severely fouled cylinder

[44man]

An oversize bronze bore brush on a variable speed drill and solvent will remove it. If not, put some copper Chore Boy around the brush. I would not use stainless in my gun. The Tornado brush is Ok in the chamber. It sounds like you are using very soft boolits.
You should use a close fitting jag on the ramrod. If you are using a slotted tip, you will never clean anything.

[omgb]

I had the same problem in my model 19. It was so bad that I couldn't chamber a .357. I took a very sharp knife and with the utmost care, scraped it all out. Worked like a charm. If one is careful, it will do no damage. keep a low angle on the blade and work slowly. Once you break through the surfave, Ed's Red will dissolve a lot of it.

[Hackleback]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=5640


The "heavy dip carb cleaner" in the above link sounds like the ticket. Thread title is "GI bore cleaner"

[omgb]

Yup, I started the thread. I hadn't thought of using "dip it" carb cleaner until it was mentioned there. That stuff really does eat skin and plastic. Burns like hell and stinks to all get out too.

[carelesslove]

I, too, have suffered with this problem, with a .45 LC / .45 ACP Ruger and - more recently a S&W M25-2.

Mine was caused by some really hard, commercially cast bullets (bevel based, to be exact) with that lousy, hard, waxy lube. The bullets were running a little small and the cylinder throats were a little large - you don't need much of a mismatch, here, if your bullets are real hard cast.

My theory is that the bullets were so hard that they did not obturate, upon firing, and fill up the throats. The expanding powder gases simply rushed by the heel of the bullet and fused (melted) the bullet. That hard lube basically doesn't do anything.

End result - effectively firing dry bullets. Accuracy goes away quickly and the lead is indeed slow to come out. I know it sounds bad, but a few cylinders of moderate pressure jacketed ammo will clean it without event - IF you don't let it build up too much.

As far as the physical act of cleaning it, the Lewis Lead Remover does a good job and really won't hurt anything. It just takes time and a handful of those brass woven patches.

In the long run, try to match your bullets to your cylinder's throat dimension, don't cast your bullets too hard, and use a good lube. Remember, the lube is not just for the bullet it is on - it's for the next one, too!!!

Good luck, carelesslove

[nvbirdman]

Are you sure it's fouling? The cylinder is not bored straight through. There is first a case sized section, and then a bullet sized section and the space between can look like fouling.

[RayinNH]

Dye mentioned a Lead Away cloth to clean the front of the cylinder, but you can also cut pieces and use them like a cleaning patch to clean the inside...Ray

[44man]

The first thing that comes to mind is that the throats are undersized causing the leading. Chore boy and a lot of elbow work is called for. Then slug the throats and if too small, get the cylinder reamed.
Then fit a boolit to the throats, make it harder and use a good lube like Felix or Lar's Carnauba Red.

[Blackwater]

I used to be issued 1,000 rds. every 6 months by the pistol team I shot with, and the down side was it was without doubt the nastiest, dirtiest, lead-platingest crud I've ever shot. Of course, I HAD to shoot it because it was free, even if it wasn't very accurate either. Consequently, I learned by trial and error how to clean it up, and the cylinder was harder to clean than the barrel. It was a S&W M-586, FWIW, and I finally settled on an initial cleaning with the Lewis Lead Remover, screwing the rubber expander as tightly as I could get by with and still get it down the bore and in the cylinders. Then after that, I'd use a Lead Away cloth, which I believe is the same as the "Miracle Cloth?" After that, I'd use a lead cleaning solvent, I think by Shooter's Choice, and then clean it with dry patches, and oil lightly. Worked for me, but it sure put a damper on the joy of getting 1,000 rds. of ammo for "free." The culprit, I think, was very soft lead, poor casting with the bullets, and I think they must've used cowchips for lube. NOT a good combo!

[Hackleback]

Brownells makes a dip it pistol cylinder cleaner. Pull the cylinder and let is soak overnight. I have heard very good things about it . It comes in a glass wide mouth jar and will seperate if it sits on the shelf very long. Atleast you know it is intended for guns and likely will not do something funky to the finish.

[bernie1]

I have had good luck with oven cleaner with stainless guns (will remove blueing) . Let the cyl. stand overnight in the stuff then clean up the gunk. Bernie