Cleaning lead from bores.

[Hang Fire]

Bore leading can be a pesty problem at times and thought it would be nice to have a sticky at the top for reference.


I like many, use the pure copper Chore Boy scrub pads. I cut a section and wrap about an old brass brush and push/pull in a dry bore. Qucikly removes lead as effectively as a Lewis Lead Remover and a lot cheaper than initial cost and the buying of additional brass screens.

I am sure others use just as effective other methods and would be interesting for their input.

[Lizard333]

On the front cylinders of my revolvers, stainless only, I used a lead cloth. If you use this on blued finishes it can remove the finish. Takes a little elbow grease but it looks good as new. Also works on a patch down the bore with minor leading.

[rodsvet]

I used to scrub and scrub. I used chore boys, Lewis, heat and comet cleanser. Hell, I tried everything and then I bought a Foul-out II, and life got easier. I cleaned my 686 to a mirror shine and the patches came out clean by hand. Then I used the Foul-out and got even more out. Just my .02. Rod

[geargnasher]

Depending on alloy, my FO-III often won't touch "lead" fouling. I have a theory that antimony and/or tin content may not transfer through the solution used for lead, and inhibits the removal. The FO works like a champ on copper fouling if you stop and clean frequently to remove uncovered powder fouling that slows down the process and dirties the solution. I always use the FO to decopper any gun I aquire before shooting cast boolits.

For lead, I use several things. Copper O-cedar scrub pad strips about an inch wide wrapped around worn-out bronze brushes works pretty well, and I also use bronze wool in the same manner to finish off and get to the corners of the grooves. Aluminum screen wire on a jag works, as do patches cut from the fine screen mesh salvaged from old Toyota Aisin transmission filters, kind of a "poor man's Lewis Lead Remover".

Another thing that works on lead is steel wool wrapped around a brush. Six-ought works for light lead fouling and antimony wash on rifles, and four-ought for the heavy fouling if you "oops" during load development. I take care not to exit the muzzle with the steel wool as to avoid possible crown damage. I'm sure many people will pile on and flame me for mentioning that one, but been doing it for a while after reading about it here, and it doesn't hurt anything that I can tell. Your milage may vary, as the saying goes.

Gear

[mroliver77]

The Chore Boy has always worked for me! A few swipes is all I have ever needed. I am amazed when I read of folks not satisfied with the results. Maybe they don't use enough? I use enough that brush is tight in the barrel.

Like gear says these days it is only for "oops" situations.
J

[BulletFactory]

It would be a good sticky.

I use Barnes CR-10. Take a bore brush, and wrap it in pure copper chore boy. Enough where it makes a snug fit in the bore. Run this through the bore for a couple minutes dry. Do not use the solvent.

Now, take a lightly oiled cloth through the bore once, then a dry patch.

Then, take a different bore brush, and wrap it in 000 steel wool. Get it soaked with the CR-10. Run it back and forth through the bore for a minute or two.

Let it set for a couple minutes, then repeat the above step.

Run the brush under warm water. Rinse the barrel in warm running water.

Put dishsoap on the 000 brush, and run that through the bore several times.

Rinse.

Run a couple dry patches through the barrel. Then lightly oil a patch and run that through. If it comes out white, you're done. If it comes out green, black, or blue, repeat the steps.

[Mal Paso]

I like Brownelle's Double Tuff Bronze Brushes. A couple passes after 2-300 rounds is all I need now. $1.60 ea. in the 3 pack.

[Mk42gunner]

Another thing that works on lead is steel wool wrapped around a brush. Six-ought works for light lead fouling and antimony wash on rifles, and four-ought for the heavy fouling if you "oops" during load development.

Four ought is tough enough to find around here, where in the worlrd do you find six ought steel wool?

Robert

[garym1a2]

Choir boy works well for me on the big stuff. The small stuff that stays in the groove I used to scrub like crazy and even did the 50/50 hydrogen perixide/viniger mix. BUT, I read here recently and now I do not worry about the small lead that stays in the grooves. Just 5 runs with the brush and choir boy after an outing. I also find with a good boolit lube and a proper bullet not much leading anyway.

[EDK]

I like chore boy/girl on an old brush.

An easier, but more expensive, method in my 44s is to shoot several RANCH DOG TLC 432 265 gas check boolits sized to .432 and lubed with LLA/JPW/CARNUBA RED mix. It's about the only time I use gas check boolits in a pistol...those little guys are getting expensive!

:Fire:

[MtGun44]

Haven't gotten any in more than a decade the took more than a few passes with a brass
brush. Years ago a Lewis Lead remover was useful when I was learning. Once used the
Foul Out and it worked really well, but haven't needed anything in so long that I am probably
not up on what is best.

Bill

[Cadillo]

Some good advice above. My last resort is always a soak with turpentine followed by a good going over with O'Cedar on a brush and followed up with an oily patch trailed by a dry one.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Brass Jag with a cotton patch soaked on Ed's Red...with a thin layer of 0000 steel wool.
(when I say thin layer, I'm talkin' 20 or so strands)
one or two strokes...it should be full of lead alloy splinters.
check bore for leading.
Repeat with a new patch/Ed's Red/0000, if necessary.


Also, Sometimes if you are lucky, and there isn't so much lead that there
would be serious pressure increases or worst a bore obstruction,
You can shoot out the Lead fouling using a properly sized Gas checked Boolit...YMMV
Jon

[tuckerdog]

I have been using shooters choice lead remover and heavy cotton tablecloth material with brass jag and after a few passes with bronze brush an cloth with jag bbl looks like new. If anyone knows anything negative about this product please let me know, I've been using it for awhile now with no problems but u never know

[rintinglen]

I use kroil and a tight patch for most of my lead removal--(I seldom have much). I run a loose soggy patch down the bore, let The kroil soak for 10-15 minutes, then run a tight, damp patch down the bore and look at the lead slivers in wonder. I then use good old Hoppes #9 to cover the smell of the Kroil.
I can't speak for everyone, but for me, Hoppe's smells like wonderful yesterdays, when my Dad and his brother would let my cousin and I "clean" their guns under their watchful eyes after a week end of hunting. It calls to mind my first "real" gun, and the joy of holding it and contemplating that big buck that was sure to step out in sight come deer season. I think kindly of my .357 Colt Python riding in my duty holster, serenely (if perhaps mistakenly)confident in my ability to take care of myself, come what may, with the pride of ownership that a really good gun can give. Hoppe's makes me recall a lot of good times spent with good friends, steel as well as flesh.
Kroil stinks, but works.

[Dframe]

I'll just repeat my standard "Chore Boy" caution. Be absolutely certain they are solid copper. There are many bargain brands that are merely copper plated steel. Needless to say, you DON'T want those. I use a Lewis and occasionally a foulout. The foul out works well but I find the screwing around with liquids and the general hassle not to usually be worth it.

[odfairfaxsub]

to be honest, LISTEN TO WHAT I SAY !!! easiest method of all. take your barrel and wipe out the carbon, did the whole barrel into your container of kroil then let it set for 5 days in a zip lock bag or something then use a lewis lead remover until you don't see anything itshould come out in strips/streaks/ shake the lewis or brush it clean because buddy its going to all come out fast and the lewis will get loaded!!!

[NSP64]

The trick is to not leave lead in the bore.

Clean the copper out good the first time, use a good lube. Dont clean too often.

If your getting gobs of lead, its time to go back to the laboratory.

I only clean in the direction of bullet travel. I never pull a patch or brush back through the barrel.
I shoot plain base boolits up to 2000 fps without leading.

[afish4570]

The Chore Boy has always worked for me! A few swipes is all I have ever needed. I am amazed when I read of folks not satisfied with the results. Maybe they don't use enough? I use enough that brush is tight in the barrel.

Like gear says these days it is only for "oops" situations.
J

Happy with speed and results. Only thing I do differently is use a brass Midway Jag, a thin patch soaked in whatever solvent I'm trying to use up (if the solvent is not going to harm the bore by leaving it in there over nite, I leave the bore wet). The wet patch on the jag is then covered with a small piece of Chore Girl and pushed thru the barrel several times, adjusting the size of the Chore Girl as required. The next day I finish the cleaning with a tight patch or do all over again....Takes longer to write and explain that to actually do the once p....in the a....job. afish4570:D:D

Alot of chore girl may be copper plated make sure it says pure copper... watch for China made copper plated steel....since I wrote this 9 years ago. afish4570

[Loki610]

I run a patch soaked in Hoppes #9 let sit for a few, scrub with a bronze brush quickly then run a couple patches until its clean. Never had a problem with removing any amount this way

[Frank V]

For a handgun, I've found the Lewis Lead remover is the closest thing to magic I've ever found in cheaning lead fouling from the bore. Might work well in a rifle too with a long enough cleaning rod.
Frank

[monge]

I use the brass shaveings from my 44mag brass when I cut them down to 44sp!

[HDS]

Bore leading can be a pesty problem at times and thought it would be nice to have a sticky at the top for reference.


I like many, use the pure copper Chore Boy scrub pads. I cut a section and wrap about an old brass brush and push/pull in a dry bore. Qucikly removes lead as effectively as a Lewis Lead Remover and a lot cheaper than initial cost and the buying of additional brass screens.

I am sure others use just as effective other methods and would be interesting for their input.

I like this more than the lewis lead remover, the screens always break apart on me.

[303Guy]

I had a lapse of common sense and managed to lead my bore on my pig gun. So, knowing about this sticky I came here for a solution. Two things arose; firstly I have an inexhaustible supply of lead from the bore! Secondly, Scotch Bright abrasive pads really do work.

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo327/303Guy/BoilingStock004.jpg

It didn't get all the lead out but then there was an inordinate amount of lead in there. It actually made the rust damaged bore shine! I eventually added grinding paste to the pads and that did break through to the steel but left a few strips between the lands. Those shot out with a single paper patch boolit.

[Molly]

One of the big advantages of loads with a little COW (Cream of Wheat) filler is that two or three shots will leave the foulest bore bright and shinning clean. It's the fastest and cheapest way I ever saw to clean a bore.

[303Guy]

I was thinking about grits. Wheat bran cleans a bore but I don't know about leading. If only could find out exactly what cream of wheat was i.e. actually finding some on the shelf so I can see it.

[Molly]

Well, grits ought to work, though I never tried them. And ask for CoW in most any grocery store.
Molly

[afish4570]

I was thinking about grits. Wheat bran cleans a bore but I don't know about leading. If only could find out exactly what cream of wheat was i.e. actually finding some on the shelf so I can see it.

Never bothered trying it. From what I have read it applies to cast bollit loads in rifles. I should examine it more and see if I can use it in 38 revolver loads, 9mm & 40 lead bollit loads....... Cream of Wheat is a breakfast cereal (hot, add water and cook for several min.} Paid $ 3.99 for a box wt. is 1 lb. 12 oz. and had a 1.00 off coupon attached. Cream of Wheat is an enriched Farina product.......the name brand product is Cream of Wheat, the generic brand my just be Farina......see if that helps you find it. Afish4570[smilie=2:[smilie=2:

[Molly]

Never bothered trying it. From what I have read it applies to cast bollit loads in rifles. I should examine it more and see if I can use it in 38 revolver loads, 9mm & 40 lead bollit loads....... [smilie=2:[smilie=2:

Hi Afish,
Your answwer regarding CoW was better and much more complete than mine, and I thank you. I guess I was just tired.

I was the guy who first stumbled on CoW for use in cast boolits, and if you look, you can find an account somewhere here, and another one on the CBA site. Frankly, I've never used it in anything except rifle loads, but I've had a number of people write and tell me that it solved severe leading problems in their handguns.

I was also remiss in not cautioning that CoW works by sealing the bore behind the bullet, so that no gas can get by and etch the bullet. A little thought will enable you to understand that CoW raises pressures in several ways, some of them important.
First of all, it raises the weight of the ejecta. This is probably very minor, compared to the weight of the bullet and powder charge.
Second, it eliminates the initial gas leaking, which would prevent the relief of the initial pressure surge, and add to pressures. How much, I don't know.
Third, its use reduces the effective case capacity, which also acts to raise pressure, all else being equal.

Under no circumstances should CoW be added to a load that is already near or at maximum pressures.

However, these potential problems can be eliminated by the simple measure of working up your loads with CoW already in the formula. For example, you've had good results with powder XYZ in your handgun except that it gives leading that you can't seem to get rid of. Go back to your reloading manual for the suggested starting load for XYZ. Load a few rounds with that charge, but add a little COW on top of the powder. The amount will vary with the size of the case, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 1/8th to 1/10th of an inch should be adequate. Ideally, the case volume should be pretty well filled, to prevent the Cow and the powder XYZ from mixing a whole lot from handling. Slight compression hasn't hurt anythng in my experience.

Fire a half dozen rounds and check your results. The cases should eject easily, and show little if any signs of pressure. There should be no trace of leading. If the results are satisfactory, try increasing the powder charge very slightly. Test it again. Keep this up until you're satisfied with the load, or until you begin to see indications of serious pressure problems. Use some common sense: By serious pressure, I mean case swelling and primer flattening no worse than factory rounds.

Using this work-up procedure, I've actually loaded CoW rounds for the 6.5x55 rifle that were so effective at preventing leading that I could use full power loads for jacketed bullets, and a shooting session would still leave the bore bright, shiney and clean. And I could use loads like this with hard bullets 'as cast': No sizing, no lube, no gas check. The only problem I encountered was that with one mold, I had to size because the unsized bullet was so big that it made the case neck too large to chamber.

One word of caution though. CoW loads do not leave a protective layer of lube in the bore like ordinary cast bullets will. The bore is CLEAN, and can rust pretty quickly if it doesn't get a mop of some anti-rust run through it. High humidity like a lot of southern areas have will speed this up. Don't let the sun go down without wiping your bore, and you'll be fine.

[afish4570]

IDPA & IPSC matches are in the next few weeks as well as honey do stuff......I would like to try some 38 spec. loads and maybe some 9mm too.... When I do I'll post my results. Thanks for the info.:Fire::Fire:afish4570

[303Guy]

I've seen Farina on the shelves - thanks, will get some.

P.S. You how grease is made by mixing oil with a 'soap' to thicken it? (I don't know why they call it it soap - it's the thickener agent used in grease). Well, what about using CoW as the 'soap' and using the 'grease' as boolit lube? Clean and lube the bore simultaneously! (Might not remove leading though - being too little too late).

[afish4570]

IDPA & IPSC matches are in the next few weeks as well as honey do stuff......I would like to try some 38 spec. loads and maybe some 9mm too.... When I do I'll post my results. Thanks for the info.:Fire::Fire:afish4570

Shot an IDPA match today......Gun performed perfectly using the 175 gr. Lee 6 cav. FP lubed with XLOX (Lars=to LLA) using 4.0 gr. Bullseye.afish4570:coffee::coffee:

[afish4570]

Shot an IDPA match today......Gun performed perfectly using the 175 gr. Lee 6 cav. FP lubed with XLOX (Lars=to LLA) using 4.0 gr. Bullseye.afish4570:coffee::coffee:

these were not COW loads....tradional cast boolit. afish4570[smilie=s:[smilie=s:

[rogn]

On the COW system, I was working with a Taurus 4" 66 SS quite some years ago. The object was to fire lap to help correct the loose patterns, abt skeet, at 25 yds. Part of the problem was a crushed thru frame barrel. The cyl throats were o the order of 0.361. Via the NECO system, a plastic wad was to "seal" the bore, etc----good luck. I wound up using plastic buffer material to fill the space between powder and bullet base. The result got rid of the leading, improved velocity noticeably, w/o pressure excess( forgot the load, and accuracy became sub inch at 35yds. Pain to load these so I traded it for a 4" Ruger Security six, never regretted it.

[Slowpoke]

I was reading in Ideal Handbook #17 1906, where Dr. Hudson was using COW in some of his loads to protect the bullet base.

Good luck

[Molly]

I was reading in Ideal Handbook #17 1906, where Dr. Hudson was using COW in some of his loads to protect the bullet base.

Good luck

Hey Slowpoke, that's VERY interesting. I didn't know about it. any chance of getting you to post his comments? Thanks,

[Slowpoke]

OK
He is talking about a load for 375272 in the 38-55 I believe breech seated.

"18 grains weight of Sharpshooter, a quantity of the cereal known as" Cream of Wheat" equal in bulk to 10grains of black powder,and a blotting paper wad,put into shell in the order named,seating wad with about 2 pounds pressure. The cereal which was recommended by J. H. Keough of Massachusetts is for the purpose of protecting the base of the bullet against the heat and the amount named should not be exceeded."

On the next page he list's a load for the 32-40 using 319273

" 15 grains weight L.& R. Sharpshooter,7 grains bulk of cereal, blotting paper wad."

good luck

[Molly]

OK
He is talking about a load for 375272 in the 38-55 I believe breech seated.

"18 grains weight of Sharpshooter, a quantity of the cereal known as" Cream of Wheat" equal in bulk to 10 grains of black powder,and a blotting paper wad,put into shell in the order named,seating wad with about 2 pounds pressure. The cereal which was recommended by J. H. Keough of Massachusetts is for the purpose of protecting the base of the bullet against the heat and the amount named should not be exceeded."

On the next page he list's a load for the 32-40 using 319273

" 15 grains weight L.& R. Sharpshooter,7 grains bulk of cereal, blotting paper wad."

good luck

That's fascinating. I really appreciate you taking the trouble to do that for me. Is there any more information like the lube used, any gas checks, thickness of the blotting paper, etc? I'd really like to know everything possible about this load.

[Slowpoke]

Sorry that's just about it, no gas checks, plain base bullets, the bullets have several lube grooves but he don't say what he uses for lube, no thickness for the wad. I have a couple older Handbooks I will look thru them for you.

Happy to do it ---- Good luck

[Molly]

Sorry that's just about it, no gas checks, plain base bullets, the bullets have several lube grooves but he don't say what he uses for lube, no thickness for the wad. I have a couple older Handbooks I will look thru them for you.

Happy to do it ---- Good luck

And I'm happy that you did it for me. I stumbled on the use of CoW by sheer accident some years ago, but this is the first time I've heard of someone before me using the stuff. Oh well, it isn't the first time I've re-invented the wheel. (BG) If you find any other references, I's sure like to hear about them.

[latesvak]

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

[quasi]

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

[afish4570]

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:Fire::Fire:

[sw282]

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

[MPnine]

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.

[afish4570]

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

[Molly]

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.

[afish4570]

What method do you recommend for 38 revolver and 9mm, 40 and 45 pistols....afish4570

[Molly]

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.

[Inkman]

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 :bigsmyl2:

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

[dsol]

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!

[looseprojectile]

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

[Raygun]

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/

[Hang Fire]

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.

[coyotemoon]

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

[march41]

Use the turpintine it works great,wet the bore give time to work,brush and tite patch, lube and patch dry.

[Willbird]

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

[afish4570]

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[smilie=1:

[afish4570]

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[smilie=1:

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

[CAVEMTNMAN]

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.

[kysunfish]

It took a while to read through this and I have learned some new things to try. Has anyone ever used mercury on a bore or ever heard of someone using it. I realize that it is highly corrosive and the last thing on earth you want in the water table. That said will lead attach to it? I have been collecting pills of mercury for sometime and would be interested in hearing from someone who has experience with it. Thanks for reading. Sunfish

[btroj]

Mercury will remove lead quite well.

Mercury is not corrosive.

Mercury is very toxic and can be absorbed thru skin contact. I wouldn't have mercury anywhere near my home. Way more toxic and nasty than lead will ever be.

My suggestion, take the mercury to a waste disposal place that knows how to handle it and be rid of it.

[kysunfish]

If Mercury is not corrosive what do some primers contain that is? I have seen flasks of this that are similar to acid containers. At one time most every home in America had a mercury switch thermostat. I understand how toxic Mercury is and that it can be absorbed on contact. Thank you. Sunfish



=btroj;2078923]Mercury will remove lead quite well.

Mercury is not corrosive.

Mercury is very toxic and can be absorbed thru skin contact. I wouldn't have mercury anywhere near my home. Way more toxic and nasty than lead will ever be.

My suggestion, take the mercury to a waste disposal place that knows how to handle it and be rid of it.[/QUOTE]

[Bren R.]

Corrosive primers contain sodium or potassium chlorate. The residue from these left behind after combustion is a chlorine salt (sodium or potassium chloride).

Mercury fulminate is a different animal altogether.

Bren R.

[btroj]

Ever think that the flask design is to prevent spills, not to contain acid? Wide base, narrow top. Hard to slosh out of it, wide base for stability.

Clorate primers are corrosive, it leaves a hugroscopic deposit in boe which leads to rust.

Mercuric primers werent bad for the bore, they just destroyed cases. The mercury damages the brass.

[Case Stuffer]

Mercury is so toxic that it is likely the reason all of us who played with it as youngsters ,even in high school chemistry class grew up to be gun nuts. Well on second thought perhaps it was all the exposure to lead based paint and asbestos insulation in the schools we attended.

IMO the most toxic posions we face here in the USA is over eating and lack of exercise.


OK seriously I know that mercury has been proven to cause birth defects and other health problems. I had a boss years ago who had all of his dental filling removed and rplaced with gold because he was concerned with the mercury used in filling years ago. I am just of the opinion that there is a big difference between coming in contact with a small amount of mercury from time to time and eating fish which have been feed a steady diet of it due to mercury pollution of rivers,steams lakes for years and years.

Some are very concerned with lead posioning and if they have valiade concerns I guess I should be dead or extremly close to it at mininum. I grew up with lead based paints, used white lead as a lubicant for many years in Tool & Die Trade / machine shops , have smelted thousands of pounds, cast more than I have smelted, handled all that I have cast several times with bare hands. I managed an indoors range , shoveled spent lead slivers,dust (bullet remains) by the 5 gallon bucket full on a regulare bases for well over a year.

Just under three months away from 68 so I guess my days are numbered.

[sparky45]

IMO the most toxic posions we face here in the USA is over eating and lack of exercise.

Just under three months away from 68 so I guess my days are numbered.[/QUOTE]



Case Stuffer's got it right. Hell, I'm more worried about Bacon than I am Mercury or Lead.

[Kull]

Another person mentioned Kroil. In my experience Kroil works damn good at removing lead by it's self, especially if you give it time to work. If you mix it half and half with Hoppe's you have a real good cleaner that cuts powder and lead with minimal effort using a good jag and patches. Boretech's Rimfire Blend also works great for me. Actually that's what I've been using lately, Boretech products.

[trapper9260]

I have read all that was said on here and learn alot and thank you for that . I the past before i went back into casting and reloading after i have move and I bought some ammo for my 44 mag and got the lead bullets factory ammo and I had alot of leading and I was reading in my lyman cast manual the one before the one that is out now they say to shoot some jacket bullets to clean out the lead the fastest and then you just have the copper to deal with that is easyer to clean . I try it and it did and no lead left. then clean the copper out .then i cast and got a harder alloy and cut the leading to hardly nothing then the gunsmith i know and deal with told me about what he use that it clean out the leading good and dose not smell. It is M-Pro7 Gun Cleaner . it works greats and just spray some in the barrel and then use the brush and then a dry patch and then after it is clean i oil the barrel . and then done it is a light film of oil I put.It works for me and dose not matter if is a hand gun or rifle it works on both .

[lovedogs]

Hangfire... I had to laugh when I read your experience with PB Blaster. Several years ago I discovered it cleaned guns fairly well so I called the company to inquire if there was anything in it that might be harmful to a gun. The guy on the other end laughed and then told me they originally sold it as a gun solvent and cleaner. But it didn't sell enough product. So they changed and labelled it as a penetrant. Now it sells well and they make more money. So he told me it was a fine gun solvent and cleaner. It is a bit smelly though. Speaking of smelly, I got some turpentine to see how well it worked. Man, that stuff is really stinky. My wife was not at all happy with it smelling up the house.

[MTtimberline]

Speaking of smelly gun cleaning products. When I clean with Hoppes No. 9 my wife always seems to show up and compliments on how good it smells. Perhaps they should sell it as a cologne. The copper chore boy method has worked well for me but can be a pain to get it wrapped around the brush the way I want it. The worst trouble I seem to have is at the forcing cone of the Vaquero .44. I have read some other ideas here that I'd like to try.

[Bren R.]

Speaking of smelly gun cleaning products. When I clean with Hoppes No. 9 my wife always seems to show up and compliments on how good it smells.

I've often joked the new Hoppes #9 would make a great cologne... the old Hoppes with nitrobenzene in it, not so much.

Bren R.

[afish4570]

Speaking of smelly gun cleaning products. When I clean with Hoppes No. 9 my wife always seems to show up and compliments on how good it smells. Perhaps they should sell it as a cologne. The copper chore boy method has worked well for me but can be a pain to get it wrapped around the brush the way I want it. The worst trouble I seem to have is at the forcing cone of the Vaquero .44. I have read some other ideas here that I'd like to try.

Try a brass jag (button type) Midway or Proshoot brands are ok. I use a jag of proper cal., dry flannel patch (may have to make your own or trim them to make sure they are tight) a piece of Chore Girl or Boy. Carefully (without breaking jag), I put two feet on the handle of the cleaning rod, jag end facing up and carefully push gun onto the tight fitting jag/patch and Chore boy (small piece wrapped around patched jag). I use this on my .38 and have no problem getting forcing cone clean. Alittle wordy but you get the idea when you try it. afish4570

[MTtimberline]

Thanks for the helpful info. I will surely give this a try. Maybe the brush gives too much and the jag will work better.

[savtuner]

Not recommending this but back in the "50's" when my dad came back from a pistol match he would break down his NM.45, put a cork in the chamber end of the barrel, fill it abut 1/2 way full of mercury, place his thumb over the muzzle end and shake the barrel back and forth. 2 or 3 minutes of this and all the lead was out of the barrel, he would pour the mercury back in the container ready for the next cleaning, and then the EPA came along. The family still has that glass jar full of mercury but no one ever uses it.

[gofastman]

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.

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

Flitz is good, but I think JB bore paste is a little better, however it is slightly abrasive, unlike Flitz.

I have had great luck with Eezox on a choreboy wrapped brush, I think the eezox helps prevent the lead from binding to the bore in the first place, making future cleanings easier.

I will say that I have a love/hate thing with eezox, it works very well, but it takes time to apply correctly. sometimes I just scrub my guns down with water and a good all-purpose cleaner, blow them dry and soak them with WD-40. I think Im going to pick up a bottle of BF CLP to replace the WD-40 though as its not the greatest lube or rust preventer

[Bradsnelson]

I've often joked the new Hoppes #9 would make a great cologne... the old Hoppes with nitrobenzene in it, not so much.

Bren R.

That reminds me of the movie police academy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M246_2l8Zqk I had a good chuckle, Thanks

[yeahbub]

I happened on a method that has vastly simplified and shortened the chore of removing lead, which is to shoot the bores clean. Well, clean of metallic fouling, anyway. Removing the lube and powder fouling with a patch and solvent was cake after that. This was discovered while trying to overcome the "no lube star due to insufficient lube capacity in the grooved boolit" problem with longer barrels, often exacerbated by hard lubes and alloys too soft or hard mismatched to the pressures/velocities involved. My practice was to add lube in the form of a lube cookie and card wad between boolit and propellant which did produce the lube star I was looking for. Existing leading also disappeared in a few rounds. After some experimentation, I found that soft lubes like 541 (5 parts beeswax, 4 parts vegetable shortening, 1 part vegetable oil) worked well with boolits of medium hardness, about 8-10 BHN, at moderate velocities. Many a falling plate match was finished up with a half dozen such "cleaning rounds", leaving a formerly streaky barrel with no discernible metal fouling and anointed with lube for the next shot. I cast sheets of lube in the outside flat bottoms of those cans that nuts and Danish butter cookies come in, which are about .100-.150 deep. Card wads were cut from cake box or cereal box cardboard with a sacrificial case sharpened for the purpose. (CAUTION: This method takes up some case volume, so loads should be reduced 25% or so and worked up. It's a dangerous and abusive mistake to just add a card wad and lube cookie to an already authoritative load! . . . You needn't ask how I know that.) The cases were charged, card wads inserted and lube cookies cut from the sheet of lube by using the case mouths for a cookie cutter. The boolit is then seated and you're in business.

I figure the pressure on firing is applied to the card wad and presses lube outward as well as driving the boolit forward, forcing lube into the nooks and crannies of the bore surface as it moves, thus loosening fouling adhered to the bore. Successive rounds push out what wasn't removed previously. This is waaaay more fun than extended periods of scrubbing. It also removes copper fouling. Not as quickly, but a shiny copper and lead free bore will result.

[ravelode]

I,ve worn out a lot of brass brushes before I tried the chore boy on an old brass brush it works for me

[Yukoner]

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.

Hi Molly,

Thanks very much for sharing your experience.

I am going to give this a try in one of my Husqvarna 9.3X62 rifles. The bore got pretty leaded up during initial load development two days ago with some 285 gr plain base, Alox lubed, wweight bullets, and salvaged powder. Velocities were quite a bit higher than expected. Wasn't paying attention, and the last foot of the barrel is pretty gray. :)

Have cleaned it up a bit with some Kroil and a tight bronze brush. Any suggestions before putting five or six rounds down the tube?

Thanks,
Ted

PS: Only have PB bullets. Will this still work as well as with GC to initially remove the lead?

[Yukoner]

Okay, gave it a try several times since my last post. Reformed some old Imperial 30-06 brass in one of my 9.3X62s, and did the first shooting while fireforming the brass. The bore was lead free after five rounds.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/laketrouter/Reloading/IMGP4863.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/laketrouter/media/Reloading/IMGP4863.jpg.html)

Here's the result of the last trip to the range. How's this for a hunting load at a 2236 fps? Northman 285 gr plain base, with a half inch square of old cotton towel wad, tamped down over powder, and slightly compressed COW filler to base of bullet. Group is 2.1 inches at 100 yards.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/laketrouter/Reloading/20296840ca0f7783fc0e67761d074190.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/laketrouter/media/Reloading/20296840ca0f7783fc0e67761d074190.jpg.html)

Shot and chronographed three, three-shot groups, this was not the best one. ;)


This bullet penetrated six four-litre jugs of water, and was caught in the seventh. That's over 36" of water and about 1/8 inch of plastic!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/laketrouter/Reloading/IMGP4909.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/laketrouter/media/Reloading/IMGP4909.jpg.html)

You can see how cleanly the bullet is engraved by the rifling. Note, as well, how near perfect the base of the bullet is. No fusion has taken place at all.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/laketrouter/Reloading/IMGP4908.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/laketrouter/media/Reloading/IMGP4908.jpg.html)

Care to guess the recovered weight?

There was no unburned powder in bore or on the snow, and best of all, no leading! One patch of bore solvent, and one of KROIL, and it is ready to go again!

Ted

[Cardinal]

When I was shooting a lot of .38 Special lead bullets through my Ruger GP100, it would lead up terribley. This was around 1990 and Outers sold a reverse electroplaiting kit that would remove lead or copper. The first time I used it I was AMAZED how much lead it removed from the cylinder bores and the barrel AND it didn't harm the finish on them.

Over the years, I've used it on any firearm that leaded up.

BUT last year I used almost all of the leadout and tried to buy some only to find out that Outers no longer manufactures it! So I did a search on the internet, found a website that gave the chemicals for the solution, then bought them from an online place in PA called Post Apple Scientific, Inc. 8893 Gulf Road, North East, PA 16428Phone: 814-725-3330 ( http://www.postapplescientific.com/ ). The water is distilled water (I found it at the loacl gorcery store!). The chemicals are lead acetate ACS crystals 100 G bottle and liquid amonia acetate .010% solution in a 500 ml bottle.

I can't find the website right now but it was pretty straight forward as to the mixture of water to crystals to liquid chemical.

I haven't as yet mixed the chemicals together though but from people who mixed their own said it worked exactly like Outers Leadout.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?226834-WTB-Outers-Lead-Out-Plus-solution
PS: I just did a search and wouldn't you know it, there is a post telling how much to mix each cemical!

[revwitha9]

I simply apply some kroil, chase it with a cleaning rod with a patch covered by a square cut from a copper scrub. I follow that with a tight Hoppe dampened patch. That usually gets it all. If necessary, rinse and repeat!

[Yukoner]

Here are the latest 100 meter groups shot with the 285 gr Northman. Loaded one grain more CF8506, a half-inch square cotton towel wad, and COW to halfway up the neck.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/laketrouter/Reloading/IMGP4978.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/laketrouter/media/Reloading/IMGP4978.jpg.html)

Removed the Leupold 4X heavy duplex,and replaced with a 6X for today's shoot. The left target is the first one, and first shot was near bottom of the paper. Right target is second three-shot group. The hole to right in that target is from a 270. With the two targets superimposed one over the other, those five shots after scope adjustment are in a tad over 1 1/4 inch.

One of our range officers was there today, and checked the groups through a spotting scope while I was shooting. He was quite impressed that a plain base bullet could shoot that well at over 2200 fps. He was especially impressed after looking at the bore and saw this was all without leading. Continue to shoot this rifle with no leading at all. Just one pass with KROIL now, no solvent at all, between range sessions. The cotton wad/COW combo really works!

This Husqvarna 9.3X62 Model 46 has a 24" barrel, and was supposed to become my dedicated skidoo rifle. Was planning to cut and crown the barrel at 20", but my friend won't let me do it. :)

Ted

[cwheel]

I have some rough spots in the bore of a old 38-55. Reading here about the COW method of removing leading and thought I'd give it a try on this old bore. Rough spots are about midway down a 20" barrel. Loaded up 5 rounds with 22gr. of 3031 with a cut down BP pistol wad on top of the powder charge. Weighed out 12gr. of COW and seated a normal 265 gr. GC boolit on top. Fired them and looked again at the rough spot. Rough spot turned out to be old leading and I'd reduced it to half of what it was in 5 rounds with the COW loads. Thinking I'm going to load up 20 more that way and fire, see what it looks like. Might end up with a good bore in this thing after all. Regardless of the results, the COW sure cleans up the bore on this old dog. I'd loaded with COW before for fire forming brass and it worked fine, never for the sole purpose of cleaning a bore.
Chris

[cwheel]

The 20 more loads of COW were made and fired, mixed results. Took more of the leading out, might still have about half of it left. Going to get a chore-boy pad and start in on it. Might get a can of PB blaster to go with it as well. This leading is old, could be more than 50 years in there. First 5 COW loads exposed just how much was there and removed some of it. Bore looked bad when I got this, might end up being much better than I thought after all of the lead is out.
Chris

[afish4570]

The 20 more loads of COW were made and fired, mixed results. Took more of the leading out, might still have about half of it left. Going to get a chore-boy pad and start in on it. Might get a can of PB blaster to go with it as well. This leading is old, could be more than 50 years in there. First 5 COW loads exposed just how much was there and removed some of it. Bore looked bad when I got this, might end up being much better than I thought after all of the lead is out.
Chris
For pistol leading I use a dry patch on a brass jag (Midway) with a piece of Chore Girl (copper) snug fit.....dry. No solvents at this stage. Move copper around on jag to expose a rough surface to scrub bore . Try again. Dry patch next and verify progress.If fouling still is evident soak with your favorite solvent following instructions so as not to harm bore. Repeat as necessary. afish4570
m

[dopeydave]

Okay, gave it a try several times since my last post. Reformed some old Imperial 30-06 brass in one of my 9.3X62s, and did the first shooting while fireforming the brass. The bore was lead free after five rounds.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/laketrouter/Reloading/IMGP4863.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/laketrouter/media/Reloading/IMGP4863.jpg.html)

Here's the result of the last trip to the range. How's this for a hunting load at a 2236 fps? Northman 285 gr plain base, with a half inch square of old cotton towel wad, tamped down over powder, and slightly compressed COW filler to base of bullet. Group is 2.1 inches at 100 yards.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/laketrouter/Reloading/20296840ca0f7783fc0e67761d074190.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/laketrouter/media/Reloading/20296840ca0f7783fc0e67761d074190.jpg.html)

Shot and chronographed three, three-shot groups, this was not the best one. ;)


This bullet penetrated six four-litre jugs of water, and was caught in the seventh. That's over 36" of water and more than half an inch of plastic!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/laketrouter/Reloading/IMGP4909.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/laketrouter/media/Reloading/IMGP4909.jpg.html)

You can see how cleanly the bullet is engraved by the rifling. Note, as well, how near perfect the base of the bullet is. No fusion has taken place at all.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/laketrouter/Reloading/IMGP4908.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/laketrouter/media/Reloading/IMGP4908.jpg.html)

Care to guess the recovered weight?

There was no unburned powder in bore or on the snow, and best of all, no leading! One patch of bore solvent, and one of KROIL, and it is ready to go again!

Ted

I recieved a call from Ted friday night and in the course of the conversation he related to me the advise on this thread and the results he had experienced with the C.O.W. loads. Having shot thousands of cast bullets in the past I had to get out and try it for myself as like many others I have suffered from leaded bores and poor accuracy because of it.
Two words
It works!!!
I had a great range session today with my 30-06 and 165 grain beveled FB's and 169 gr CGC's . Each round consisted of 34 grains of IMR 4198 a half inch square piece of the wife's old dish towel tamped down onto the powder with a punch , cream of wheat to the top of the case. Compressed the load with the bullet and finished with a sturdy crimp.
Velocity was 2320 fps averaged , the flat base accuracy was nothing to write home about but the gas checks were running 1.5- 3" groups @ 100 yds and the best part was that after almost 60 rounds down range No Leading!

[Yukoner]

Headed up to the range today to make a believer out of a new guy using cast bullets. Same 285 gr Northman plain base, cotton patch, and COW filler load as posted before, but shot in a different Husqvarna rifle, an FN98 with 24" barrel.


Fireforming 30-06 brass to 9.3X62, we took three shots at 25, then here are the next six shots at 100 yd. Not too bad for a straight 2 1/2 power scope.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/laketrouter/Reloading/IMGP5084.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/laketrouter/media/Reloading/IMGP5084.jpg.html)


Adjusted scope down to hit three inches high, and the rest were fired at silhouettes out to 300 meters. Average velocity was 2174 fps (about 100 fps less than in the other rifle).

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a new cast bullet shooter on board! :)
Ted

PS: Fifteen rounds fired and no leading at all. This is the second rifle with the same non-leading results.

[unclebill]

i use a short hardwood dowel and pound a very tight fitting pinch of choreboy down the barrel.
one pass is all it takes
when i have a ring in the cylinder from shooting 38s in a 357 i wrap the choreboy around and old brush and chuck it in my drill
that removes it all in seconds.

[nylocmik]

Put a cork in it, the muzzle that is, and mix 50/50 white vinegar (5% acidity) and hydrogen peroxide (3%). Pour it down the barrel. Lean the barrel in a corner inside a coffee can. Wait 15-20 minutes. Run rod down to pop out cork. Followed by a couple patches wet in 50/50 mix, then a couple dry patches. If needed, use a few strands of unraveled Chore Boy copper pot scrubber pads on a barrel brush. Repeat if heavily leaded. Finish with some Hoppes and oil if you want. So easy and inexpensive ($6 for a gallon of vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and Chore Boys). Took lead out of my barrel that Butch's Bore Shine didn't.

[iplaywithnoshoes]

Accidentally shot some undersized bullets through my .45-70 two weeks ago and ran out of my duplex 'cleaning' loads. I tried the chore boy method and it was scary how much lead was pushed out of the barrel. I just need to run a set of cleaner rounds and it should be lead free. It seems like the duration of heat and pressure from slower burning powder is remelting the lead in the bore and pushing it out, OR the bullet is bumped enough to scrape the lead out.

shoe

[CSMR]

Boy howdy did that Cream of Wheat trick work well....the hard part was 'Which COW at the store'..well, can't be instant or the flavored...better stick with the original :), there are 6 or 7 variations of cream wheat.
Made up 3 rounds with 21 gns 5744/cotton ball wad separator and about 10 grains weight of COW....after getting the carbon etc out...white patches using turpentine or Hoppes...sweet.
I'll be making a few rounds of cow for every range day shoot....
Oh, Sharps 45 70....

[Twicepop]

The last brushes I got from Brownells/Sinclairs (all pistol 38, 40 and 45 cal) all shed their bristles like a cur dog shedding hair. A friend of mine had the same problem with the rifle brushes he got from them.

[Texas by God]

I fireformed some 30-30 brass into 38-55 with Bullseye and Malt o Meal and I could not believe how it cleaned the bore.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[barrabruce]

Haven’t seen anything in years
Expensive when bought from enviro-mart but what the hell..
232425
Garrenteed no leading now that I’m equipped again.

The only other thing I’ve seen are a copper scrubber in a pan for cleaning electronic solering tips.

Even more expensive.
:sad:

[sharps4590]

4-8 rounds of jacketed bullets, lead is gone.

[Alexn20]

I've found leading can be cleaned up 99% of the time by simply using a brush, Hoppe's #9, and a properly (tight) fitted patch and jag. The patch material will make quite a difference. I recommend surplus U.S.G.I. cleaning patches, 100% cotton, single-nap, and are made to get guns clean. The coarse, open weave grabs and holds bore fouling and doubles as a scrubber for tough surface dirt. Cheap to boot!

I also believe the old Hoppe's recipe works better than what you get these days. I haven't done a true comparison but it seems the old stuff cleans better. If you find a bottle like this I suggest you hold on to it!:
235326

[Martin Luber]

The CoW process is fascinating as is the pb (as in the symbol for lead) blaster . The 1970s cast bullet loads l had seen recommended a tuft of dacron filler to position low powder charges but may have had a base protection factor as well. In pistols, l used firebrushing with success and no indication of damage. Basically I use a cigar lighter or small butane propane torch to run flame up the barrel ( which is hand held) for 5 seconds. The barrel gets no hotter than from normal use. The heat flux through the deposits loosens them. This is immediately followed by a bronze brush and then standard cleaning patches. Worked so well I sold my Foul Out. Plus the solutions were dangerous to use.

Regards

[Martin Luber]

OH speaking of CoW, a national champion bp pistol shooter advised it on top of the charge...purportedly to fill the cylinder volume but l can see its per shot cleaning value now .

[Reverend Al]

When I was shooting a lot of .38 Special lead bullets through my Ruger GP100, it would lead up terribley. This was around 1990 and Outers sold a reverse electroplaiting kit that would remove lead or copper. The first time I used it I was AMAZED how much lead it removed from the cylinder bores and the barrel AND it didn't harm the finish on them.

Over the years, I've used it on any firearm that leaded up.

BUT last year I used almost all of the leadout and tried to buy some only to find out that Outers no longer manufactures it! So I did a search on the internet, found a website that gave the chemicals for the solution, then bought them from an online place in PA called Post Apple Scientific, Inc. 8893 Gulf Road, North East, PA 16428Phone: 814-725-3330 ( http://www.postapplescientific.com/ ). The water is distilled water (I found it at the loacl gorcery store!). The chemicals are lead acetate ACS crystals 100 G bottle and liquid amonia acetate .010% solution in a 500 ml bottle.

I can't find the website right now but it was pretty straight forward as to the mixture of water to crystals to liquid chemical.

I haven't as yet mixed the chemicals together though but from people who mixed their own said it worked exactly like Outers Leadout.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?226834-WTB-Outers-Lead-Out-Plus-solution
PS: I just did a search and wouldn't you know it, there is a post telling how much to mix each cemical!

I bought a used Outers "Foul Out II" at a gun show for $10, but it had no solution with it, so I did a bit of research and here is what I found ...

Replacement bore cleaning solutions for the Outers Foul Out electronic bore cleaner

Outers Cop Out Plus solution contain approximately 0.6 percent cupric acetate and 2.5 percent ammonium acetate (3.62 grams/ liter of copper acetate and 38.5 grams/liter of ammonium acetate) in distilled/deionized water.

The Lead Out Plus contains approximately 2 percent lead acetate and 5 percent ammonium acetate (6.50 grams/liter of lead acetate and 38.5 grams/liter of ammonium acetate ) in distilled/deionized water.

Here are the formulas to make each of them:

Copper Solution

562.3 grains Ammonium Acetate
51.3 grains Copper Acetate or 58.3 grains Cupric Acetate Monohydrate
Add distilled (or high megohm deionized) water to make 1 Qt.


Lead Solution

562.3 grains Ammonium Acetate
95.0 grains Lead Acetate or 110.8 grains of Lead Acetate Trihydrate
Add distilled (or high megohm deionized) water to make 1 Qt.

[Reverend Al]

You used to be able to buy a commercially made "Lead Removal Cloth" (I think it was made by Kleen Bore?), but I haven't seen them for sale for years now. Again, I made a trip to the Internet and Voila!

I copied this formula off another forum for making Lead Removal Cloth. It is said to duplicate commercial lead
removing cloths.

500 gr - 400 grit or finer aluminum oxide powder
450 gr - kerosene or #2 fuel oil
4 gr - lemon oil
5 gr - ammonium chloride

[pcmacd]

You used to be able to buy a commercially made "Lead Removal Cloth" (I think it was made by Kleen Bore?), but I haven't seen them for sale for years now. Again, I made a trip to the Internet and Voila!

I copied this formula off another forum for making Lead Removal Cloth. It is said to duplicate commercial lead
removing cloths.

500 gr - 400 grit or finer aluminum oxide powder
450 gr - kerosene or #2 fuel oil
4 gr - lemon oil
5 gr - ammonium chloride

Wow. How about a "CARBON OUT"?

I can build my own electronics. I just need to understand if it is feasible and what the chemicals are?

My 1871 Swede RB is a coal mine....

[444ttd]

https://www.big45metalcleaner.com/

its all i use

[gypsyman]

What I've done the last few years, is to take a can of AeroKroil with me to the range. When the last shot out whatever gun I'm shooting is down range, before the barrel is even started to cool off, spray some down the barrel. If you've ever cleaned an oven, you usually make the job easier, if it's heated up. While loading up, put the muzzle down, and let it drain out. Plenty of old rags around, wrap one around the barrel, try and keep the gun case from getting to soaked. By the time I get home, the Kroil has had time to loosen everything up, and once or twice with a Hoppe's Tornado brush, usually pretty clean.

[hockeyref]

New variation on the ChoreBoy method:

I did this yesterday in a 44 mag.
I used the normal cleaning jag and patch instead of a brush. I pierced the patch with the jag and wrapped a long single strand from the chore boy around the patch\jag with about 1/16" spacing between wraps. Used it dry and with patch soaked with Kroil.

[JLF]

I use mercury. I take all the necessary security measures.

[powwowell]

ChoreBoy dry a few times, then ChoreBoy and Kroil oil a few times. Barrel is squeaky clean.

[gc45]

Looks like this thread has run its course but I too use choreboy and kroil in several ways but all works for me. I like putting down the bore after shooting let it soak until I get home. Having a huge reloading shop, I like being out there cleaning guns and other stuff. What is COW anyway? a case filler acronym?

[quasi]

Cream Of Wheat

[OS1880]

A question, years ago when in a small engine class we would use muriatic acid to remove aluminum build up from a damaged crankshaft and blown piston connecting rod the muriatic acid would eat the aluminum leaving the steel crankshaft clean, my question is would this work with removing lead, just curious,

[TurnipEaterDown]

Muriatic acid (dilute hydrochloric) will etch ferrous metals.
I have used it in years past to dip clean very rusty cast iron cylinder heads, and has worked out OK, but the surface develops a greyish soft surface coating, and as noted other fine pitting. I would not do this to a firearm bore.
At one time in the past a relative had a patched ball stuck in the bore of a muzzle loader (1980s), and a local gunsmith said to put some sulpheric acid in and it would eat the patch. Relative did it, and ruined the gun. No surprise really, the sulphur compounds in black powder make sulpheric acid when exposed to atmospheric moisture, and this is a mechanism to ruin a bore on a black powder muzzle loading gun by not cleaning it.
Acids + steels = rust (iron oxides).

[OS1880]

Muriatic acid (dilute hydrochloric) will etch ferrous metals.
I have used it in years past to dip clean very rusty cast iron cylinder heads, and has worked out OK, but the surface develops a greyish soft surface coating, and as noted other fine pitting. I would not do this to a firearm bore.
At one time in the past a relative had a patched ball stuck in the bore of a muzzle loader (1980s), and a local gunsmith said to put some sulpheric acid in and it would eat the patch. Relative did it, and ruined the gun. No surprise really, the sulphur compounds in black powder make sulpheric acid when exposed to atmospheric moisture, and this is a mechanism to ruin a bore on a black powder muzzle loading gun by not cleaning it.
Acids + steels = rust (iron oxides).

Thanks for the reply I would not use it on a firearm it was just something I remembered doing years ago and was just curious what the outcome would be, a crankshaft and a connecting rod should be bathed in oil so rust would not be a problem. Bottom line acid and steel don't mix. Thanks again.