Is leading present in this [photos] pistol barrel?

[AJG]

Is leading present in this [photos] pistol Barrel?



I shot through this Barrel 8 shots of 124 grain Lee TC tumble lube lead cast bullets lubed with Texaco Marfak MP2 Lithium grease (as stated in my post in Boolit Lube category).
Before These 8 lead cast shots I run just once (one run through) an brass brush through and as follower one (one enter and out) lubricated Cloth. Similar Looks like the Revolver Barrel.


Can anyone tell if there is leading present or not? The Barrel is very shiny and dark spots are powder residue as I think since it looked like that as well when I used FMJ factory bullets exclusively.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Can't say for certain--too much glare--but it doesn't look like there is leading.

[Scharfschuetze]

I can't tell due to the distance and the glare.

Lay a clean paper towel on your cleaning/work bench and run a dry and tight fitting brass brush through the barrel a few times and catch any debris on the towel. If there is any leading, you'll see it quickly on the paper.

[AJG]

If you guys make the Picture bigger things can be clearly seen inside.
Without the glare I believe there is nothing to see inside.

[JSnover]

Lay a clean paper towel on your cleaning/work bench and run a dry and tight fitting brass brush through the barrel a few times and catch any debris on the towel. If there is any leading, you'll see it quickly on the paper.

Yeppir!
I've also used a tight oiled patch. Doesn't get the really stubborn lead out but it will pick up clear grey streaks if there's more lead to clean.

[Bzcraig]

I too have opened the pictures and enlarged them to no avail. The first pic you can't even see the lands and grooves, second pic you can see two lands and grooves with light and shadows. Wrap some copper Chore Boy (not the stainless stuff that looks like copper) around a bronze brush and run it through the bore several times over a paper towel as suggested. If you do you'll have your answer.

[runfiverun]

use a red cloth it'll show you any lead slivers or flecks like pepper on cottage cheese.

[AJG]

Yes the pics are definitely not high def once uploaded and then copied and enlarged again. There is a lost in Quality since the originals are 8 MB and enlargeable to the extent you can see everything. Upload makes you loose much Resolution.

[AJG]

However they are fairly enlargeable and clear if you make them bigger on cast boolits THEN copy them and enlage them on your pc. That should be enough Resolution. I did it recently.

[AJG]

PROOF NO LEADING IS PRESENT: I just ran a brass brush several times through both Barrels (pistol and Revolver) and NOTHING CAME OUT WHASOEVER on an White paper. The Barrels look cleaner know since the black powder residues are gone but nothing showed up on an White paper. So I may definitively affirm my unsized cast bullets DO NOT LEAD AT ALL.
Seems to be that FortuneCookie45 (on Youtube) has right: cast bullets cast with Lee molds do not Need to be sized. The best sizing does the rear back of the cylinder of an Revolver and the Barrel of an pistol. Obviously the cast bullets must be oversized to at least 0.001" (mine are between .357" and .361" and I shoot them as cast). I do not water quench in order they stay as soft as possible in order to be sized easily by the cylinder/Barrel and to better obturate. They are heavily lubricated with Texaco Marfak MP2 (NLGI 2) Lithium grease and I just scrape off the grease on the base of the lead cast bullet were it touches the powder. I may have heavy Content of Zinc in my bullets but they all weigh about 125 grain. Seating depth of These TC TL bullets is 1.044" below 3.0 grain or 3.1 grain scavenged shotshell powder.
I believe this is a recipe for success for at least my moderate Volumen of Shooting.

[Scharfschuetze]

PROOF NO LEADING IS PRESENT: I just ran a brass brush several times through both Barrels (pistol and Revolver) and NOTHING CAME OUT WHASOEVER on an White paper. The Barrels look cleaner know since the black powder residues are gone but nothing showed up on an White paper. So I may definitively affirm my unsized cast bullets DO NOT LEAD AT ALL.

Whoohoo! Looks like you're doing it right AJG.

[bouncer50]

I have some times used grease as a lube. It only thing i have notice the patch has come out black but no lead. I think some of the reason for the black patch the grease is burn due to the high heat of powder burning

[AJG]

Knows anyone HOW MUCH TEMPERATURE GETS THE POWDER WHILE BURNING?

If we can know how much temperature gets the powder while burning (Farenheit or Celsius) then we can determine if the Lithium grease has carbonised (exposed to heat, hopefully without burning, till carbonisation) or not.

This Marfak MP2 grease supposed to hold up to 120 degrees Celsius.

Anyone knows the spike temperature of powder?

[bouncer50]

Flame temperature of smokeless is about 2700 F. The flash point is 801-867 F. I look it up. That why gas checks protect the base from melting and causing leading.

[AJG]

Why is then leading NOT present?
I guess it has too less time to get the lead melted in an 5" Barrel. If the Barrel is longer it may be leading (say 18" Barrel)?

Same Thing FMJ have often an lead holow base as do the Winchester 115 grain FMJ 9mm Luger bullets. That base is completely exposed to the flame of the powder (but the powder flame can not pass by the bullet since it is Copper FMJ and no gas cutting occures). NEVERTHELESS I RECUPERATED LOTS OF FMJ AND NEVER HAVE SEEN AN MOLTEN lead hollow BASE (THEY ARE ALLWAYS IN PERFECT SHAPE).