Getting the lead out

[AlanF]

What do you guys use to get the lead out of your barrels? Looking for recommendations to use on a used Browning Model 53 that is heading my way. Thank you.

[btroj]

Chore boy or steel wool on an old brush. A few passes and lead is gone. I prefer to do this with the bore dry. Follow with a dry patch and you can feel if the lead is gone. Take a look thru the bore with a good light at other end and it is pretty easy to see lead stick in the corners of the lands.

Really pretty easy to remove.

[curator]

Chore-boy in real copper works great wrapped around a plastic bore brush. Be careful in selecting this as the maker also markets copper-plated steel scrubbers too. I take a magnet with me when shopping for copper scrubbers. I have also found that "bronze-wool" found in better hardware or stores that cater to woodworkers is as good or better. I use the "coarse" grade. Btroj makes a good point to use these scrubbers dry. A tight fit makes the work faster. Do it from the breech if possible to avoid lead dust in your action. This method takes lead out of your bore without the risk of scratching or producing wear. "Like burnt off toast!"

[Don McDowell]

No need for harsh abrasive material be sloshed back and forth in the barrel. Cotton patch soaked with pure gum spirits of turpentine pushed thru the bore on a jag, follow with a dry patch or two, then wet again, when there's no gray on the patch , job is done.

[btroj]

I am not speaking of grey on a patch but lumps. I have had guns with bores that could be mined!
I also don't think copper, bronze, or steel wool is doing any damage at all. Steel wool is often used to remove rust from bluing, if it isn't removing bluing it isn't remove steel.

[Don McDowell]

Try the turpentine, it will surprise you.

[runfiverun]

shoot it out with a proper boolit and lube.
yeah i'm lazy.
but it's faster and more fun,and it works.

[btroj]

That it does Run.

I actually prefer to not get it in the first place but that doesn't always work out.

[Don McDowell]

I'm waiting for the explanation of what sort of bullet is strong enough with a sharp enough edge to take the previously deposited lead out the barrel, and not scratch or mar the rifling as it goes?

[waksupi]

I think it's kind of like rubbing sticker glue off of a piece of glass with your thumb. It kind of smears in the direction your thumb moves, and eventually gets dragged away.

And I'm with Lamar.

[smithywess]

shoot it out with a proper boolit and lube.
yeah i'm lazy.
but it's faster and more fun,and it works.

Runfiverun,

I imagine you mean with a jacketed bullet? I've heard tell, and I'm inclined to believe it, that sending a jacketed bullet down the bore simply irons the lead on some more, making it even more difficult to remove.

[Dan Cash]

Don McDowell is 100% right about the turpentine. The lead comes out in big booger gobs and long snot strings. This system is more effective and less hazzardous to your bore. Jacketed bullets through a leaded bore may make it look lead free until you look with a bore scope or push a tight turpentine soaked patch through. You will quickly notice that it is not lead free. Some paper patched rounds might clean it but I don't know.

[Don McDowell]

Dan the patched rounds will make it worse, the lead goobered and smeared into the lands by the ironing out method, tears the patch, and when the patch blows, it's an oooomy situation to delead the barrel...

[Don McDowell]

Keep forgetting to mention it, but Montana Extreme's Cowboy blend has shown some good results when cleaning up after a days shooting, for those that might be squimish about the turpentine....

[Larry Gibson]

I shoot lead out (as in lead cast bullets) of my barrels and use a proper load, alloy and lube so they don't leave any behind......

If the previous owner failed to do that and a normal cleaning with a good solvent like #9 doesn't take the leading out you can scrub it out as mentioned or shoot it out as runfiverun mentions..........latter is the easiest.

Larry Gibson

[frnkeore]

I'm with Dan and Smithy here, don't shoot jacketed over lead.

I've never tried Turpentine, I use either Xelene, Tolulene or a combination of them like comes in a spray can of carburator cleaner. Yes, be careful with it but, I've never found anything better.

Frank

[Bullshop]

I am in the shoot it out camp but do it just a bit differently. First I wet patch with a good penitrating solvent, I like shooters choice or Kroil but prolly dont much matter as long as it penitrates. Let that set for a bit to penitrate well. Then I shoot a couple shots with very soft lubed boolits with a very low pressure load. Something that will obturate the boolit but stay withing BP type pressures like in the 15000 to 18000 psi range. The soft boolit being pressed against the bore way tighter than any patched jag seems to pick up any lead in the barrel, a cohesion thing I guess. After a couple shots I then clean as normal and check. Usually all lead is gone. If it still persists a repeat of the same has always cleaned it up completely. I am unable to explain the why it works jusy know for sure that it does work.

[pdawg_shooter]

A few un-lubed paper patch bullets works nicely, and polishes the bore too.

[AlanF]

Thanks for all the input.

Don and Dan is there anything to be cautious of when using the turpentine? I will take the normal precautions to keep it out of the action but is there anything else to think of?

I actually have some of the Monatana Extreme Cowboy blend heading my way.

Thanks again.

[Don McDowell]

Alan I wouldn't advise smokin a cigar or doing it by the light of a lit candle.... But other than that nothing to get overly concerned about. As long as the patch is damp, doesn't have to be sopping wet. If you're using one of the carbon fiber rods, you'll feel each place that patch goes over a piece of lead.

[bigted]

im a convert to the terpentine method...it really works and works well with no ill affects that i can see. i use it from time to time to ensure im getting a sqeeky cleen bore...then dry and oil. Don turned me onto this magic when i had a 45-120 that smeared lead from stem to stern with every shot and the turp cleaned it with no fuss nor muss.

im kinda carefull to not get it on the wood but it will not hurt any metal that ive seen. my method is to use a snug fitting patch and wet the bore with it and allow to set for 1/2 hour then have a go with the tight patch being dry and marvel at the lead that sticks to the patch...a couple dry patches then another wet snug patch to wet the bore and allow 1/2 hour and have a go with the dry tight patchs till no lead is appearing.

pretty easy and ive not seen any ill affects from using it yet.

[runfiverun]

no sir not with a jaxketed bullet.
generally a softer boolit will remove lead from a barell.
yeah i have tested this.
lazercast bullets have a tendancy to lead up my 41 mag ruger black hawk badly.
i can shoot a gas check boolit without the gas check on them cast from whatever i got in the pot.
and shoot the lazer cast leading out in one to two cylinders full.
you can see it moving down the barell with each shot.

next time you get a lead smear on a mold try taking an ingot of whatever and rubbing the smear with it.

[pls1911]

Swab with Kroil and let set overnight. It's incredible in working under debris in the barrel.
Then shoot a few gas checked bullets through .. The gas checks are little bore scrapers under pressure .
I always use gas checks and bullets cast soft and heat treated HARD, and have never experienced any discernible leading in 20 odd years of throwing home cast slugs.

Otherwise the alternate methods described above work fine too.

[Idaho Mule]

If I keep learnin' all the tricks on this sight I'm either gonna hafta buy a bigger hat or my head will EXPLODE!! Thanks again guys. :) JW