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Best Way to Remove Lead From Barrell?

tr foxtr fox Member Posts: 13,856
edited April 2007 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
I've got a .38/.357 revolver that apparently was shot with some all lead bullets before I got it. I ran a brush soaked with Hoppes cleaning fluid and got a lot of the lead out. But I want that bore shiney clean. What is the best way to get lead of the barrel for now and in the future when I start shooting .38 wadcutter lead target bullets in that same revolver.

BTW, it is a Ruger GP-100 and it is a grand and beautiful handgun built as strong as a tank. I love this gun and may even sell off my S&W model 66 and buy another Ruger handgun to go with this 4" 6 shot as well as my SP-101 Ruger .38/.357 magnum 2" concealed carry 5 shot revolver as well as my .38/.357 magnum Ruger Black Hawk single action.
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    brier-49brier-49 Member Posts: 7,035 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Shoot 5 rounds of jacketed ammo then clean it,should be nice and clean.
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    bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    TR shooting jacketed ammo will not do it. It will only remove a little lead and cover the remainder with copper fouling.

    A device called a LEWIS LEAD remover uses brass screens over a mandrel made from rubber to safely remove all the lead.

    Even a clean looking barrel might surprise you with how much lead is actually built up in a barrel after several thousand lead bullets pass down it.

    The Lewis lead remover will get it all out.
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    PearywPearyw Member Posts: 3,699
    edited November -1
    +1 on the Lewis Lead remover. When I shot PPC, everyone had one to clean after shooting several hundred 38 wadcutters. The other thing I use is the electric Foul-Out system. It will remove all the lead from a barrel. The Lewis tool will clean the lead out of your cylinder as well.
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    perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390 ✭
    edited November -1
    +3 on lewis but then you have to ask yourself a few questions #1 are the bullets lubed with enough proper lube.#2 do the bullets fit the bore? under size bullets will lead badly. # 3 what was condition of the bore? a bore with jacket fouling will lead quickly while a clean polished bore you can shoot hundreds of good bullets with proper lube and 1/2 doz strokes with a bore brush is all you need. Clean your barrel good and then use some JB Bore cleaner to polish your bore and then try it
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    BHAVINBHAVIN Member Posts: 3,490 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Brownells bought the rights to the Lewis Lead Remover line. You can now get them and parts through brownells. www.brownells.com


    p.s. they work great.
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    tr foxtr fox Member Posts: 13,856
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by BHAVIN
    Brownells bought the rights to the Lewis Lead Remover line. You can now get them and parts through brownells. www.brownells.com


    p.s. they work great.


    Hey everybody. Thanks for the guidance. I used the link and just placed an order for the Lewis Lead Remover. Does it matter much what kind of cleaning fluid I use with it?
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    bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by tr fox
    quote:Originally posted by BHAVIN
    Brownells bought the rights to the Lewis Lead Remover line. You can now get them and parts through brownells. www.brownells.com


    p.s. they work great.


    Hey everybody. Thanks for the guidance. I used the link and just placed an order for the Lewis Lead Remover. Does it matter much what kind of cleaning fluid I use with it?


    Not really; the brass screens do all the work getting the lead out. If you want to splash some Hoppes #9 on for the nostalgic smell I suppose it would be OK. [;)][:D][:D]

    Actually; a presoak with Kroil might loosen the lead up a bit from the barrel making the lead removal that much easier.
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    PinheadPinhead Member Posts: 1,485 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The Lewis Lead Remover does not require any cleaning fluid to work properly but I myself have taken to using a well soaked patch to swab the bore down with Kroil and let it soak for a few minutes before using the lead remover. It seems to help a little. I also polish the bore with J-B Bore Bright after I finish removing the lead but only a few strokes--don't get carried away with this. Clean the bore bright out of the barrel after polising with a good solvent cleaner and follow with dry patches. Make sure you oil the barrel good after the bore bright as it will be squeaky clean and dry after the above treatment.You will find that as the bore becomes smoother from shooting or the use of bore bright that the leading is less severe. My experience anyway.
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    jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    If the bore is leading, something is wrong. A properly made cast bullet, of correct hardness, diameter, and lubed with a proper pistol lube will not lead the bore. I would suspect the previous owner used some crummy bullets. I have shot nothing but cast lead out of several revolvers with virtually zero leading; one patch of hoppes and one dry patch remove everything.

    So far as getting it out, ditto on the product already mentioned, though if you have access to mercury (unlikely) and wear the proper safety gear, plugging one end of the barrel and filling with mercury would REALLY do the job.
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    tr foxtr fox Member Posts: 13,856
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by jonk
    If the bore is leading, something is wrong. A properly made cast bullet, of correct hardness, diameter, and lubed with a proper pistol lube will not lead the bore. I would suspect the previous owner used some crummy bullets. I have shot nothing but cast lead out of several revolvers with virtually zero leading; one patch of hoppes and one dry patch remove everything.

    So far as getting it out, ditto on the product already mentioned, though if you have access to mercury (unlikely) and wear the proper safety gear, plugging one end of the barrel and filling with mercury would REALLY do the job.


    Now that is interesting. But it does make me wonder why so many here have and use the Lewis Lead Remover?
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    jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    Well what can go wrong with a lead bullet to cause leading is myriad; if your alloy is too soft for a given velocity, it will smear. If too hard, it will fail to seal to the bore, allowing hot gas to blow by which will also blast lead off the side of the bullet (gas cutting) causing a similar effect. Having a bullet sized to or under bore diameter will cause the same; you need one 1/1000 to 5/1000 over bore diameter for optimal performance with a Pb pill, accuracy to be determined by user. To high a rotational speed (not matching the weight to the twist), or too fast a burn rate can cause a bullet to jump the rifling and strip. Poor lube selection such as using a hard rifle bullet lube for pistol use can cause leading as the lube doesn't have enough time or friction to properly soften and melt. Using too little or too much lube can cause problems from leading to accuracy degredation. And so on and so on. Really, making a good cast bullet is an art, more than a science, one I personally only achieve about 3/4 of the time. But yes, I can confirm, it is possible to shoot them without leading, or at least without anything more than a light discoloration that wipes out with a bit of hoppes.

    For more info check out the gunloads cast boolit forum.
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    bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,664 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by tr fox
    quote:Originally posted by jonk
    If the bore is leading, something is wrong. A properly made cast bullet, of correct hardness, diameter, and lubed with a proper pistol lube will not lead the bore. I would suspect the previous owner used some crummy bullets. I have shot nothing but cast lead out of several revolvers with virtually zero leading; one patch of hoppes and one dry patch remove everything.

    So far as getting it out, ditto on the product already mentioned, though if you have access to mercury (unlikely) and wear the proper safety gear, plugging one end of the barrel and filling with mercury would REALLY do the job.


    Now that is interesting. But it does make me wonder why so many here have and use the Lewis Lead Remover?


    I shoot several hundred pounds of lead bullets each year out of my pistols. I tend to use softer or unknown alloy for plinking bullets. Casting is done in the fall getting ready to load ammo in the winter. I use ALOX/Beeswax lube filling the grooves. Some loads may be a bit hot for the alloy being used. Leading might develop in the bore from these plinking bullets.

    The Lewis lead remover is so effective there is no concern about seeing lead in the barrel. A pass or two and its all gone.

    If I am shooting serious stuff like long range .357 mags at 100 yards I use linotype alloy and a gas checked bullet, Keith style design. I drive them FAST. I have never seen a single flake of lead come from a lead pistol bullet that is alloyed correctly for the speed the bullet is driven.
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    dtknowlesdtknowles Member Posts: 810 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    bpost1958 said

    "If I am shooting serious stuff like long range .357 mags at 100 yards I use linotype alloy and a gas checked bullet, Keith style design. I drive them FAST. I have never seen a single flake of lead come from a lead pistol bullet that is alloyed correctly for the speed the bullet is driven."

    I say even jacketted bullets foul a barrel it is all about rate and degree. Hard bullets can foul a barrel faster than soft ones if they are undersized and let hot gas get between the bullet and the bore. Soft bullets upset more easily and seal the bore better but they cannot be pushed as fast. Anyone who shoot lead bullets had better be ready to "get the lead out"

    Tim
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