Removing stubrun leading

[kentuckyshooter]

Probably been asked befor but any one got any tips and tricks they would like to share to remove stubrun leading and getting the bore bright and shiny again.

[DrCaveman]

Chore boy cleaning pads, unweave a bit of it and wrap around a bore brush. However bad the leading, it will cut the work time by probably 75-90% in my experience

My worst leading still took about 2 hours of actual scrubbing. Hate to think what it would have taken with a naked bore brush and solvent!

[Bzcraig]

And make sure you get the 100% copper stuff not the copper coated stuff.

[runfiverun]

I remove it with a properly fit boolit.
it leaves the case and pushes all the leading out of the barrel leaving nothing behind for the next one to push out.

[kentuckyshooter]

Thanks for the advice. Still working on load development for my hipoint c9. Slugged the barel and the fit seemed ok best i could measure. Im using a lee 124 tl as cast so i was working out the whole lube thing. Plus im looking at air vs. Water cooled to play with the boolit hardness. All range scrap material by the way.

[kentuckyshooter]

Just a thought i had. Goin of runfiverun's sugestion. I have some fmj ammo that i bought. Taking a conceled cary class soon and i got an extra box to confirm sight in was still good with the factory stuff. Do u thing a coupple rounds of that would push it on out the muzzel?

[MediumCore358]

I'm new here but anyone correct me if I'm wrong...I've heard that shooting jacketed bullets then going to lead is fine.... but shooting a good amount of lead then going to jacketed the barrel should be cleaned especially if the leading is Bad!

[WRideout]

I believe it was noted author Jeff Cooper who recommended a couple of jacketed bullets to clean out leading. It seemed to work in my Mod 19.

Wayne

[dubber123]

I remove it with a properly fit boolit.
it leaves the case and pushes all the leading out of the barrel leaving nothing behind for the next one to push out.

This works. Veral Smith of LBT was the first to suggest it to me. Make sure it fits, has a good quality lube, and don't shoot it too fast. I managed to get some lead in the barrel of my new .45 Colt revolver last week, (soft boolits with a fast powder), loaded 6 to normal specs, and Viola! clean bore. Had fun doing it too. Never had fun scrubbing one. ;)

[Uncle R.]

It wasn't until I discovered this board that I learned what really causes leading in barrels, so I had a lot of practice at removing it over the years. An old gunsmith taught me to use 0000 steel wool and light oil, and it works pretty well. As long as you use the extra fine 0000 grade it doesn't harm the barrel. The Chore Boy so often recommended on this board also works well, but as others have warned be certain it's not steel under copper plating. Test with a magnet - barrels aren't cheap.

The things I've learned here at Cast Boolits have helped me eliminate almost all leading from my cast loads, but I still get a little in my .45 ACP Colt. Mindful of what I've learned here I've gone to a much softer boolit than I used in the past and that has reduced the problem by about 75%. Chamber dimensions won't let me go as large as I'd like with the boolit and some leading in the throat still remains.

I've long since figured out how to remove that minor leading pretty quickly. I use a tight fitting bronze brush and Kroil.
I've tried lots of different solvents over the years that were supposed to help in lead removal. None of them worked particularly well. I finally learned that using Kroil was pretty effective. I start with a bronze bore brush soaked in Kroil. Brush multiple strokes and then let the Kroil soak for perhaps fifteen minutes. Brush multiple strokes again, run a couple of dry patches through and inspect. Repeat as needed. I think the Kroil gets under the lead and helps loosen it. I'd guess it reduces the scrubbing required by half or more.

As so many of the members here have taught me, using a boolit that fits well, of the proper hardness with a good lube, will eliminate most leading. Good luck with your load development.

Uncle R.

[MBTcustom]

Getting leading out is a very quick matter with a bronze brush wrapped with steel wool. I have done this to match grade barrels of known accuracy and no detrimental effect was noted.
It's certainly not as aggressive as the tools used in the factory to produce the barrel in the first place, and if you've ever spent any time behind a borescope and seen the impressions left by crud in the barrel when the passing bullet ironed these pieces of matter into the barrel leaving behind permanent damage, you might decide as I have that "shooting the lead out" might not be as good an idea as it sounds (although I know quite a few people who have had success with this method.)

If you're using a good lube, then the lead will not be stuck to the barrel hard enough to require a wrapped brush, but if you've really smooched the pooch and got the kind of leading that makes grown men scream like little girls, it's time to get serious and break out the steel wool.
I don't have a problem with the copper choreboy recommendation, but it's hard to find around here, and steel wool is something that I keep on hand that works as good or better.

[SteveS]

Soak the barrel with whatever solvent you like. I use Kroil or Hoppe's. Chuck a bronze brush and a length of cleaning rod in a cordless drill and go at it. Swab it out with dry patches, run a bore mop coated with JB Bore Paste through it, some more patches and solvent, some dry patches and you're done.

I was a little reluctant to use the cordless drill at first but it works wonders and causes no damage.

[runfiverun]

I hate to say this but that tumble lube LEE boolit is your problem.

about 2 years back it was the number one thread starter on the site, all of them were about trying to get that boolit to shoot and stop leading.
for some reason it is super touchy about being sized in the loading process, and the basic design just does not work well in the case it is intended for.

[Elkins45]

^^^^ Are you talking about the RN or the TC, or both?

On a whim I loaded up some of the RN (unsized and lubed with my Coleman fuel/JPW analogue of BLL) into 38 special cases in front of 5 grains of Unique and tried them out in my Model 10 last weekend. Accuracy was only so-so, but no leading.

My mold is a six banger from 1989 and drops at .3585 with COWW.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

If you can get the stuff and it isn't cheap either...and it works very well....is mercury. Yes it is pisonous, and environmentally illegal perhaps and you have to handle it carefully, but it will definitively and completely remove any and all lead. You can't spill it or you will be chasing it around the room all day. You have to cork/plug the end of the barrel securely and pour the Hg into the barrel. It amalgamates or softens the lead and floats it off/away after a while...no scrubbing necessary. When the lead floats on the mercury you skim it off the top and chuck it...save the mercury for the next time. Keep it off of your skin and make sure that you hide it well until you need it again. Read the last sentence again. If you don't like the whole idea then use whatever other method that you wish. LLS

[runfiverun]

Elkins the 38 isn't the 9 case, they will generally take the boolit just fine for some reason.
the 9m just doesn't work with the T/L design.

the 125gr non T/L 38 boolit design works in the 9m but you have to load it short.

[olafhardt]

You can make patches out of aluminum screen from the hardware store.

[Ola]

The 0000 steel wool I currently have is "for polishing wood floors". That tells you all you need to know: barrel STEEL can't be damaged with it.

[Elkins45]

Elkins the 38 isn't the 9 case, they will generally take the boolit just fine for some reason.
the 9m just doesn't work with the T/L design.

the 125gr non T/L 38 boolit design works in the 9m but you have to load it short.

I've been shooting the RN in 9mm for 20+ years and have had good results in everything except Glocks, but I don't drive it particularly hard. It even works OK in my Camp Carbine. Maybe I'm just lucky.

[44man]

0000 steel wool works and works in shotgun barrels to to remove plastic or leading.
Actually a soft boolit will not lead a bore if shot slow and can remove leading. Shoot them very slow with fit and a good lube. A pure lead boolit makes a good GRABBER!
I would not shoot jacketed over leading, it can run it over and press it so tight you will have fits.
Can that expand the bore too??? Gas checks do not remove leading, they prevent it.
The best patches to use are Butch's Triple Twill. Use a jag, not a slotted, cheap rod, No aluminum rod and use a muzzle protector, no jointed rods. Stainless steel rods, one piece. Brass works too.
The most damage to your bores will be from the rod. Bronze brushes do nothing to harm the bore but they sure wear fast. I have used the nylon brushes and they work fine. They have sharp edges and can pick lead.
The very best solvent I have is Butch's Bore Shine and for carbon only, M-Pro 7. M-Pro will remove the carbon rings from the front of a cylinder with a brass suede brush.
I do not get paid but have every solvent ever from Ed's Red to the most expensive made and most just plain suck. Kroil CAN get under leading. You still need an opening. Hoppe's is better then Ed's Red too.

[Bzcraig]

Maybe it was just dumb luck, no actually it was dumb luck. The very first stab at casting was the
Lee TL 124 in my Taurus PT 92 and I had no leading. As I learned more from this site I slugged the barrel which measured.355 and I loaded those boolits as cast. Later I started sizing to 358 for the Taurus, Kahr, FMK, and PX4 and I get no leading using acww/pure 50/50 with straight alox or Recluse 45-45-10.

[dudel]

For hard to remove lead or copper fouling, my Foul-Out removes it all. No abrasion. Just let it run. Occasionally check the rod and wipe any fluffy stuff off. Repeat till rod no longer picks up what you are trying to remove.

Can't see a jacketed round pushing out lead. When I tried it, it just ironed the lead in there and gave it a shiny finish. Easy to see how it could be mistaken for a clean bore. The Foul-Out got that stuff out atom by atom.

[kentuckyshooter]

Thank u everyone for the advice. Finaly geting a chance to report back. I fired 20 fmjs threw over the weekend and when i cleaned it out only had 1 tiny spot of leading left right near the muzzel. Seemed to work well for me. I havent gave up yet on geting this bullet to work. Im lubing with lla for now and my latest batch of cast is air cooled. Im gona see if a softer bullet helps. Also i have some wax past lube i made. My inital test rounds were rolled in this and loaded with minimal leading from water droped cast

[blikseme300]

The info 44man posted is good advice.