Do I have a Problem?!! Flame cutting? Worse? Help!

[SammyJoe]

43C LEADING ISSUE, This Thread Was Just What I Needed to See!

Hello,
If anyone is still interested in this fairly old discussion, I have more to add to it.

Recently bought a new 43C and ran 100 CCI Stingers through it the day after purchase. Gun ran flawlessly, cleaned up like new, no leading what so ever.

Today, I ran 200 Winchester M22s (40 gr, black copper plated lead round nose) through the gun and the amount of lead buildup around the frame (against the forcing cone) was crazy.

Gun still ran like a top, although I had to occasionally run a 22 bore snake through the cylinder bores to aid in easy extraction, the spent casings tend to get sticky after 3-4 cylinders worth of shooting.

I did not notice this lead buildup until I began cleaning the gun, and at first I thought it was the frame eroding away. With a brass brush and moderate pressure, the stuff was not going away at all.

What is the recommended technique used to get this leading junk off the frame??
Any words of advice would be more than appreciated!
Thanks
-Sam

 

[Racer X]

It is NOT flame cutting and it is not a problem.
You have a normal .22 revolver. Scrape the lead off with a brass scraper or even a stout toothpick and clean the residue up with Hoppe's or whatever bore cleaner you are using.
Relax.
Breathe in, breathe out.

I have maybe 10,000 rounds through my dad's old JC Higgins/High Standard 9 shot .22 revolver. No idea how many he fired before I was born. Never needed to clean any lead build-up like that. That's just nuts, and I wouldn't consider it normal.

 

[SammyJoe]

Racer,
I wonder why the level of leading varies between one revolver to the next....?
-Sam

 

[Racer X]

I would guess it would be the specific lead alloy, plated, gilded, lube type and its age, lube amount, cylinder timing and forcing cone machining?

I can't recall if the whole frame on mine is aluminum, or what parts are, I'm 1,400 miles away from my gun safe.

Has ALL the lead been removed and you actually see erosion/cutting below the surface?

 

[joebuck]

Lead removal cloth works well. Several brands to choose from. Lewis, Birchwood, etc.

 

[CajunBass]

One of the many reasons I haven't used plain lead bullet 22's for many years. Remington and Winchester lead bullet loads fouled my guns up so bad I just swore off plain lead bullets for good. I haven't missed them one bit.

 

[SammyJoe]

Lead removal cloth works well. Several brands to choose from. Lewis, Birchwood, etc.

JoeBuck,
If I do not have immediate access to these lead removal tools, what would you recommend?
-Sam

 

[SS336]

Just make a scraper from a fired cartridge case that has been flattened and then some Hoppe's and a brush.

Don't even think of using any kind of abrasive or polish! What are some of you guys thinking, anyway???

NO STEEL WOOL EITHER! EVER!!!

That will work.
I use a .45-70 case shortened to fit in frame opening, flatten the mouth, wet the area with solvent of your choice. Let it work for a while and scrape it off.
No need to get to carried away, next time you shoot it will just get dirty again.

 

[joebuck]

JoeBuck,
If I do not have immediate access to these lead removal tools, what would you recommend?
-Sam

It's just a cloth. You can get it at most gun shops or the internet. Put some on a end of a plastic or wood stick and work the area over.