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Thread: Cleaning lead from bores.

  1. #41
    Boolit Bub
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    just wanted to say thanks for the idea to use the pure copper Chore Boy scrub pads because this has saved me so much time and energy in cleaning.


    latesvak

  2. #42
    Boolit Master
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    A friend uses Marvel Mistery Oil for lead removal, and says it is great. I just use Ed's Red and JB's combined.

  3. #43
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by latesvak View Post
    just wanted to say thanks for the idea to use the pure copper Chore Boy scrub pads because this has saved me so much time and energy in cleaning.


    latesvak
    Bought some copper mesh from Do My Own Pest Control(bought online)that someone recommended on this forum or the Cast Bullet Forum.....$15 with shipping gives you a near lifetime supply of pure mesh that they use for stuffing in cracks and crevices to prevent mice crawling into houses, campers etc. If you get some cheap imiitation Chore Girl that is china import it may be copper plated steel.....a NO NO >>>>>>Works the same cuts into easier to handle pieces to put onto your jag or old bore brush.....Afish4570

  4. #44
    Boolit Buddy
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    My next trip groceries will have Chore Boy on the list. A magnet will go too for avoiding the cheap plated stuff

  5. #45
    Boolit Mold
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    Where is it you guys are finding Chore Boys? I have looked at several stores near me and can't seem to find them. Everywhere just seems to have the copper coated steel ones. I have yet to see the Chore Boy brand name as well.

    ***I found them at Walgreens.
    Last edited by MPnine; 06-19-2012 at 03:38 PM.

  6. #46
    Boolit Buddy
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    Thumbs up Chore Girl or better substitute

    Quote Originally Posted by MPnine View Post
    Where is it you guys are finding Chore Boys? I have looked at several stores near me and can't seem to find them. Everywhere just seems to have the copper coated steel ones. I have yet to see the Chore Boy brand name as well.

    ***I found them at Walgreens.
    DO My Own Pest Control .com sells copper mesh that is great and for $15.50 with shipping gives you a 20 ft. piece that will last a long,long time. Just cut it with a pr. of Dollar Store scissors and you get a neater piece than if you cut into a chore girl......Chore girl is shaped into a ball where this mesh is a flat piece 4 or 5" wide. I just wrap a small piece on a brass jag that is covered with a patch. Should be snug but not overly tight so you can trim patch to get the right fit..I find it better to run it thru bore dry. If barrel is really bad do it a couple of times rearranging copper mesh on jag to expose a new rougher surface. Then run a patch of a bore cleaner that is safe to leave in over night. The next day run a dry patch thru and check the condition to see if you have to have a go at it again....afish4570

  7. #47
    Moderator Emeritus/Boolit Master in Heavens Range
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    The best, fastest, cheapest and most thorough way to remove even the worst leading from a bore is to fire about two or three CoW loads through it. Two or three shots will remove almost every trace of leading and leave the bore as bright and shining as if it had been polished. Give it a try instead of wandering all over Hades looking for Chore Girl mesh.

    Charge your case with a medium range powder charge, add a tuft of cotton to hold the CoW up against the gas check, seat your favorite bullet and go shooting. This is so effective that I've fired several dozen rounds of HOT 45-70 loads without even a gas check or sizing, with no trace of leading afterwards. I've fired full factory equivalent loads of 6.5x55 under a cast bullet with no GC, no lube and no sizing without a trace of leading. Let's see Chore Girl come even close to that.

    The only drawback is that you have to oil the bore well afterwards. The CoW loads will clean it so well there's not only no trace of lead, there's also no trace of rust protection. If you have a load that you think MIGHT lead, just take along a few extra rounds and dare them to do their worst.
    Regards,

    Molly

    "The remedy for evil men is not the abrogation of the rights of law abiding citizens. The remedy for evil men is the gallows." Thomas Jefferson

  8. #48
    Boolit Buddy
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    What method do you recommend for 38 revolver and 9mm, 40 and 45 pistols....afish4570

  9. #49
    Moderator Emeritus/Boolit Master in Heavens Range
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    Quote Originally Posted by afish4570 View Post
    What method do you recommend for 38 revolver and 9mm, 40 and 45 pistols....afish4570
    Been through this before, but I guess I can do it again. I currently have somewhere in the neighborhod of half a bushel of pistols and revolvers, ranging from breaktops to precision target pistols. Two file cabinet drawers worth anyhow. I shoot them with everythig from puff loads for my grandkids to learn how to stop charging pop cans to full bore maximum magnum loads Most of them have no idea that there is any type of fodder except cast bullets, though a couple were previously owned by some non-reloaders who shot factory ammo in them.

    I get no leading with any of them. Period!

    I use the same formula with all of them. Hard cast bullets with a good bearing length and a good quality lube. Wheelweight alloy and any brand of Alox / Beeswax lube are personal preferences.

    Sizing is as large as the bullet can be and still allow the round to be seated dependably / easily / reliably in the gun. With autoloaders, this sometimes calls for slightly smaller bullets than might otherwise be the case with a revolver.

    I use gas checks only on the few handgun molds I still own for them, and not many of them at that. I'm not impressed by gas checks in handguns, though I suppose they may have some value in bottlenecked cases for some autoloaders.

    The propellant is invariably the largest recommended charge of the slowest powder that will work well in the round with the bullet being used. I don't use 4831 in a 32 ACP, though it works fine in most larger 30 cal rifles. And I don't load that 30-06 with maximum charges of bullseye. Use some common sense.

    The guys who insist on using something like Unique or Bullseye for economy and trying to magnumize the round with the largest safe load available are just piling up trouble for themselves and their guns. The hotter the load, and the earlier it develops high pressure during the firing procedure, the more lead will be etched off of the bullet to be deposited in the bore, and the worse the leading will be.

    I was once fireforming some 577/450 cases, and was having trouble getting them to fill out properly with bulletless loads. I couldn't get them to develop case forming prressures. So I started topping the loads off with a dry bare slug for a 45 ACP, figuring I was going to have a big bore cleanup job anyhow, so I might as well make it a massive bore cleanup job. I figured it would be less trouble to do it once than it would be to clean it twice. The cast bullet was just as it fell from the mold, unsized and unlubed. I expected the worlds record case of leading. However, I was using a healthy slug of CoW under it to help develop pressure high enough to form the cases well. When I had completed the fireforming, I glanced down the bore to see how bad the cleanup was going to be. I was absolutely flabergasted to see the bore as bright and shiney as a mirror. That's where the CoW loads started. I wrote it up for the CBA's Fouling Shot, and I've published it here too.

    Like I said at the beginning of this post, I don't get leading in my handgun loads. Consequently, I have never used CoW loads in them, and can't speak from personal experience to their effectiveness for that particular application.

    However, I have yet to hear from anyone whose leading problems with ANY gun weren't resolved with a bit of CoW under the bullet. From the reports I've received, about an eighth to a quarter of an inch seems adequate to do the job on pistols that have been so leaded up from use of too soft a lead bullet that the owner couldn't see the rifling.

    I've also used CoW loads in some pretty high power rifles with complete success. I got "hunting" level accuracy form a 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser using Hornady maximum loads for JACKETED bullets of comparable weight. And again, this was using the bullets unsized, unlubed and without gas checks, just as they drop from the mold.

    That said, I also have to comment that most folks report reduced accuracy from rifles when using CoW loads. But if you're just using them for cleanup, and not for hunting groundhogs 300 yards off, I think you'll find they have a definite place in your bag of tricks.
    Last edited by Molly; 06-21-2012 at 11:06 PM.
    Regards,

    Molly

    "The remedy for evil men is not the abrogation of the rights of law abiding citizens. The remedy for evil men is the gallows." Thomas Jefferson

  10. #50
    Boolit Buddy Inkman's Avatar
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    I'll throw in my 2 cents.

    I shoot a lot. Practice and matches. A ton of shooting.

    That's one reason i decided to start casting. I smelt range lead into ingots and those in turn get made into boolits. Very cheap boolits i might add

    One thing i don't have the time or money for is creating and testing alloys, or buying a lubrisizer. My boolits are cheap and accurate in all of my 1911s. Tumble lubing with 45/45/10 works for me. I can certainly see myself buying a lubrisizer in the future from Ballisti-Cast, just not right now.

    I do get a "little" bit of leading. I do mean a small amt. No big deal. Does not affect accuracy out to 40-50 yds on 5 inch plates with 203gr LSWCs. So when it comes time to clean the guns, i bought a Lewis Lead Remover from Brownells back when i was shooting commercial cast boolits. Takes literally a minute per barrel and they are as clean as i've ever seen them. I'm a stickler for a clean gun and a clean, accurate shooting gun can and will make a difference in a match, no doubt.

    Luckily, i suppose, the leading is no different after 400 rds or 2000 rds.

    I admire those of you who cast an alloy that never leads. Ever. Period. Along with using the right lube, it sounds like a dream. I personally don't want to deal with that part right now. Cheap/free lead and cheap, easy lubing is the key to my happiness at the moment.

    Hope that makes sense and helps someone out.

    Al

  11. #51
    Boolit Bub
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    I read up on Big 45 Frontier metal cleaner. Basically a wad of steel alloy shavings and it works wonders. Cleaned the bore of an old Iver Johnson 38S&W in no time at all. I had reloaded a box of rounds for it using hardcast .357 bullets which were way too small. Left a virtual lead mine in the bore. This stuff was just awesome!

  12. #52
    In Remembrance
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    I think I know

    nearly all the tricks and hints to keep from leading a gun bore.

    That said I have one method that always works every time for me if I have not exercised that knowledge.

    I simply wet the bore with either Kroil or turpentine and drive a really tight dry cotton patch through and all the lead comes out on the patch. One pass and it is done. Turpentine works to make the bore really squeeky and give up the lead.

    Somewhere in the dark past I have read of this method where even fine expensive target single shot rifles were cleaned of leading by using the weight of the rifle to pound the rod with a tight patch through it from the breech end.

    It may have been an article by Mike Venturino. I have an extensive library of gun books and magazines and am at a loss as to where I discovered this jewel of gun lore.
    Actually I am not sure if I didn't discover this method myself. Lots of things I am not sure of at my age.
    Always works for the handguns when driven from the muzzle.
    Did I mention the patch has to be tight?


    Life is good

  13. #53
    Boolit Bub
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    Another good product I like to use....

    I have been using Flitz Metal Polish to clean my revolvers/pistols in and out for years. (rifles also) I shoot a lot of lead, both soft and hard.

    I may be doing it all wrong but lead and Unique often turn my handguns black in and out. I clean my guns every time I shoot them. The same day if possible.

    I use a caliber size (or one size under) Bronze Bristle Bore Brushes with cotton rag saturated with Flitz to scrub the bore and inside cylinders. I do use the usual cleaners and oils such as CLP, Rem Oil, Hoppes 9, Mineral Spirits on all my guns, but the magic is in the Flitz.

    If you want to get the front of your revolver cylinders spotless clean , apply Flitz by hand or soft rag and rub until it disappears. Don't worry about all the black on the rag or your hands that appear when cleaning, as it is a natural result of the cleaning process and cleans off really easy.

    I have never hurt any finish with Flitz. Stainless steel, beautiful bluing, Nickel, and many other finishes, metals, plastics.... love this product!

    I don't sell Flitz but I have used it for years and I can't recommend it highly enough. It may not be for deep cleaning but for use it often and your guns will stay beautiful and shinny.

    Caution : Don't use it on flat or satin finish if you don't want a polished look afterwords.

    http://www.flitz-polish.com/

  14. #54
    Boolit Master
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    I recently slugged a few rifle's at the muzzle end, swabbed the bores with PB Blaster penetrating oil and set aside. Couple weeks later was going to be shooting one of the rifles and went to swab the bore dry.

    To my horror when I peeked down the bore, all I saw was a raised black crud staring back at me. I thought OMG, WTH is wrong, and started running wet then dry patches which first came out black as the ace of spades. The bore cleaned up mirror bright, so checked other rifles the PB was used on and the same black crud was present and noted it was heaviest in first few inches at the muzzles. They too cleaned up with bright bores.

    Then it dawned on me, when slugging bores, the lead must have smeared in the muzzle areas. So took other rifles had been firing cast boolits in and wiped the bores very wet with the PB. Few days later these bores too looked black and filthy, took several dry patches to get one that was not black and all bores came out bright and shiny.

    I have concluded there is a chemical in the PB which definitely reacts on lead and breaking it down. So on my guns shooting boolits in, they will regularly be getting the PB treatment.

  15. #55
    Boolit Mold
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    Using Marvel oil or Ballistol let it soak a few minutes and you can clean it out with a patch or your bore brush.

  16. #56
    Boolit Bub march41's Avatar
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    Use the turpintine it works great,wet the bore give time to work,brush and tite patch, lube and patch dry.

  17. #57
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hang Fire View Post
    I recently slugged a few rifle's at the muzzle end, swabbed the bores with PB Blaster penetrating oil and set aside. Couple weeks later was going to be shooting one of the rifles and went to swab the bore dry.

    To my horror when I peeked down the bore, all I saw was a raised black crud staring back at me. I thought OMG, WTH is wrong, and started running wet then dry patches which first came out black as the ace of spades. The bore cleaned up mirror bright, so checked other rifles the PB was used on and the same black crud was present and noted it was heaviest in first few inches at the muzzles. They too cleaned up with bright bores.

    Then it dawned on me, when slugging bores, the lead must have smeared in the muzzle areas. So took other rifles had been firing cast boolits in and wiped the bores very wet with the PB. Few days later these bores too looked black and filthy, took several dry patches to get one that was not black and all bores came out bright and shiny.

    I have concluded there is a chemical in the PB which definitely reacts on lead and breaking it down. So on my guns shooting boolits in, they will regularly be getting the PB treatment.
    If it is reacting with the lead it makes sense to be careful with it, one formula often suggested to remove lead from supressors creates lead acetate which is really nasty stuff which can be absorbed through your skin.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead(II)_acetate

    Bill
    Both ends WHAT a player

  18. #58
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Willbird View Post
    If it is reacting with the lead it makes sense to be careful with it, one formula often suggested to remove lead from supressors creates lead acetate which is really nasty stuff which can be absorbed through your skin.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead(II)_acetate

    Bill
    I have been wearing the Nitrile Gloves bought at the local Harbor Freight....buy on sale or with th 20% coupons you find in magazines or newspapers. My lead count has dropped since I handle lead with gloves including reloading....(pain but...)afish4570

  19. #59
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by afish4570 View Post
    I have been wearing the Nitrile Gloves bought at the local Harbor Freight....buy on sale or with th 20% coupons you find in magazines or newspapers. My lead count has dropped since I handle lead with gloves including reloading....(pain but...)afish4570
    My mechanical method may be less of exposure. That is a patch on a jag or an old brush with a piece of copper chore girl (dry and tight fit to bore) Pretty quick just make sure its copper (check with a magnet) or read some of the threads I wrote on this subject. Afish4570

  20. #60
    Boolit Bub

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    I use Ed's Red on a cloth patch and if it is leaded bad, I use Ed's Red on a cloth wraped around a nylon brush, and scrub forward & backward.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check