Cleaning a Leaded Barrel

[Aeroscout]

I received some 45 Colt bullets from my Dad's estate that indicated they were 250 FPRN over 8.5 grains of Unique. They were coated (no lube) with some kind of black moly/powder coating and after shooting 20-30 rounds I noticed my groups became patterns. They surely leaded my barrel. 24 inch octagon Rossi 92.

I have been running a bore brush down it after letting it sit after having ran a soaking wet patch down the barrel using alternately both Hoppes #9 as well as Kroil. Each time after running the brush I always end up with black on my first patch. I have upped the ante to running the bore brush with the 100% copper Chore boy and still get quite a bit of black on the first patch ran through with the jag.

I am beginning to wonder if the black is just a product of the solvent and copper as I have spent some hours cleaning this barrel and would have thought it clean by now.

When do I know I am done? Not sure if it is still fouled or if I am just chasing my tail.

[Bazoo]

If it was moly, it’s probably moly coming out of the barrel. If you can’t see lead in the barrel, then it’s gone.

It’s possible (most likely) you’re getting copper dissolved off the brush / choreboy by the hoppes and that’s what you’re seeing too. Especially if you’re scrubbing a while before patching again.

[Aeroscout]

I don't see lead, but it is a 24 inch barrel and I can't see all of it. It has to been gone as I have been letting it soak, scrubbing, patching, repeating for several days and still getting black patches. They clean up after a couple, but if I run the brush again....more black.

I won't be firing any more of those rounds with the black mystery coating.

[Bazoo]

If you did the choreboy right, it will have scoured the bore. The way I do it is like this. I take a brush and wrap choreboy around it so it’s just larger than will enter the bore. Then insert from the chamber end. With a Rossi, unless you’re wanting to detail strip it anyways, Insert the brush in the breech and run the cleaning rod down the bore then thread it on. Pull it into the chamber. I prefer a cleaning rod with a non spinny handle so I can twist the brush into the bore to coax as much choreboy into staying out. Then, scrub till you are clean. It should be a “chore” to get it started it’s so tight. Otherwise it ain’t tight enough is my experience.

[WRideout]

Copper is generally blue or blue/green on cleanng patches. If they are coming our black, it is something else. When you use the copper strand i.e. Chore Boy to scrub the barrel, you should see particles of lead coming out. If no lead on followup patches, the leading is taken care of.

Wayne

[Aeroscout]

Copper is generally blue or blue/green on cleanng patches. If they are coming our black, it is something else. When you use the copper strand i.e. Chore Boy to scrub the barrel, you should see particles of lead coming out. If no lead on followup patches, the leading is taken care of.

Wayne

I don't see anything on the patches but dark liquid stain on the initial patch ran down the barrel after a wet scrubbing.

I kept after it expecting to get clean patches after scrubbing.

[megasupermagnum]

It isn't lead, you won't see lead like that on a patch. There's lots of theories on why this happens. I feel like it has to be layers of crud from years of use. You clean one layer out, and now the next is exposed. You repeat seemingly forever. If I shoot a rifle a ton, I might deep clean it once a year. I've not found any reason to other than on heavily copper fouled barrels.

[Aeroscout]

It isn't lead, you won't see lead like that on a patch. There's lots of theories on why this happens. I feel like it has to be layers of crud from years of use. You clean one layer out, and now the next is exposed. You repeat seemingly forever. If I shoot a rifle a ton, I might deep clean it once a year. I've not found any reason to other than on heavily copper fouled barrels.

So keep it up until a patch comes out clean on the jag after a wet scrubbing?

As far as I can see down the barrel it looks clean as a whistle.

[trails4u]

I have a couple of very old rifles....seemingly mirror bores...bright, shiny...sharp rifling and they do the same thing. I've stopped worrying about it. They're not corroded, not pitted, and not showing any deterioration after years of use and cleaning. But...they still pull black/brown patches, and NEVER a perfectly clean patch no matter what I do. After 160yrs. of whatever they've been through...I've just accepted it for what it is. But I do check them frequently.....just to be sure.

[414gates]

When the first bore patch comes out dirty every time after a brush, it's an indication of barrel pitting.

Barrel pitting can't be seen by looking down the bore with your eye, the lands and grooves will always seem bright and shiny.

Look down the barrel with a borescope, and you will see pitting.

[Sasquatch-1]

I would agree that you need to use a bore scope on the barrel. They're cheap enough on Amazon that everyone should have one.

My question, is the rifle yours or did you get it with the ammo? Did you have this problem before shooting the ammo?

I never used it but there was a product people were experimenting with called Mil-Spec. I think that was the name. It was supposed to molecularly bond with the metal. I doubt this was the case, but your dad may have experimented with something else.

[Aeroscout]

I bought the rifle at auction. I know appearance is not a perfect indicator, but the thing looks like it has spent the majority of its life in a safe. 24 inch Octagon barrel color case hardened receiver LSI Legacy Rossi import. But for a few handling marks on the wood it really does appear new. It shot ok but nothing to write home about. My first trip out with it I was using some handloads I had gotten from my Dad's estate (mistake, should have shot my loads...but I was out and excited to shoot it) so they were somewhat of a question mark as I didn't load them. I am pretty sure he picked them up in some kind of buy sell trade swap he had done as he was not a 45 Colt guy. Once I ran out of what appeared to be 255 SWC that ran from marked 8.5 gr of unique....to some unmarked ones that were light poofers, I shot some of the coated ones (maybe 30 or so total) and that is when things went south. I quit shooting them and went to cleaning it the next day. I have literally put at least 3-4 hours of cleaning into this rifle over the course of a week. Not counting soaking time. Soak barrel with wet patch of kroil, or hoppes 9 let sit from 10 minutes to overnight, scrub with first bore brush only, then later brush with chore boy for 10-12 licks and then run a patch on a jag. It is getting lighter as I go, but not much, and it is slow going.

I would be quite surprised if the barrel were pitted. I could be wrong, but from the looks of things and the overall condition of the rifle I rather doubt it.

I figure I am going to keep at it a bit more and see what I get....Then maybe just go shoot it and see what I get with my loads.

[WardT]

use 100% copper Chore-boy.
some are just copper plated

[Sasquatch-1]

You may want to try and clean it as if it had been shooting black powder. plug the breech end with some sort of stopper and partially fill the barrel with a water and Dawn solution. Get a dish towel to wrap around the muzzle and run a fairly snug fitting patch up and down the barrel a few times. Dump the water and run dry patch in the barrel and see how it comes out. Then thoroughly dry the barrel and coat with oil. Hopefully that might get out whatever you are seeing.

[gwpercle]

Ed's Red Bore Solvent by C.E. "Ed" Harris - pdf
do a search on the above term , print out the 2 pages and follow the instructions .
Do Not Use "Synthetic " ATF ... Use regular conventional oil based ATF or it will not mix.
Gary

[waksupi]

If it has moly in it, get some Goop hand cleaner, without the grit. Cleans it right up.

[Bazoo]

The part of the question as to where to stop... I’d stopped after the first time the second patch was reasonably clean. Look down the bore and see nothing. I’m not a clean freak on my guns.

[Glwenzl]

WD 40 seems to remove Moly.

I wonder if it isn’t some tough carbon? Years ago I had a 17 jet barrel that was like this. It took forever to get clean. Ended up using the old style GM top engine cleaner for the carbon and wipe out for the copper. That’s been my only tough one where for the last 20 plus years I just use wipeout.

[imashooter2]

Stop cleaning. Go shoot.

[725]

Buy some "Lead-Away" cloth and cut some tight cleaning patches. Works great.

[whisler]

I was given some moly-coated bullets and the moly gets all over your hands with just handling. If it is moly showing up, Dawn and water will take it out.

[Aeroscout]

I was given some moly-coated bullets and the moly gets all over your hands with just handling. If it is moly showing up, Dawn and water will take it out.

Dawn has a greater cleaning ability than Hoppes #9 and Kroil?

[centershot]

Dawn has a greater cleaning ability than Hoppes #9 and Kroil?

Depending on what you're trying to clean out, yes!

[murf205]

I got a super deal in some moly coated Nosler Partitions and after thinking and reading about the stuff I didn't want to shoot it in my rifle. I had a can of Wally Mart carb cleaner on my bench so I sprayed 2 or 3 of them and rubbed them with a cotton rag, kind of like I was rubbing lube off a case. Presto! It came right off. I also use the same stuff to push any residue out of the barrel before I start to clean it.
A friend has a 1886 Winchester in 33Win and his barrel was leaded so bad you could not see lands and grooves in some parts of it. He soaked it in Ballistol and it loosened the lead to the point that a Montana Extreme nylon brush got it out. Either method will not hurt the gun.