617-6 lead build up

[NDAR15MAN]

Folks….. I am new to pistols so bare with me. I might not use the correct terminology. 4 months ago I bought a brand new in the box 617-6. I Put a weaver pistol scope on it and some nice $200.00 German made grips on it. Very accurate shoots better then I will ever hope too with it. I am seeing some lead build up on the barrel ( I think you guys call it the cone ) we're bullet starts going into the barrel. It is a lot of lead because it is difficult to get it off even with nylon brush. Is this something I need to be worried about ? I hate to send it back to Smith Wesson. I bet it would take weeks to get it back. I would gave to put the rubber grips back on and scope off. Can I just stay on top of lead build up and clean it off after every shooting session ? Sorry I am a old guy and don't know how to post a picture of the lead build up. It is around that cone. Marty

 

[Camster]

Nothing to worry about.
The area that you're writing about is called the forcing cone.
Scrape it away if it gets excessive.
Some brands of ammo may leave more lead than others.
...And it's ok to use the word Nill here, to describe your new grips.

 

[Protocall_Design]

The forcing cone may need to be cut a little bigger. That's a common problem. The cylinder throats may be undersize, but that is not common. The best thing to do would be to have a good revo smith check it over. Not all gunsmiths are good at revolvers.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

The forcing cone may need to be cut a little bigger. That's a common problem. The cylinder throats may be undersize, but that is not common. The best thing to do would be to have a good revo smith check it over. Not all gunsmiths are good at revolvers.

Most gunsmiths are not good at revolvers (or lever actions)!

Ivan

 

[NDAR15MAN]

Ok. Yes I could not think of the company name Nill for nothing.
I bought some nice walnut grips with a thumb rest on it from them. I will keep a eye on it. I will talk to my gun smith about it Too. He has fixed some of my AR15 rifles for me that would not run. Thanks for the help
Marty

 

[InTheWoods]

The 617 I bought a few years ago leaded the first two inches of the barrel terribly, regardless of what ammo I used. There was pretty much no "cone" to the forcing cone. I sent it back and they cut a new proper forcing cone. Now, many thousands of rounds latter, zero leading (shoot mostly CCI Minimags). I have had zero leading problems with my several other SW rimfire revolvers.

 

[BillBro]

Before shooting did you just happen to give it a good "look over"? If so was that area, the forcing cone, cleanly machined? If you didnt look it over before, clean the forcing cone well, look at it with a good lighted magnifying glass or a good light AND a magnifying glass and see if it appears rough, very rough, or if its smooth and clean. The last is the most desirable and also the least likely.
Brownells sells laps, brass laps and lapping compounds in 600 and 800 grit or you could possibly even try some Flitz and try to smooth it out yourself if its not too terrible.
Or, if youre not comfortable doing this you have two options, shoot it or send it back. It could be also that the alignment of the cylinder is just a tad off, rather the chambers are a tad off which hopefully s&w would catch and remedy.
Do you see any lead splatter radiating out from the forcing cone or have you felt anything hitting you when you fire it? If the alignment is off enough it will cause the bullet to strike the forcing cone in such a way the it will shave off chunks of the bullet and will eject those bits out the side of the gun.
Just things to look at or consider. Sometimes one slips by the QC department.

 

[Pisgah]

Lead build-up in that area is common in .22 revolvers, even if there's nothing wrong with the gun. .22 ammo is dirty stuff and sooner or later you have to clean the gunk from around the forcing cone, which is a combination of lead and lube. A bronze brush and some solvent get a lot of it off, and toothpicks or dental picks or various homemade picks/scrapers (copper or brass preferred) will scrape it away from tight spots.

What you have described sounds perfectly normal at this point, so don't get too worked up about it.

 

[rockquarry]

I'd try several different ammos, including CCI SV. Some of the cheap bulk stuff might work but I avoid it because you often deal with poor quality ammo that won't fire reliably, inaccuracy, etc.

Get good quality bronze brushes, perhaps .22 centerfire rifle brushes (Brownells, etc.). Many .22 pistol brass brushes are undersize and won't remove leading any better than a nylon brush. Use a good solvent like Hoppe's #9 or Ed's Red.

If you continue to get leading after trying different ammos, send your gun to S&W.

I've found a few .22 revolvers that lead slightly with any ammo, but seems it's not enough to hurt accuracy unless you fire many, many rounds without cleaning. A Colt Diamondback comes to mind.

 

[cl998]

I have a 6" 617 and when I go to the range I put 250-500 rounds through it. I have to scrape the lead off the forcing cone on occasion. I usually put some lead remover on there and let it sit for a few hours and then scrape it very carefully with a razor blade. There may be better ways but this has always worked for me. My 617 is one of my favorites.