I'm using Tula primers, WSF powder 5.8 grns, friendswood 230 grn lead round nose at .452 to plink. I don't have a chrono but it is the starting load. I looked at the barrel after maybe 75 rounds and to me it looks like a lot of swiped lead between the grooves. I used hoppes elite for about 6 passes and regular hoppes for about 15 passes still looks fouled up! Any help would be appreciated.

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Rob

50% Vinegar, 50% Hydrogen Peroxide. plug barrel, pour in solution, wait no more than 30 seconds, clean, and clean well. Do not get any on wood or plastic. If you leave it in too long, you will have more than smeared lead in that barrel.......#severepitting

p,s, You need to fix the reason you are getting the leading. Too small of a bullet, too slow of a powder and too hard of a bullet.

Switch one of the three, and, since you are buying bullets, that mean the powder, use either AA#2, Bullseye (My choice), W231/HP-38 or one of the powders on the burn rate chart that is faster than these. Run it at the top of the published data and let us know what happens from there.

Trust me, your bullets are too hard and need to be pushed harder.

Other popular fixes for removing leading include wrapping strands of pure copper Chore Boy scrubber around a bore brush and brushing well.
My favorite is soaking the bore with KROIL followed by a pass with a Lewis lead Remover (from Brownells).
Better yet is to avoid leading altogether. Properly sized bullets of the correct hardness for your velocity should not lead the barrel.
I'm just back from the range where I fired 100s of Penn .44 bullets in my 44 Special revolvers. Not a bit of leading in any of them.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

Thanks for quick responses fellas, I will give the chore boy a shot and change powder.

Rob

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Rob

We have had this discussion before. Mixing Hydrogen Peroxide and Vinegar creates Peracetic Acid which is very nasty and can cause major damage to your gun barrel. It really should not be used, but if you do, it is only for severely leaded barrels.

It was originally used for smooth bore cannons but can damage the rifling in regular barrels.

There are much safer ways to remove lead, or as mentioned prevent it in the first place.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Might require more than just a powder change. Some suggestions:

- did you make sure you had all the jacketing removed from the bore before you shot lead? It will take something more than your normal bore cleaner to get it out.

- if your cylinder throats are smaller than the bore, you are going to have leading problems regardless of the bullet diameter, hardness, or load.

You didn't say where the leading was occurring. This link might prove helpful to you.

This.... you should be able to push a lead bullet through the cylinder with only a little force. If its like my -8 pretty much everything needed work from the chambers to the throats. Mine won't even take 0.451 jacketed bullets through the throats without a good amount of force, even the bayous leave a bit of lead around the forcing cone and part way done the barrel. Not so in my other guns.
A Choreboy wrapped brush is the next best thing to a lewis lead remover and significantly cheaper.

Also, how hard are the bullets you're using? Too hard a bullet will cause just as much or even more leading than too soft a bullet. You powder probably isn't the problem.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

I have used this solution with no problems. Use the suggestions above and you will have no problems.

I suggested the powder change because he isn't going to change the bullets he has on hands. The harder bullets need more pressure, faster powder means higher pressure, higher pressure means harder bullets CAN obturate. He has to use up the bullets he has and MIGHT be able to do so with a faster powder.

I do not know it all BUT, on this, I have a bit of knowledge........

Bullets are 18 bhn

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Rob

I've only shot lead through it not any copper type ammo

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Rob

You have hard bullets going at a slow speed which will cause leading. Skip, if I recall you used the ACID once for a real problem, you know what you are doing (I think) but I do not recommend it to folks who can correct the problem by other safer means. I know a lot about chemicals and I would not use it in a $800 gun.

You either need to up the FPS or get softer bullets. I never understood why Missouri Bullets made their 45 ACP 230 gr in 18 BHN.(same as Magnum bullets) When I order them I request the softer 12 BHN.

Anyway, shooting a jacketed bullet over a leaded barrel just shoves the lead more firmly into the rifling. I do not care what the article says.

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Still Running Against the Wind

So a powder change should remedy?

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Rob

Could I use bronze wool? Copper chore boy or copper pads pretty hard to find in Bayonne nj

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Rob

Yes.

Look in in the Supermarket cleaning supplies (dish soap) section for the Chore Boy scrubbers.

Any Boating or Marine store should sell bronze wool, I would think medium or coarse.

A NEW 45 acp bore brush will help a lot. We tend to use the brushes too long. Soak the bore with any solvent you have (Hoppes, Liquid wrench, Yes WD 40) let it sit several hours or over night and scrub the bore with a new brush and a lot of lead will come out.

If you would rather just spend some money, the Lewis Lead remover is the tool to get (us cheap reloaders like to mess with Chore Boys)

This tool works great (i do not own one, I should) But would need to buy all the attachments for every caliber.

LEWIS LEAD REMOVER | Brownells

There is also a video on how to use it.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Rule three, yes, I expect firearms owners have some amount of common sense, I wish that was on the form but I know it is not. Now concerning the solution, I gave explicit instructions, that if followed, will result in no damage.
You can't hold a grown-ups fans as they do grownups work! Maybe I expect too much from grown-ups?

Bello, can you push the bullets through the cylinder throats, with minimal force?
If so then your bullets part two small they should not push through.
Couple that with the 18 BHN, too slow of a powder, you have a leading!

Fine here are the exact instructions. I still would not use it! I thought you said you were busy?? iF YOU DO USE IT I RECOMMEND NEUTRALIZING THE ACID SOLUTION WITH SOME BAKING SODA DILUTED IN WATER.

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! READ THE WARNING!

Homemade Firearm Related Products

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Still Running Against the Wind

That's assuming the throats are the correct size to begin with which should be 0.452 or 0.4525. Anything smaller and it just swages the bullet down to that new dimension. Mic the bullets, then slug the throats and mic again.

Now that we know your bullets are 18 BHN the above advice is hard to argue with. I would think a full charge of W231/HP-38 would help that leading problem. If W231 is still too slow a powder give Bullseye or clays a try but I think you will be fine with the top end charge of W231.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

Yes..............

I am BUT, this problem is the reason that lead is ill spoken of in our "hurry up and get on with it" society. Not only is THAT a pet peeve of mine, so is giving up on lead bullets before you know what is going on.

Question Rule......the bullets I sent you.........leading or no leading? I will even take, minimal leading for an answer!

I have no chemistry in my background so, maybe for me, ignorance is bliss. I know that this solution COULD be very harmful if not used correctly, and, I am much more of a risk taker than most, so, as Rule has warned, use with caution.............extreme caution and, do as he suggest in neutralizing the solution with baking soda BUT, make sure you hose down your firearm with WD-40 as a precaution to having water somewhere you really don't want it. WD-40 is a horrible lubricant but it is a wonderful hygroscopic solution.

Hope this helps.

p.s. I reread the instructions and I have to change one thing that they say. I said it much earlier in this discussion, 30 seconds at a whack, no more. You can do it more than once but no more than 30 seconds. Run a dry patch through after each 30 second event. At the end, follow Rule 3's instructions......

It's not so much "risk taking" it's a matter of using the least harmful (potentially) method to solve or eliminate the problem.

Having not seen the OP's barrel we have no idea. Maybe it it is just carbon and lube? Acid and metal do not get along well. Same as corrosive ammo and primers it etches the bore.

If the OP's bore is clogged down to 22 caliber size than maybe the acid method is the way to go. But maybe just a good solvent and a new brush and elbow grease will get rid of it.

As mentioned the best way is to prevent it.

Skip I can not remember if yours leaded or not.(I doubt they did)
I have about every handgun caliber and shoot lead in all of them, I have never slugged a bore, chamber or sized any bullet. I load and shoot. I do not have any leading problems in many different brands of guns, bullets, calibers with different powders,
I clean my guns every time I shoot, I have a bore light. It's never been a big deal to me. I do not do anything special except use fresh bore brushes.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Be sure to find an all copper (bronze should be fine as well) pad. Many are copper coated steel that can harm a bore. Infound my Chore Boy brand all copper at Walgreen's Pharmacy. Bought several as they are hard to find around here (Arkansas) as well.

The other thing I do to clean out leading is run a few shots through to warm the barrel up, then shoot some jacketed ammo. Works very well.

So I found chore boy copper pads at the 6th hole in the wall, bought all 8 boxes at 2.39 each. Let me tell you guys it's amazing! My barrel is clean as a whistle thank you all for the support and help. It leaves a lil copper staining but I hoppes that right out! Thanks again.

Rob

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Rob

Another endorsement for "Chore Boy" brand pot scrubbers. I wrapped some around a brass bore brush, dipped it into Hoppes #9, and it quickly cleaned out long, thin slivers of lead I couldn't even see--not that my eyes are all that bad!