Too much leading? How to avoid / clean?

[Kernel Crittenden]

Undersized soft lead bullet, a "hot" powder, driving the bullet too fast. That could cause the leading you saw. Even with a plated bullet.

It's though by some, most of the lead that stays in the barrel comes off the base of the bullet. It's vaporized by the super hot powder gases, and is pushed aside and ahead of the bullet as it travels down the barrel.

If you look at super slow-mo pictures of a gun firing, you always see a little powder "puff" come out before the bullet. There's always some "blow by". With an undersized bullet it's more pronounced.

It's one theory, anyway.

 

[sw282]

Plated bullets are plated ALL over, Base included...Most ALL jacketed pistol bullet cores are PURE lead...When a bullet is fired the explosion makes the base expand and fit the bore...Like the old Minie Balls used in Civil War Muskets/rifles... ln fact if you look at the bases of early Winchester and Remington JKT bullets you will see their bases are CONCAVE. Just like the old Minie Ball...The most accurate pistol ammo money can buy is 38Special Midrange WadCutter...All factory wadcutter ammo uses HOLLOW BASE bullets...Just like the old Minie Balls.. Copper Plated bullets are NOT your problem...Some of the thickest jackets on bullets are Speer Gold Dot 300grain 44 Mag bullets..

You have shot two different types of bullets thru the gun... BOTH fouled badly..
The only common link is the BARREL...lts rough inside... PERIOD.
Why is it rough?? l think its the Melonite Coating

 

[Ed Fowler]

I have learned from every barrel I have ever had that leaded. Just shooting them a lot and keeping them clean, one day they are there and it was fun making them shine. I call it shooting therapy.

 

[muddocktor]

My brother bought 500 or 1000 rounds of that Freedom ammo and it's not loaded too hot. We have shot it in his no dash 629 and also my 629-3 Classic and neither of them had any leading issues and it was a lot wimpier than my handloads. And I have used the Xtreme bullets in the past in several calibers and never had any problems with undersized bullets in any of them. Now, you can push them hard enough to peel off plating, but unless they let out a bad batch of 44 ammo that wouldn't be happening with Freedom's loads. I'm also leaning towards a rough bore from the meloniting process you had put on it, especially after seeing the copper fouling from the jacketed bullets.

I think you need to run a bunch of jacketed stuff through your barrel and see if that helps smooth things out.

If you reload, for reasonably priced 44 jacketed bullets, you might try some Zero 240 grain JSP bullets. I haven't shot their 44 bullets, but I've shot a bunch of their 357 bullets and they are as good as the big names. I think them offering 44 bullets is new too, as I never saw them on the Rose site I linked to until now.

 

[theoneff]

I think you have gotten all the right answers. Looks like flame cutting and the next round ironing it flat ect, ect. I have never seen anything that bad. What brand of remover did you use. i want one.

 

[os2firefox]

Yes, so far I would suspect a rough bore. If I had to guess, I would say that it was probably shipped like that and the melonite treatment hardened it in this state. It will get better (smooth out) the more it is fired, like a normal barrel, but it would just take me more shooting to get there. If you go the melonite route, I strongly advise you to break in your barrel then clean and triple-check your gun afterwards. Changes get quite a bit harder afterwards. Thanks for the help, all!

 

[twodog max]

I bought some of the Zero 44 jacketed bullets based on my excellent luck with their 357 JHP's. In my limited use so far they look real good.

 

[AlHunt]

Update: Freedom Munitions responded by asking for information and saying that they want to make it right by replacing the ammo or issuing a refund for the 500 rounds I bought for them.

Wow. Good for Freedom Munitions. It sounds like they think it's an ammo issue.

 

[joe44va]

Off the subject a bit, but, great pictures. What did you use to get them?

I had a Dan Wesson 715 that leaded like that once. A "friend" gave me a box of his reloads. Bad news. Turned out to be a big charge of Bullseye and unlubed, soft lead bullets. Never shot another's reloads again.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

Plated bullets are plated ALL over, Base included.......

Yes. Of course. I've shot thousands. That plating is very thin. It's cosmetic as much as anything. It can be burnt and melted off in milliseconds.

....Most ALL jacketed pistol bullet....the base expand and fit the bore......

You clearly have no understanding how jacketed bullets work.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

.... I think you need to run a bunch of jacketed stuff through your barrel and see if that helps smooth things out......

That might be the best advise given.