Cleaning powder coat out of barrel.

[barrabruce]

My neighbour bought a begara 44 magnum ss rifle.
Took it to the range and promptly fired 30 rnds of factory jacketed ammo.
Seemed to group nicely 1" at 50 yards.

He then broke out some rounds with powder coated bevel based factory hard lead 0.419" diameter cast projectiles.
I asked him if he had cleaned out the barrel and he said yes.

6-8" groups at 50yrds.with the lead bullets then a few more factory then more lead.

"I don’t know why it’s shooting so bad when it started off so good",he quoted too me.

I thought he knew what he was doing.

It is a new rifle and I think he has coppered it up some, instead of breaking it in.

I have cleaned out what I can so far and I think I’m back down to the copper in the bore.
The grooves look dark and shiny hopefully clean but you can see cutter marks or chatter in the top of the lands.
Think it is mostly copper.

So my long winded question is how do I get powder coating out of the bore and I hope I can de solve most of the copper and get it cleaned out.

Thanks in advance.
I will lube his bullets and make up a load for him.
Hopefully get him started into cast bullets.
And teach him how to load for it.

[charlie b]

PC comes out with just about any solvent. If you want to be sure then use some MEK or Acetone. For most rifles I use Ed's Red (equal parts Kerosene, Mineral Spirits, Dextron III ATF, Acetone). My stainless barrel I use CLR (yes, the kitchen cleaner.) It will remove bluing.

Once the powder fouling is gone you may have copper left. If you look in the muzzle you can see the copper. It can be removed with many products. Those with ammonia (Hoppe's and Sweet's) will turn blue as long as there is copper (use a nylon jag, not brass). I use non-ammonia cleaners as they are faster. KG12 or ProShot Copper Solvent.

PS, I hope you meant to write .429 bullets and not .419.

PPS how fast is he shooting the coated bullets? May want to try gas checked bullets.

[mehavey]

MEK or Acetone (PC).... KG12(copper)

[barrabruce]

Thanks fellas
Yes 0.429" bullets.
All good then ,I’ll keep at it.
I don’t think the loads he used were very fast.

They have a black dull type spray paint on them.Or it seems and it will scrape off easily in the neck of a case. My judgement is they are something that will go bang and come out the end of a barrel.

I will dip lube them and see if they go better.

Once I have cleaned the barrel.
Probably nothing wrong with the coated bullets thou I have my doubts.

I’m still one of the "unwashed , non converted ones."
Ha
Thanks for the help
Bruce

[Outer Rondacker]

I dont know abou this gun but mine likes them sized to .430-.431.

[Retumbo]

Yes acetone should work quite nicely.

[la5676]

Thanks fellas


They have a black dull type spray paint on them.Or it seems and it will scrape off easily in the neck of a case.
Bruce

Sum ting wong if the coating is scraping off in the case neck. He didn’t cook them long enough, or used Krylon instead.

[Three44s]

I dont know abou this gun but mine likes them sized to .430-.431.

I would be afraid of a .419” slug bouncing around in a 44! It might just swap ends and return to sender!

Three44s

[Three44s]

Sum ting wong if the coating is scraping off in the case neck. He didn’t cook them long enough, or used Krylon instead.

This also!

Three44s

[GregLaROCHE]

If that’s a brand new bore, I would consider lapping it a bit to remove any tooling marks and to be sure it’s in top shape. Also, be sure the boolits were baked long enough and hot enough.

[BK7saum]

The groove diameter should be around 0.431". SAAMI dimensions for pistols is 0 429" and 0.431" for rifles. Id be afraid that those cast and costed bullets are going to lead pretty badly, being undersized.

[kungfustyle]

Slug the barrel, my Rossi is at .432 and a was a pita till I got the correct sizing die and mold for it. https://www.buffaloarms.com/ has specialized sizing die or you can get a .430 from lee and hone it out. NOE is another option.

[barrabruce]

Thanks gentle peoples

I did a chamber cast and it appears to have a 0.428-0.4285 groove diameter with just a forcing cone from front of case mouth.
The hard cast bullets are 0.4285-0.429" diameter. I lubed them and they are seated 20 thou too long.
That is they get pushed back 20 thou when loaded in just a firm fit in the cases.

I think they might shoot.
I shall see how they fly.


I would be looking for a a few thou bigger thou.


These are Hawkesbury commercial hard cast. They might just be fine for revolvers.

Maybe the Lee 310 gns bullet cast softer could be a better option.

[bangerjim]

After coating thousands and thousands for rounds since 2013, I guarantee you CANNOT just scrape the PC off of a properly cleaned, coated, and baked lead boolit!

Sounds like he used some rattle-can carp and called it PC.


The staff WROKS. PERIOD. No smoke, no leading, no barrel cleaning, no sticky boolits.

bangerjim

[fastdadio]

After coating thousands and thousands for rounds since 2013, I guarantee you CANNOT just scrape the PC off of a properly cleaned, coated, and baked lead boolit!

Sounds like he used some rattle-can carp and called it PC.


The staff WROKS. PERIOD. No smoke, no leading, no barrel cleaning, no sticky boolits.

bangerjim

^^^ This ^^^ I wonder if they have some kind of moly coating on them?

[barrabruce]

^^^ This ^^^ I wonder if they have some kind of moly coating on them?

I dunno they are black.
Looked at the website and found out nothing.

Took 4 different loads and tried them at 50 yards.
8 groups of 5.
5.0-5.2-5.4 bullseye finger lubed with 1bw/4 ATF and a filler of Dacron.
That’s all the appropriate powder I have left at the moment for pb cast bullets.
Most groups could mostly hit the end of a beverage can size at 50 yards.
There were some off the rail flyers 3 or 4 " off .
The best combination seemed to be 5.2 of bulleye and a touch of Dacron.
I tried 5 gns with and without it and there was a marked improvement with.

4 in an inch and 6 in a 1/3/4"
Not winning any events but adequate for pigs at 50yrds maybe.
Yes there was some leading smears and specks to be wiped out but it cleaned up rather well.
I think they are border line too small.
Wonder if I seated to the crimp groove if they would work better?
I think the cases need annealing as there is blow by around the mouths and a layer of burnt powder/ lube at the standing breach.

Heaps better than 6"-8" groups at 50yrds anyway.

Something to shoot it with but not appealing at least
Thanks
I’ll tell him he needs some decent stuff to waste his money on.
Bruce

[Stephen Cohen]

Thanks gentle peoples

I did a chamber cast and it appears to have a 0.428-0.4285 groove diameter with just a forcing cone from front of case mouth.
The hard cast bullets are 0.4285-0.429" diameter. I lubed them and they are seated 20 thou too long.
That is they get pushed back 20 thou when loaded in just a firm fit in the cases.

I think they might shoot.
I shall see how they fly.


I would be looking for a a few thou bigger thou.


These are Hawkesbury commercial hard cast. They might just be fine for revolvers.

Maybe the Lee 310 gns bullet cast softer could be a better option.

I had the problem you describe when I used that brand of cast, they were undersized in all calibers I loaded them in and the coating was some horrid stuff. I am now thankful for the bad results I had as it made me start coating my own with Hi-Tek myself and life is bloody good. I just gave a mate some 44s I cast and coated and he is a happy chappy as well. I hope the floods are being kind to you up that way bruce. Regards Stephen

[barrabruce]

Thanks Stephen
Don’t rain in the wet tropics no more.
We are in the 35.9 deg c feels like 42 deg c zone at present.
Storms all inland.
Hope you are safe down sth.
Can we have our rain back now if you are all good and well finished with it?
Feels like we have moved to the red centre.

I doubt I will get him to cast his own.
Working on teaching him how to load his own and clean a gun properly might be one of my greatest achievements.
But you never know.
He may pick it up.

Think l’ll leave it there.
Before you all have me baking bullets in the shmbo’s oven.
Hell I can’t use the talcum powder in the bath room without covering anything.
Imagine the mess I’d make.
Ha

[charlie b]

FWIW, the carbon around the cases is probably due to the light loads rather than annealing.

[Stephen Cohen]

Thanks Stephen
Don’t rain in the wet tropics no more.
We are in the 35.9 deg c feels like 42 deg c zone at present.
Storms all inland.
Hope you are safe down sth.
Can we have our rain back now if you are all good and well finished with it?
Feels like we have moved to the red centre.

I doubt I will get him to cast his own.
Working on teaching him how to load his own and clean a gun properly might be one of my greatest achievements.
But you never know.
He may pick it up.

Think l’ll leave it there.
Before you all have me baking bullets in the shmbo’s oven.
Hell I can’t use the talcum powder in the bath room without covering anything.
Imagine the mess I’d make.
Ha

Your welcome to the bloody rain mate we have had enough. I feel your pain with the talcum powder in bathroom as my wife gives me hell over the mess. Cheers Mate Stephen.