Do I really need to completely de-lead the bore?

[Dave Haynes]

I use lead almost exclusively but it is purchased lead bullets which are today almost always wheel weights. A fine smooth bore will usually not lead up, a rough one will. I always used a very tight paper wad usually a paper towel material. that will eventually catch the edge of any lead and pull it out. Use no lubrication, just the paper. Keep lead loads under 1,000 fps will also keep leading to a minimum.

 

[buffalorifle]

I have some Remington 158gr LRN I bought for cheap plinking ammo. Tried them in two different guns and they leaded terribly. I've used maybe 1/2 dozen different manufacture's "hard cast" lead bullets and not had any problems leading in smooth barrels with no restrictions and proper sized throats. Any build up I may get I clean out completely after shooting. I believe a little lead in the barrel will cause more to build and be harder to clean.

 

[Manley-AK]

You might try J-B bore paste, the blue type. I put just a small amount on a brass bore brush, then just use that brush for that cleaning only, then follow up with cloth patches. A plastic jar of J-B will last me for years, Good Luck..

Just a quick update. I went to town with a bronze brush through the bore and chambers. I’d say 98% if the lead is now gone. Just as an advisory: stay away from PPU LRN unless you like lots of leading and black powder level of smoke…

I had the same problem with PPU LRN in my .38. Horrible dirty rounds.

 

[SASFixer]

I advise buying a Lewis Lead Remover Kit from Brownell's. Any lead streaks remaining are just a spot for leading to accumulate. I have used a tight dry patch and vigorous scrubbing. You will be able to see the lead embedded into the patch. Butch's patch material is like a heavy cloth napkin from an expensive restaurant. Those patches are good for leading.

 

[KerryS]

I took my 10-9 out today and fired a box of LRN from PPU. The leading today was quite substantial, a lot more than I’m used to. I got home and scrubbed the ever loving mother out of the bore with CLP and a brass brush. That was a lot of lead that came out.

Point is, would yall think it’s alright if I removed most of it but not all of it switching back to an FMJ? I’ve really already done quite a lot as it is and there just some lead streaking here and there that I just don’t feel like trying to remove. See, I figured that by this point next time I send a cylinder of FMJ down the pipe it’s gonna blow the rest out anyway. Thoughts?

All the points have been made by others about recommended cleaning methods. I would reiterate not to try to clean a leaded barrel by shooting copper jacketed rounds. Use proper solvent. I like Hoppes No. 9. But there are two important hints. First is Hoppes No. 9 eats copper, so it is rough on bronze bore brushes. So brush first with a non-copper removing solvent first. M-Pro 7 is my go to with bronze brushes, also a Hoppes product. Here is the BIG HINT: After brushing patch the bore liberally with Hoppes No. 9 and WALK AWAY. Let it sit for at least a day, then start over with brushing (just a few passes) then leave wet with No 9 and let sit. Only a few minutes over a period of days No 9 will float fouling (copper or lead) out of the barrel pores. Let time rather than elbow grease do the work. Hoppes No. 9 had the great advantage that it is not only non-corrosive to barrels, it protects as well, unlike many other solvents.

Bores have been worn or ruined by excessive and aggressive cleaning. Use a good rod, preferably brass, never aluminum (picks up grit and becomes a cutting tool), brass jags, and a muzzle guide.

 

[chase45]

I just take a bore brush and wrap copper chore boy strands around it. It helps get the stubborn lead off. If you go this way make sure you get the copper chore boy as not all variants are copper

 

[chase45]

Often repeated, but I've yet to see any evidence that this is generally true, rare exceptional situations notwithstanding.

I bought a 629 a few years ago. Only shot lead through it. Never had much leading. Friend brought some jacketed 44 to run through it. Its been leading ever since. I need to get in there with a copper removing solution and see if I can get it out. When clean I can see some copper fouling

All that said I have never shot so much lead that it seemed detrimental to accuracy, leaded barrel or not.

 

[rockquarry]

All the points have been made by others about recommended cleaning methods. I would reiterate not to try to clean a leaded barrel by shooting copper jacketed rounds. Use proper solvent. I like Hoppes No. 9. But there are two important hints. First is Hoppes No. 9 eats copper, so it is rough on bronze bore brushes. So brush first with a non-copper removing solvent first. M-Pro 7 is my go to with bronze brushes, also a Hoppes product. Here is the BIG HINT: After brushing patch the bore liberally with Hoppes No. 9 and WALK AWAY. Let it sit for at least a day, then start over with brushing (just a few passes) then leave wet with No 9 and let sit. Only a few minutes over a period of days No 9 will float fouling (copper or lead) out of the barrel pores. Let time rather than elbow grease do the work. Hoppes No. 9 had the great advantage that it is not only non-corrosive to barrels, it protects as well, unlike many other solvents.

Bores have been worn or ruined by excessive and aggressive cleaning. Use a good rod, preferably brass, never aluminum (picks up grit and becomes a cutting tool), brass jags, and a muzzle guide.

Hoppe's #9 works well for removing just about anything but copper fouling. Get a copper solvent if you want to remove copper fouling. They work fairly quickly though you may need more than one application. However, copper fouling in handguns doesn't compare to that in high velocity rifles. Just because you can see a bit of copper in the bore doesn't mean it's fouled.

First, determine if you really need to remove the copper fouling in a handgun bore. If accuracy deteriorates because of copper fouling (usually this happens only with a very seriously neglected bore), removing the bulk of it is usually all that's necessary to restore accuracy.

As for switching back and forth between jacketed and cast bullets, some say not to do this without cleaning the bore first. This is often repeated advice, but I've yet to see any evidence that it's detrimental to accuracy or anything else. If you have a leaded bore, of course clean it properly before you fire anything in it, cast or jacketed.

 

[glenwolde]

Just a quick update. I went to town with a bronze brush through the bore and chambers. I’d say 98% if the lead is now gone. Just as an advisory: stay away from PPU LRN unless you like lots of leading and black powder level of smoke…

I've had two severe leading incidents. One was factory Remington .357 loaded with a swaged lead SWC. About two cylinders full and it was completely leaded. Being .357, it was like your PPU ammo, only on steroids.

The other one wasn't a surprise. I decided to use the 9mm cylinder with my Ruger Blackhawk Convertible as a bullet puller for some 9mm .356 lead reloads that didn't work in my 1911. I was wondering how badly it would lead. I found out.

 

[Doug G]

You can also shoot lead bullets that have a copper gas check crimped on the base.

 

[Coyote56]

Try a shot of Kroil down the bore, follow with a bronze brush, remove the residue with a couple clean patches. Like magic.

 

[judgecrater]

Shooting jacketed bullets through a lead fouled barrel will remove some of the lead, the rest will get pressed into every pore, nook, and cranny within the bore and then covered with jacket material. CLP does little to nothing when it comes to softening lead deposits. A brass or bronze bore brush will remove some of the lead.

The most effective method of removing lead is with a bore solvent and a Lewis Lead Remover tool. A poor man's Lewis Lead Remover can be made by cutting small sections or strips from a pure copper Chore Boy pot scrubber, wrap the material around your bore brush, insert the rod through the bore, screw the brush onto the rod through the revolver's frame window, then pull the scrubber material and brush through the bore. The edges of the copper mesh will grab and dig into the lead, but not harm the steel bore.

Yes, Chore Boy around a brush is extremely effective. Don't be tempted to use regular steel wool. I would change ammo. If you reload, use lead covered with HiTek coating. Zero leading and nothing cheaper.

 

[gwpercle]

My Thoughts ... CLP is not a proper Bore Solvent/Cleaner for a leaded barrel . A proper Solvent and a Brass Brush will make the job a lot easier and do a complete job .

Some claim jacketed bullets do not remove lead but simply iron it deeper into the metal pores and make it more difficult to remove .

J-B Bore Cleaning Compound can be a good friend .
Gary

 

[b737lvr]

This actually really makes me want to run an experiment on this

 

[Model19man]

His was from factory loads with swaged bullets.

I have shot many hundreds of those. Generally the velocity is kept to a safe level where excessive leading - or any leading - will not happen.

 

[mtgianni]

I've had good success using some Big 45 brand rust remover wrapped around a brass brush. It makes short work of any lead.

The Big 45 stuff really works and their tool beats a Lewis Lead remover.

 

[geronpg]

ditto to most of what has been said. Ive cast and shot mostly lead but some jacketed over 40+ years; a smooth bore and bullet lube on lead bullets (Lee Alox) helps minimize deposits. Kroil, when allowed to sit a while, can seep under and loosen some lead, too. But only copper solvent gets copper out.

 

[roundgunner]

I use this.

 

[Dave Haynes]

I've seen a 9mm shooting pure lead cast bullets at power levels that operate the action go from clean to keyholing bullets in maybe 10 rounds. The secret to success is keeping that velocity well under 1000 fps. Wheel weights instead of pure lead. Almost all lead used in commercial cast bullets is wheel weights or recycled batteries. Bush2 closed the active lead mines decades ago. Best sources of pure lead are old lead telephone sleeves. Most are now down in the manholes idle as fiber has replaced copper.

 

[KerryS]

Hoppe's #9 works well for removing just about anything but copper fouling. Get a copper solvent if you want to remove copper fouling. They work fairly quickly though you may need more than one application. However, copper fouling in handguns doesn't compare to that in high velocity rifles. Just because you can see a bit of copper in the bore doesn't mean it's fouled.

First, determine if you really need to remove the copper fouling in a handgun bore. If accuracy deteriorates because of copper fouling (usually this happens only with a very seriously neglected bore), removing the bulk of it is usually all that's necessary to restore accuracy.

As for switching back and forth between jacketed and cast bullets, some say not to do this without cleaning the bore first. This is often repeated advice, but I've yet to see any evidence that it's detrimental to accuracy or anything else. If you have a leaded bore, of course clean it properly before you fire anything in it, cast or jacketed.

Restfully disagree. Hoppes No 9 is very effective at taking out copper fouling. It just takes time as I described. It is very obvious it is working when running a patch through the following day and it comes out blue or greenish. Repeat on success days until the patch comes out clean. Yes, there are strong copper removing solutions, such a Sweet's 7.62. I am very familiar with using both having been a High Power Competitor. But one has to be careful with Sweet's as it offers no bore protection. Don't leave it in the bore for anything beyond minutes.