Sir,

It makes little if any difference, but just for clarification: you're not speaking of the face of the cylinder, but the outside of it just behind the face & between the flutes, correct?

I'm not sure why your method worked previously and not now. Did you use different ammo before? Regardless, I would suggest a BRONZE brush rather than a toothbrush. The much stiffer bristles of the bronze brush are much more aggressive than those of a toothbrush and should remove firing residue readily(This is my method and it has never failed to do the trick.). I'm not speaking here of a bronze bore brush, though you might get one to work in a pinch. What I'm speaking of is a bronze brush that looks almost exactly like a toothbrush, with its squared-off bristles. Local gunshops may not stock them; you may have to order them online from Midway or etc.

Oh, and any of the common gun solvents should work.

Regards,
Andy



P.S. The lead-removing cloths mentioned by previous posters are outstanding on stainless steel also of course; just a little more expensive than a bronze brush as I recall.