° and melting a candle down the bore. That just MIGHT get between the lead and the steel and loosen it to flake off...worth a try in my book.

Texas by God

06-24-2019, 01:44 PM

popper

06-24-2019, 01:54 PM

shooting a few powder coated boolits Nope.

Traffer

06-24-2019, 04:13 PM

Petander

06-24-2019, 04:35 PM

Mercury was one of my favorite toys as a kid. Used to just watch it roll around in my hands. Hit it and watch the pieces rejoin into the main mass. All before I knew it would kill you......

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My first 22LR Toz,a single shot,came with some explosive russian varmint ammo. There was mercury in the HP:s, causing an explosive effect.

That was early 70's and they were completely legal, I was stupid enough shoot them all.i

WheelgunConvert

06-26-2019, 04:46 PM

If you have access to an old copper screen, cut a patch from the copper and push that down the barrel. It does a wonderful job of pulling the lead out of the barrel. You can usually find scraps of lead sticking to it.
Smoking pipe brass screens. Really cheap. Jag+patch+ screen is very similar to the lewis gizmo

Walter Laich

06-26-2019, 05:25 PM

Smoking pipe brass screens. Really cheap. Jag+patch+ screen is very similar to the lewis gizmo

found these on Amazon and Walmart
going to give them a try

Martin Luber

06-26-2019, 08:26 PM

Another method used: Fire brushing.

Use a cigar lighter, small butane pencil torch or for larger calibers, a propane torch. Run a flame up the bore for 5 seconds then brush, and patch with solvent. Repeat as needed. You can hold bbl in your hand because it doesn't get hot. It's the heat flux (temperature difference) through the lead deposit that breaks it all free. As to why you're getting leading thats another topic. In 22s some bullets brands are undersize, especially high speed. Inadequate lube, rapid rate of fire, etc. Soft alloy isn't an issue in pistols unless velocity is excessive. Regards

Tripplebeards

06-26-2019, 08:30 PM

aka choreboy. great stuff

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I was recommended on here choreboy a bought a couple boxes from ace hardware when I first started casting a couple years ago and I’m happy to say I’ve never had to use it thanks to all the helpful members here leading me in the proper ways to slug my bore and size my boolits correctly...along with tumble coating PCing...also learned here...GREAT SITE...and group of guys and gals here!

sv44

06-26-2019, 08:37 PM

Smoking pipe brass screens. Really cheap. Jag+patch+ screen is very similar to the lewis gizmo
just tried this on my own (thought i was a genius) but ... this is really a great way to get lead out, easier than the lewis tool in my oppinion since you just pick up the screen and replace it (so unscrewing/screwing)

flyingmonkey35

06-28-2019, 11:10 AM

just watch out for copper plated steel pads. at the dollar store and wallmart.

they say copper but its copper plated.

steel will scratch the barrel wich is will you need copper. that will scratch the lead but not the barrel.

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Burnt Fingers

06-28-2019, 07:13 PM

just tried this on my own (thought i was a genius) but ... this is really a great way to get lead out, easier than the lewis tool in my oppinion since you just pick up the screen and replace it (so unscrewing/screwing)

Brass pipe screens are da bomb. If you're using thin patches or have an oversize bore, 9mm cough cough, using two patches under the pipe screen can really make a difference.

Traffer

06-28-2019, 08:01 PM

The copper (actually bronze) coated steel stuff is what I used to clean a heavily leaded 22lr barrel. Worked like a charm.

Burnt Fingers

06-29-2019, 12:30 PM

The copper (actually bronze) coated steel stuff is what I used to clean a heavily leaded 22lr barrel. Worked like a charm.

Ya need to be really careful with .22 lr barrels as most of them are made from some pretty soft steel. Soft as not even on the Rockwall scale.

Traffer

06-29-2019, 05:12 PM

Ya need to be really careful with .22 lr barrels as most of them are made from some pretty soft steel. Soft as not even on the Rockwall scale.

Yes, I did it on an old Remington 514 that my brother gave me. He used it for rat shot in the garage for the last 30 years. There was so much lead in it you could not see the rifling. It wasn't until I started to try and clean it that the rifling started showing up. It took so much time to get the lead out I kept getting more and more aggressive with techniques. Ended up with the bronze coated steel pot scrubbers. They worked much much better than anything else. I was curious as to how much bore I scrubbed out with it. I guess I will have to slug the bore now. I figured if I opened up the bore a little I could use the barrel for 22 WMR instead. It shoots well enough for what I do though.