Is this normal leading?

[Warren Sear]

...I was able to clean the lead off with some Fitz metal polish and a cotton swab, but it's starting to remove the blue...

Keep the Flitz away from any blued gun, same with a dental pick. If you need to scrape lead or carbon fouling, use Hoppe's (or similar) and a short length of heavy copper wire flattened on one end. If that won't remove what needs to be removed, leave it.

 

[Steve in Vermont]

I will not use Titegroup in any of my firearms. One reason is that it has NILL in the case and burns hotter than other powders that do the same work but do it better. Switch to Bullseye or W231/HP-38 and see if your problem doesn't go away.

I could be wrong, but, I have never had that kind of leading on the outside of the cylinder, ever.

FWIW

I use BE and W231/HP-38 and agree. I also load in the "middle ranges" using HBWC, DEWC, and SWC. Never saw that kind of leading, not even close.

 

[steamloco76]

I shoot a lot of commercial cast bullets and usually had a little lead when using 231, Bullseye or Unique. A reloading "expert" at the LGS convinced me to try TiteGroup in place of those powders. It DID burn cleaner, however every single gun, revolver or auto that I used the cast/TiteGroup combo's in leaded up like an old water pipe!! I switched back to the "dirty" Unique. Soot is better than leading any day. -Anybody want 1.5 lbs of TiteGroup?

 

[TSQUARED]

Particualrly true if you are using lead bullets at over ca 900 fps or are using some hot burning powders like Titegroup.

 

[ColColt]

I've never seen leading on the outside of the cylinder and I've shot 45 Colt, 357, 44 Magnum and 45 ACP for years using my own cast bullets usually ww's plus a bit of tin or 50/50 lead to Linotype. Harder won't mean less leading. If the bullet is matched to the cylinder throats or .001 over and you match the load to the chamber pressure you should not get that kind of leading. Something's awry when a revolver spits lead on the outside of the cylinder.