I don't buy it ! someone convince me...Lead fouling removed by GC

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've read several times, in several different sections of this website, that Gas checks "scrape" the bore of Lead fouling. Also, shooting J-word bullets will clean lead fouling from the bore.

As done in South Park, I call "shenanigans" !!!

I have never experienced such a phenomenon.
Jon

[ph4570]

My experinces have indicated that shooting a few (3-5) GC boolits in my 1885s (45-70 and 38-55) cleans out what little lead has been left after firing 100 or so non GC boolits. You experiences may certainly vary due to different circumstances.

[Piedmont]

You don't even need a gas check. A good non-leading plainbase load will clean leading out of a barrel.

I think maybe having lots of lube helps in the latter case but don't know that for sure. Maybe the lube somehow works under the fouling so it goes out the barrel on subsequent shots.

I've even got a better one for you Jon B. A good cast GC load will clean copper fouling out of a barrel. This might just work with antimonial alloys but I am not sure. I read about it on the old Shooters board and wouldn't have believed it but the source was good so I tested it with a .30-30 that copper fouled badly. Those wheel weights cleaned it right up (and they weren't just covering up the fouling--I went in with solvents after shooting).

[buck1]

I dont know how to convince you , but I have convinced myself by trying it.

[kelbro]

I have read that a lot of times the idea that a J-bullet cleaned the lead out was simply that the copper layered over the lead and just hid the lead fouling.

[EDK]

I am loading for and shooting over a dozen 44 magnum VAQUEROS PLUS SUPERS and BISLEYS AND several MARLIN Cowboy Rifles. Needless to say, throat and bore diameters are all over the spectrum. The loads vary from 200 grain wadcutters to RANCH DOG TLC 432 265 to 429640 and everything in between; powder charges of HP38 and TITEGROUP in 5-to-7 grain range and lately RED DOT in 6-to-7 grains in 44 magnum brass. My generic loads are sized to .431 and .432 with BAC and 50/50 lubes...the RD is tumbled lubed with thinned LLA.

Most of the guns have a little lead in the grooves in the area where the barrel has probably been choked down. Several strokes with chore boy on a worn brush usually removes it, but shooting it out is a lot easier. Almost any gas checked boolit with my mid range loads will remove the lead, but the LLA lubed TLC 432 seems to do best. It works for me.

:Fire::cbpour::redneck::redneck:

[RobS]

The copper bullet will actually iron the lead thinner and thinner down the barrel until it either is pulled away (if there isn't much to begin with) or irons it out to the point it's even harder to take out of the barrel. I also believe it is possible that if there is a substantial amount of leading in a barrel that shooting a jacketed bullet to follow can increase stress on the bore.........home much I don't know but I'm not going to screw up a gun because I don't put a load together right for it not to lead or because I'm lazy and don't feel like cleaning the barrel by proper means. It' really isn't too hard with copper chore boy and a cleaning solvent anyway.

[pistolman44]

In my 357 DW revolver I get some leading in the forcing cone where the rifleing starts. I use GC's sized to 358. This is a build up after 50 rounds fired. So what I'm saying that shooting with GC I still get some leading. Boolits are WW water quenched. Velocity 1100fps.

[chboats]

I shoot two different PB boolits in my 44 that leave a small amout of lead in the barrel. I can easlily remove it with a Lewis Lead Remover. When using the Lewis Lead Remover it is easy to see just how much lead was in the barrel. Or, if I fire a few rounds of non leading GC boolits through it all the lead is gone. If after firing the GC boolits I run the lead remover through the barrel there is no evidence of lead.
It works for me

Carl

[canyon-ghost]

My experience has been the same, good lead bullets in mid-range loads clean it up. Copper or j-bullets don't do anything but make a mess. I've been told that it's supposed to work but, after using 2 different solvents several times, I gave up on that. Jacketed just makes a mess out of lead and lube, it's pointless.

[DukeInFlorida]

I used to work for a custom fastener manufacturer. They made threads on screws using a thread ROLLING operation. The starting shank diameter was about 1/2 way between what the thread OD and thread ID would end up at. The rolling dies (flat plates that pressed the threads into the the shanks, using a rolling operation) needed to get set right, or else the shank would get over pressured, and would cause the screw to get internally weak.

Now, in much the same way, the cast bullet diameter (as sized) needs to get set so that the lands in your barrel will displace lead/copper/whatever metal into the grooves, sealing the barrel from hot gases passing by. If you don't size your bullets correctly, you WILL get leading.

Also, the friction of the lead against the barrel, being formed by the lands, at a lineal speed of 900+ feet per second, will cause the surface of the lead to shred (as most metals to in friction situations. It's why you have oil in your car engines), and also to melt lightly. So, a proper WAX lube will cut down on this friction in the first place, and will also help to prevent soldering of the lead (won't stick to the wax lube).

If also sized correctly, a copper or aluminum gas check's LEADING sharp edge will scrape the surface melting lead (the friction surface of the boolit against the lands and grooves), and also the non-sticking lead fragments against the wax lube left behind from the PREVIOUS lubed bullet.

That's my take on it anyways. I see almost no residual lead flakes on properly sized gas checked bullets. I see more flakes on bullets that are not properly sized (including an installed gas check with also didn't get sized properly.)

Also, if the boolit metal isn't alloyed right, it could be too soft, and allow friction scruffing to occur, even if sized, gas checked, and lubed properly.

All of those factors marry together.

[ironhead7544]

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. Since I found out about the Chore Girl I just use that method.