Removing Lead from Revolver Breech

[fourarmed]

Title says it all. How do you remove the lead that builds up on a revolver frame around the breech end of the barrel?

[44man]

Title says it all. How do you remove the lead that builds up on a revolver frame around the breech end of the barrel?
I bet it is a .38 used with soft wad cutters!
Try soaking with Kroil and rub with 0000 steel wool if the gun is blue. If stainless, Scotch Brite works.
The next thing to do is to stop the exterior leading. You are ruining the boolits before they get in the barrel. Your boolit is turning to a soft lump of putty and lead is squirting out of the gap. Too soft for the pressure of fast powder.

[August]

I use bore tech solvent and a bronze brush.

[725]

Blunt tool to scrap it if it's alot. Other than that, I use lead away cloth, tooth brush and Ed's Red, Lewis lead remover, & / or Char boy.

[Maven]

"If stainless, Scotch Brite works."

Re Scotch Brite: Please be aware that there are different grades (coarseness) of Scotch Brite and the green kitchen variety will scratch your guns. Look for the white (#0000 steel wool equivalent; also good for wood finishing) or the gray (#000 equivalent) in the paint aisle of your favorite hardware store.

[AJ Peacock]

+1 Lead Away cloth.

AJ

[44man]

"If stainless, Scotch Brite works."

Re Scotch Brite: Please be aware that there are different grades (coarseness) of Scotch Brite and the green kitchen variety will scratch your guns. Look for the white (#0000 steel wool equivalent; also good for wood finishing) or the gray (#000 equivalent) in the paint aisle of your favorite hardware store.
True, you want the scraping action of the nylon.
I use red or gray for removing scratches that will match Ruger or BFR original finish. Just rub the same direction as the finish.
The green will remove blue real fast for refinishing a rifle.

[44man]

+1 Lead Away cloth.

AJ
Lead away is abrasive and will eventually remove blue.

[runfiverun]

i'd kroil it since you got some for your molds anyways.
and ditto the soft wc's,and fast powder. ww's should suffice.
i don't have a lot of experience in removing lead though,but it should work.

[wallenba]

Is it in that tight area above the forcing cone and top strap? If so try slipping a fine piece of stainless steel wire ( like aviation safety wire ) over it and connecting to a 9 volt battery. It will get hot enough to loosen or melt the lead. Be careful!

[fourarmed]

Actually, the worst offenders are the .22LRs. Probably because they fire a lot more rounds than some of the others. The stuff is really tenacious. I have used a knife blade, but I always manage to scratch something, and it only knocks off the top of the buildup.

Dutch, have you actually used that technique? Seems to me that by the time you got the lead hot enough to slice it off, the battery would go off like a firecracker, or melt down itself.

[mtgrs737]

Chore-boy copper pad works with Kroil, just don't press too hard let the pad do the work.

[44man]

The problem still exists, there should be no lead on the outside of a revolver. Why clean it and repeat over and over?

[AJ Peacock]

The problem still exists, there should be no lead on the outside of a revolver. Why clean it and repeat over and over?

I've shot tons of revolvers and every one will show a little leading above the gap on the top strap. This is due to vaporized lead that leaks through the gap between the cylinder and the barrel. I don't know of any way to eliminate this from happening (beyond shooting J-word bullets!). I personally don't see it as a problem, just a fact of life. Using the aforementioned methods to clean that area will work for you. I use the lead away cloth and don't really worry about removing the bluing from that area, as after shooting many thousands of rounds, the blueing will be removed from that area anyway.

AJ

[Dframe]

+1 Lead Away cloth.

AJ
Be very cautious if the gun is blued. Lead away will remove the lead and the bluing right along with it.
I USE the lead away cloths but never on a blued gun. Lewis lead remover will take care of the bore, the rest is brushing and cleaning with blue safe products.
Read the above posts regarding bullet softness. It's easiest if you dont lead up your gun in the first place.

[44man]

I've shot tons of revolvers and every one will show a little leading above the gap on the top strap. This is due to vaporized lead that leaks through the gap between the cylinder and the barrel. I don't know of any way to eliminate this from happening (beyond shooting J-word bullets!). I personally don't see it as a problem, just a fact of life. Using the aforementioned methods to clean that area will work for you. I use the lead away cloth and don't really worry about removing the bluing from that area, as after shooting many thousands of rounds, the blueing will be removed from that area anyway.

AJ
That would be a first for me, something I have never found on a single one of my revolvers. A little powder carbon but NEVER lead.
Lead from the gap means something is wrong and needs fixed.
Why would you tolerate removing lead from a boolit in any way, shape or form?

[imashooter2]

A scrap brass bottle necked cartridge case with the neck squashed flat in a vise makes a great scrapper. After it goes dull, toss it back in the bucket and get another.

[AJ Peacock]

That would be a first for me, something I have never found on a single one of my revolvers. A little powder carbon but NEVER lead.
Lead from the gap means something is wrong and needs fixed.
Why would you tolerate removing lead from a boolit in any way, shape or form?

Mostly carbon yes, but also vaporized lead from the heat of the powder. I've shot a couple hundred thousand rounds from revolvers and typically cleaned them after 500-1000 rounds or so. I always found lead with the carbon. Maybe it's just me.

Or maybe others clean more often?

Looking at page 15 of the Ruger GP 100 manual says that :
"When fired, all revolvers discharge hot gas and particles of lead, powder grains, or lubricant through the clearance gap between the cylinder and the rear of the barrel at high speed. ..."

http://www.scribd.com/doc/8388314/Ruger-GP100-Revolver-Instruction-Manual?classic_ui=1


AJ

[44man]

Lead will not melt from powder heat, or vaporize. Lead from the gap is from pressure on soft lead that is deforming at the gap.
Think hitting a soft boolit with a hammer instead of a torch.
Gas leakage past a boolit will cut the sides and that lead can escape but that is from a poor fit to the gun. It is more of a mechanical action like a pressure washer can remove paint or cut concrete. Your bore will also lead badly.
The two problems still come down to soft lead or too small a boolit. Combine those with a very fast powder and you have a situation that is curable.

[AJ Peacock]

Lead will not melt from powder heat, or vaporize. Lead from the gap is from pressure on soft lead that is deforming at the gap.
Think hitting a soft boolit with a hammer instead of a torch.
Gas leakage past a boolit will cut the sides and that lead can escape but that is from a poor fit to the gun. It is more of a mechanical action like a pressure washer can remove paint or cut concrete. Your bore will also lead badly.
The two problems still come down to soft lead or too small a boolit. Combine those with a very fast powder and you have a situation that is curable.

OK, I've seen it a lot. You said you hadn't. According to Ruger, all revolvers will have particulate lead out the gap???

So does gunpowder burn cooler than the melting point of lead then?

Thanks,
AJ

[Edubya]

OK, I've seen it a lot. You said you hadn't. According to Ruger, all revolvers will have particulate lead out the gap???

So does gunpowder burn cooler than the melting point of lead then?

Thanks,
AJ
Have you ever cast boolits? Lead is very slow to heat up to melting temps, that powder is burnt in less than a thousandth of a second. Have you ever shot a shotgun or a snake shot, it has a plastic cup holding the shot. Some guns have paper behind the lead.

[AJ Peacock]

Have you ever cast boolits? Lead is very slow to heat up to melting temps, that powder is burnt in less than a thousandth of a second. Have you ever shot a shotgun or a snake shot, it has a plastic cup holding the shot. Some guns have paper behind the lead.

Nope, I'm new to casting. I've shot around 1/4 million lead bullets though and cleaned lead from the top strap on a bunch of different revolvers. I'm new to the site and don't want to get into any p***ing match. Maybe all 9 of my current revolvers are broken, or all the different types of lead bullets I've bought/shot are wrong for the loads I've used? Maybe Ruger is just covering their butt's and particulate lead isn't really discharged from the gap on revolvers?

I would have thought that the pressure and heat would instantly melt a very thin layer of the back of a lead alloy bullet, considering the intense heat that gunpowder burns at and the relatively low melting point of lead.

I've shot a bunch of shotgun, wore out a couple MEC reloaders and have a 9000g that is on it's last legs now. Been reloading for better than 3 decades.

AJ

[44man]

Nope, I'm new to casting. I've shot around 1/4 million lead bullets though and cleaned lead from the top strap on a bunch of different revolvers. I'm new to the site and don't want to get into any p***ing match. Maybe all 9 of my current revolvers are broken, or all the different types of lead bullets I've bought/shot are wrong for the loads I've used? Maybe Ruger is just covering their butt's and particulate lead isn't really discharged from the gap on revolvers?

I would have thought that the pressure and heat would instantly melt a very thin layer of the back of a lead alloy bullet, considering the intense heat that gunpowder burns at and the relatively low melting point of lead.

I've shot a bunch of shotgun, wore out a couple MEC reloaders and have a 9000g that is on it's last legs now. Been reloading for better than 3 decades.

AJ
The heat is of such a short duration before the boolit is gone that yes, it is true a paper wad under the boolit will not even burn. Even Dacron filler over powder does not burn. I pick up strands of it on my range and it is just dirty.
You can pass you hand past a propane torch flame real fast and not feel it, same thing.
Ruger is correct that PARTICULATE lead can be ejected at the gap. This is not melted lead! This is because all previous work done with revolvers used old and sometimes wrong ideas.
This is the best site there is and we are glad to have you here, so welcome. [smilie=s:
I think if you research this site and read all you can, you will see many of us have redone revolver thinking in a big way.
But do not be afraid to ask questions of any kind.
Now that you are casting and partake of information here, you will find the boolits you bought are about 50 steps behind what you will be able to do.
Your best bet here is to do one gun at a time that is causing a problem, give every specific, slug the bore for groove to groove and slug the throats. Tell us the loads and what is happening. Type of boolits and diameters.
I don't have the best camera in the world but I took a picture of my .44 Ruger. It has been fired about 400 times since the last cleaning and the only thing on the frame and cylinder is carbon, not a trace of lead. The carbon washes off with Hoppes. There is also no lead in the bore either.

[Three44s]

I'd also check for lead shaving during bullet seating ...... if so, a different case mouth chamfering tool or belling with an "M" die from Lyman or just a bit more belling?

And to reduce resticking fouling of any sort ...... I finnish up with the likes of CorrosionX. Guns threated thusly stay MUCH cleaner .... much longer.

Three 44s

[AJ Peacock]

Thanks for the info. Maybe it is particulate lead that I clean off my revolvers along with a bunch of carbon?

Anyway, thanks for the welcome to the site. I understand the duration is short, but I still can't help but think that heat effects the base of the bullet a little (maybe I'm wrong). I know the heat effects the throat of rifles with steel that is much harder than lead, although the throat gets the full force of the burn, where the bullet is only near the burn for a very short time.

Thanks again,
AJ


The heat is of such a short duration before the boolit is gone that yes, it is true a paper wad under the boolit will not even burn. Even Dacron filler over powder does not burn. I pick up strands of it on my range and it is just dirty.
You can pass you hand past a propane torch flame real fast and not feel it, same thing.
Ruger is correct that PARTICULATE lead can be ejected at the gap. This is not melted lead! This is because all previous work done with revolvers used old and sometimes wrong ideas.
This is the best site there is and we are glad to have you here, so welcome. [smilie=s:
I think if you research this site and read all you can, you will see many of us have redone revolver thinking in a big way.
But do not be afraid to ask questions of any kind.
Now that you are casting and partake of information here, you will find the boolits you bought are about 50 steps behind what you will be able to do.
Your best bet here is to do one gun at a time that is causing a problem, give every specific, slug the bore for groove to groove and slug the throats. Tell us the loads and what is happening. Type of boolits and diameters.
I don't have the best camera in the world but I took a picture of my .44 Ruger. It has been fired about 400 times since the last cleaning and the only thing on the frame and cylinder is carbon, not a trace of lead. The carbon washes off with Hoppes. There is also no lead in the bore either.

[Tater]

Years ago I had a stainless Ruger Super Blackhawk in 44 Magnum. It was out of time to the point that it would shave lead when fired. I could feel it hitting my hand when I shot it. It also raised pressure to the point that the cases were tight to extract. I didn't like the square trigger guard anyway so I traded it off. In hindsight, I should have sent the gun back to Ruger to have it fixed. It was sort of scary to have it so out of time and was surprised it could have left the factory that way. So I can see how lead could find it's way there, but it's not a good thing. That was the only revolver I've had that was like that. My new Ruger 44 Special is perfect and hope the newer Blackhawks are as good. I have been thinking about getting a 41 Magnum Blackhawk, cause I really enjoy the 44 Special on the same frame and miss not having a 41 magnum. It's a tidy package.

[JSH]

Title says it all. How do you remove the lead that builds up on a revolver frame around the breech end of the barrel?

Bob, to bypass all of the above and get back to original point. In my findings of the issues you mention. It takes about half as long to get the crud off as it did to get there in the first place, CF or RF.
Cylinder off or out of course. I went after carbon and lube first. Lead remover seems to work best when all the oils and carbon are gone. I used some Ed's Red, brake cleaner then carb cleaner. Next I went to shooter choice lead remover. A Q tip as a dauber and kept flooding it, not much success, but did seem to remove a little. Finally got mad and mad a pan to sit the revolter in upside down and flooded with Kroil. Let it set, then when you remember it in a couple of days or weeks. Pull it out and have a look. I took one of those hard plastic scrapers to it and it popped off all in one piece.
A good winter project.
OH, make sure you put some kind of towel or rag under the dang barrel if you notch the pan and the barrel hangs to the out side. The stuff will crawl out like bluing salts and make a mess.
jeff

[44man]

I have had to clean a lot of guns for other fellas, I was a part time gunsmith most of my life. I still have a lot of lead remover products and none of them work.
Kroil seems to be the only thing that will work under the lead.
.38's with soft wad cutters were always the very worst as far as leading all over the gun, inside and out.
Many are of the opinion that a soft boolit can be shot as long as it has a gas check but that is not true either. You can get as much leading from them as from a PB. Even recovered boolits will show the outside of the checks covered with lead as they rode over bore leading. They can remove light, unstuck leading but they can also pack bad leading tighter to the bore.

[wallenba]

Actually, the worst offenders are the .22LRs. Probably because they fire a lot more rounds than some of the others. The stuff is really tenacious. I have used a knife blade, but I always manage to scratch something, and it only knocks off the top of the buildup.

Dutch, have you actually used that technique? Seems to me that by the time you got the lead hot enough to slice it off, the battery would go off like a firecracker, or melt down itself.
Not on a gun, we used it to loosen a solder joint under the dash of an old car that we could'nt get the soldering gun on. Was not aware that battery could explode! Guess we were lucky!

[fourarmed]

Jeff, that makes a lot of sense. Kroil seems to be able to get under about anything, given some time to work. I think the main reason the .22LR is so bad that way is that heeled bullet. When the reduced diameter shank goes through the gap, it must get a heck of a blast from the powder gas and particles, and there is a lot of area for it to blast.

Dutch, I doubt that a 9v. would actually explode, but I think that lead mixed with nonconducting crud, plastered against a big heatsink like the frame of a revolver would need a lot more heat to melt than a solder joint. I don't think a 9v. could do the job. A friend of mine has a wire rigged to 120vac that he uses to cut plastics. That might do it.

[JSH]

Bob, I find the smell, uh odor, nope, aroma, of Kroil to rank right there with Hoppes #9. #9 has a manly aroma to it if there ever was such a thing. Kroil has that evening on the town aroma, prowling like an old tom cat,lol. Look out ladies.

Kroil?, your soaking in it Madge..................
jeff

[jjohnson]

Hey, no point in suffering. And there is no point fooling around with chemicals you don't need.

Check out Brownell's. They sell a rig called the Lewis Lead Remover. It's kinda like a standard cleaning rod (only built to LAST). The "jag," or business end, uses a piece of brass (or bronze, I forget) screen instead of a patch. Slip the rod through the bore, screw the jag with screen, and pull (with muscle) the thing through. It TEARS the lead right out. Really. You'd be surprised how much lead you will see come out on the first pass. You know - the lead that you've been polishing all this time. A few passes later, you're done.

The kit comes with a "cone" end also, so you can use it on your forcing cone. The kit is cheap - worth about one box of factory ammo. You can get it in all your common pistol calibers - 32, 9mm/38, .10mm/40, .44, .45 and you can get a longer
rod for carbines.

If you've been toiling on this, you will swear at yourself for not getting one earlier.

[Snobal]

At my favorite gunsmith's recommendation, I got my .38 Lewis Lead Remover in the '60's to clean the forcing cone area of a Model 14 S&W and it works great! Since then I got this handy tool in .41 and .44 too.

Now, most of my shooting is done with cast wheel weight lead (and about 2% tin) and since the bullets are sized to fit my cylinders/bores fairly well, the only leading I see after a day on the range is in the forcing cone area.

I mostly use the Lewis Lead Remover fitting that is especially made to clean the forcing cone of a revolver.

While I seldom use the fitting that can be pulled through the cylinder and/or barrel, the few times I've used it, it worked very well.

JB Bore compound on a tight-fitting patch will show if you have "polished lead" in the bore, and clean it quickly if needed.

JMHO YRMV

[JMax]

I use a 1/4" brass rob beveled to scrape the crud out and yes there is lead there in all revolvers that shoot cast bullets. When one shoots 400-800 rounds a week I suggest getting a file handle for the brass rod scraper.

[Wally]

Jmax

I happen to agree with you--as you are a volume shooter have you ever seen any revolver that doesn't get some lead in its bore when shooting lead bullete---seems many feel that with proper bullet sizing, cylinder throat dimensions, as well a s proper barrel goove size, that this would not be the case. I sure did until I used an Outers Foul Out machine to see if a "clean" barrel was really totally lead free..none ever were.

[O.S.O.K.]

I didn't read every reply, so sorry if this is a repeat, but I have a very easy time of removing lead by cutting some peices of "chore boy" copper scrub pads and putting them into a slotted jag and running that through the bore. Works great.

Kroil helps the process along as well.

Cheap and easy to find at the grocery store. Be sure you get the copper ones and not the stainless steel version...

[44man]

Hey fellas, when did "S****E" become a dirty word? I see it is starred out on every post. :bigsmyl2:

[Frank]

That's true. I can see that. :grin:

[JSH]

Some of you need to read the initial question.
44man posted a good picture. The leading AIN"T in the bore or cylinder. And, this was about a 22rf. Never seen a Lewis remover that small. And I would be a bit skeptical about using one in an excellent .22 any way.