True enough, however it's a problem that new reloaders encounter and need answers to, so it's still relevant.

The overwhelming number of folks here already know what is written below. I include it for the newbie reloaders.

What's important is why one is getting leading in the first place. Causes for leading:

1) Rough barrel finish. If a barrel has a rough finish, not only will it lead badly, copper will foul as well. Polishing, aka lapping can help, depending on how bad the surface is. It can be done by hand (time consuming) or by fire lapping (shooting bullets coated with various progressively finer grits down the barrel). Hand lapping is better (IMHO) as you are lapping the entire barrel. Firing coated bullets tends to lap the barrel unevenly as the compound wears off before the bullet travels the length of the barrel unless you are doing a short barrel, such as a hand gun. Some barrels are beyond lapping, especially if they are pitted or eroded and you're further ahead to replace it rather than expend the time and effort. If you are going to try and lap a barrel, buy or borrow a good bore scope to see what you are dealing with and to your monitor progress.

2) Too soft lead. This is probably the number one thing people blame when experiencing leading problems, yet it's not as common as most believe. With bargain basement reloads or improperly cast bullets, soft lead can indeed be an issue. Knowing what you are shooting is the key. Even soft lead can provide relatively lead free results provided the barrel is smooth and the loads are mild.

3) Too hard lead. People think that hard lead will cure all their leading ills but alas, such is not the case. A rough bore will still lead no matter how hard the lead is. Furthermore hard lead loaded too hot or too light can lead as bad as soft lead loaded too hot. At firing, the lead needs to expand to fully contact the bore and create a seal to prevent gases from escaping and "cutting" or melting the lead as they pass by. Lead melted in this manner will leave streaks down the barrel, starting at the barrel lead-in or forcing cone in the case of revolvers. Loads that are too hot will cause the base of the bullet to melt as well, creating a similar problem that lack of sealing will cause. The key to hard lead is using the proper load - enough to cause the lead to expand and seal the barrel but not hot enough to melt the base.

Early on, someone discovered that putting a piece of copper on the base of the bullet could cure the leading problem. This is called a gas check and when used properly, can indeed allow higher velocity loads with little to no leading. Gas checks have their own problems however. The bullet must be designed to enable their use, and proper installation, aka crimping them in place, requires an additional step in the reloading process as well as the proper tool(s). Improperly installed gas checks can come off during flight and upset the bullet, impacting accuracy.

So it's a matter of first determining if the gun's barrel is smooth enough to not be a contributing factor or main cause, and matching the proper load to the hardness of the lead being used. Sometimes leading can be eliminated and sometimes it can't. When it can't, the various remedies discussed in previous posts can help, but unless the leading is minor, all require additional work - sometimes a lot of additional work! Count me in with those endorsing the Lewis lead Remover. A few pulls can remove the offending lead and leave the barrel clean and shiny.

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