vinegar and hydrogen peroxide

The comp on my 9mm PCC barrel was badly leaded after only 45 rounds of my PC'd boolits and scraping and brushing did little to remove the accumulations. It was on another forum that I read about a 50:50 mix of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide so I hung my gun barrel down from my workbench pegboard with only the comp submerged in the solution. It sat immersed for a total of 8 hours and was completely clean after some wiping with a paper towel. I also read that if you spray your comp with any lanolin-based case lubricant, lead will not adhere. That I have not tried but plan to do so soon.

My only question is if the barrel bore is not showing any leading, why is it being deposited in the comp? Lead is not being 'shaved' off the boolit as it passes through the comp. The lead appears to be an accumulation of very tiny particles that are being 'sprayed'. It is a VG6 Epsilon if anyone is curious.

Most likely when the bullet exits the barrel the muzzle pressure blasts some off the bullet, in general. It then gets deposited on the muzzle face and comp, brake or FH.

Be careful with the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide, I believe in the Fouling Shot some tests were done and it can eat the interior of the barrel if left too long or under certain conditions. Pitting starts from it, more on steel, less on stainless. But it did the deed with them all.

I would also be careful on blued parts as it may remove bluing. Some use this mix as a "pickling" solution to remove rust. I use it as final clean prior to cold bluing. It does lightly etch the metal.

Be careful. I used that method on a Kahr barrel and got the stuff out but pitted it

Most comps have a hole just a bit larger then bullet diameter. Hot gas gets by the bullet. Called "blow-by", lead is deposited. Its not sealed like the barrel.

I’ve used and posted about this method several times. Did an amazing job on an old lead pot and one and only time I had any leading in a barrel. you do need to be careful as I believe it will ruin the finish especially if you left it in solution for eight hours! I’ve never left anything for longer than like 20 or 30 minutes. As a matter of fact once for ha Ha’s I submerged one of my cast 9 mm bullets in the solution and I did leave that overnight. The next day there was not much left in it no way resembled a boolet! I have been told that the used solution is very toxic so dispose of accordingly!

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Originally Posted by poppy42

I’ve used and posted about this method several times. Did an amazing job on an old lead pot and one and only time I had any leading in a barrel. you do need to be careful as I believe it will ruin the finish especially if you left it in solution for eight hours! I’ve never left anything for longer than like 20 or 30 minutes. As a matter of fact once for ha Ha’s I submerged one of my cast 9 mm bullets in the solution and I did leave that overnight. The next day there was not much left in it no way resembled a boolet! I have been told that the used solution is very toxic so dispose of accordingly!

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Now that you mention it, I remember reading your post about cleaning your lead pot with vinegar and peroxide...didn't think about it for cleaning my comp. It has a melonite finish and it doesn't appear to have been harmed. Only the comp was submerged in the solution but I suppose some of it could have worked it's way up into the barrel. I'm hoping the lanolin will prevent any further accumulation and I won't have to soak the comp again.

I recovered several of what remained of the fired boolits after striking a steel plate. Only a flattened base remained and there was very little PC remaining. On the other hand, my .45 boolits have a good layer of PC after hitting a steel plate. The 9mm boolits were my first attempt at PCing and rather than remelt them, I used them for this experiment.

I know we all love cast and coated bullets, but jacketed bullets work better with comps. The 9mm, 10’s, 40’s, 357’s and any other high pressure round will lead your comp for all the reasons mentioned above.

Just to repeat some important stuff, “the dip” is 50/50 vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Lead that is exposed to the dip will dissolve and you’ll have lead acetate. You’ll also dissolve other elements like antimony and some of the products of combustion. Anyway, while lead is relatively safe to handle as long as you don’t routinely lick it, lead acetate soaks through your skin pretty easily. Remember playing with mercury and the teacher said that it’d soak into your skin, well it will but slowly, lead acetate is much faster. It’s also heck on the environment, so don’t dump it in the sewer or down the drain. Obviously, wear gloves and goggles when playing with it.

Folks have suggested that adding table salt will cause the lead to fall out of solution, and it does, but not perfectly and the other heavy metals may not. So, I keep an old pot around, dump my used dip in it, and heat it on the grill burner outside. The water evaporates and the metals are all deposited on the pan. Every year or two I throw it away and pick up another from goodwill.

Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide 50:50 is also useful for cleaning lead smears off sprue plates and the tops of bullet moulds - usually caused by cutting a sprue too soon. I keep a little bottle of the mix and a cotton bud (Q-Tip on that side of the Pacific) on the casting table. At the first sign of trouble I put a drop of it on to the smear, allow to sit for a minute or so and the wipe off with steel wool. It works better if done immediately while the mould is hot. This is not my idea but one I saw somewhere.

Also I'm less likely to need the lead remover if I have remembered before casting to wipe a smidgen of synthetic two-stroke lube on the top of the mould and both sides of the sprue plate.

As an aside, white vinegar is also the neutraliser of choice for the corrosion that occurs when alkaline batteries are allowed to go flat and remain in an appliance.

I'd be cautious of using that. I use it for an etching solution on steel.

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Originally Posted by Wilderness

Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide 50:50 is also useful for cleaning lead smears off sprue plates and the tops of bullet moulds - usually caused by cutting a sprue too soon. I keep a little bottle of the mix and a cotton bud (Q-Tip on that side of the Pacific) on the casting table. At the first sign of trouble I put a drop of it on to the smear, allow to sit for a minute or so and the wipe off with steel wool. It works better if done immediately while the mould is hot. This is not my idea but one I saw somewhere.

Also I'm less likely to need the lead remover if I have remembered before casting to wipe a smidgen of synthetic two-stroke lube on the top of the mould and both sides of the sprue plate.

As an aside, white vinegar is also the neutraliser of choice for the corrosion that occurs when alkaline batteries are allowed to go flat and remain in an appliance.

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Great ideas, thanks. Never heard about using vinegar for cleaning battery corrosion.

Need this Attachment 288185 use either Patch-Out or Wipe-Out in between the applications of No-Lead.

Would this mix work for cleaning cases that have been fired with black powder?

Cases shouldn't have lead in them or on them that would need to be removed. Black powder isn't lead. Might work, but probably not best choice.

Hydrogen Peroxide and Vinegar make Peracetic Acid. Lead and Peracetic Acid combine to create Lead Acetate

I wasn't worried about removing lead from the cases just black powder fouling.

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Originally Posted by 1Hawkeye

I wasn't worried about removing lead from the cases just black powder fouling.

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Vinegar can cause copper precipitation in brass cases, forming a weak spot.

Frog lube is recommended for suppressors, so should work on comps.

For the OP, Lanolin dissolved in rubbing alcohol works well to reduce comp fouling. Many open gun shooters spritz the comp with Dillon Case Lube between stages. I use a home brew version. It’s not 100% cure but it reduces fouling a lot.

Most open shooters also shoot JHP bullets because the base is enclosed. No leading in the comp. JHP are generally more accurate as well.