chris in va
New member
I started casting recently and it was suggested the 'chore boy' copper pads to remove lead fouling from my 9 and 45 barrels. Unfortunately it doesn't work very well, so I need something else that won't cost a fortune.
Bore lead removal
- Thread starter chris in va
- Start date
Chore boy works like magic once you get the hang of it. It is dead simple to show someone in person, a bit harder in a cyber forum. Here it goes. First make sure you have the pure copper woven type of pot cleaning pad. Commonly branded as 'Chore Boy'. Use a new or at least still bore fitting bronze brush. Take a pair of scissors and snip the pad so you can kind of unroll the sleeve of material. Snip off 'some', experimentation is the key mindset here, and wrap or wind it onto the brush. Commence to scrubbing the lead out. When you have the technique down you should be able to get even fairly heavy lead deposits out in short order. To be sure however, if you are experiencing heavy lead deposits something is amiss with the weapon and/or load. Best of luck.
Edward429451
Moderator
I have found that if you have a perfect sizing arrangement with a jag and a patch, that will take a lot of lead out of a barrel. Try different brands of patches until you find a good combo. Failing that, choreboy does work good but try a magnet with it and make sure it will not stick to it or you have copper coated steel which should be avoided
NO. The lead away cloth removes metal, do not run that stuff through the barrel. Copper on the other hand is softer than steel. It will never scratch or hurt steel. That would be why we use it and alloys of it (bronze) for cleaning brushes and gilding material for bullets. Why would you think shooting the stuff down the barrel at well over the speed of sound and under pressure would be OK but shoving it down the barrel on a brush would hurt the steel?
Do an experiment. Take a piece of brush finished stainless or something similar. Rub a spot with the lead away cloth and keep after it. Wipe it all down and tell us what you see on the cloth and on the surface of the steel.
Do an experiment. Take a piece of brush finished stainless or something similar. Rub a spot with the lead away cloth and keep after it. Wipe it all down and tell us what you see on the cloth and on the surface of the steel.
.
Forgive me, I'm a little slow at times, which man is telling what that we should be listening to?
Really? I didn't know that. Do you have a link or some other proof other than your statement.
I know you should use caution when using it on a blued gun because it will remove the bluing.
It has been stated here before that a 50-50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar will remove lead from barrels but this too will harm the blued finish of the gun.
I take a jag that's pretty close to bore size, cover it with a double thickness of paper towel and then an aluminum screen patch like you can get at Lowe's, etc.
Run it through dry and repeat until fouling is reduced to particles left in the grooves.
Follow with a conventional bore brush soaked in bore solvent; then dry patches, finishing with an oily one.
Once you get the hang of this you'll see strips of lead removed on the first 3-4 passes. This works well enough that I use it on my OEM G23 barrel, which gets fed lead-bullet reloads like every other handgun on the place.
Run it through dry and repeat until fouling is reduced to particles left in the grooves.
Follow with a conventional bore brush soaked in bore solvent; then dry patches, finishing with an oily one.
Once you get the hang of this you'll see strips of lead removed on the first 3-4 passes. This works well enough that I use it on my OEM G23 barrel, which gets fed lead-bullet reloads like every other handgun on the place.
The chore boy trick works okay, but the Lewis Lead Remover is something to have if you shoot a lot of lead:
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=21587/Product/LEWIS_LEAD_REMOVER
Works like a charm, usually in one pass. Get one kit and the replacement jags/screens for your additional calibers.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=21587/Product/LEWIS_LEAD_REMOVER
Works like a charm, usually in one pass. Get one kit and the replacement jags/screens for your additional calibers.
Don P, I was referring to jhenry's caution about the harshness of the lead away cloth and his comments about copper in a steel rifle barrel. I have used a lead away (Flitz ?) cloth in a bore. but sparingly and with an immediate and thorough Hoppe's swab down.
I liken the leadaway to Never Dull. It will take the bluing right off a nice finish if you stay with it long enough.
I liken the leadaway to Never Dull. It will take the bluing right off a nice finish if you stay with it long enough.
chris in va
New member
I tried wrapping the copper mesh around a brass brush and making several passes through my 9mm, but there's a fair amount of lead still jammed in the grooves no matter how many times I run it through.
Maybe I don't really understand the level of bore lead that is acceptable. I took a brass rod and was able to shove a rather large sliver (probably 2") out from the rifling, after doing the copper thing.
Maybe I don't really understand the level of bore lead that is acceptable. I took a brass rod and was able to shove a rather large sliver (probably 2") out from the rifling, after doing the copper thing.
The chor boy works if you stay with it. Just finished cleaning my GP100 and after using the lead away cloth I read the directions on the bag. I know we discussed this already but here is a scan of the directions and is contradicting what was discussed in earlier posts.
THIS POST IS NOT INTENDED TO START A FLAME WAR.
. I know we discussed this already but here is a scan of the directions and is contradicting what was discussed in earlier posts.THIS POST IS NOT INTENDED TO START A FLAME WAR.
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Just WOW!
Go for it. Rub hard. Report back.
No ... waitaminit ... I HAVE used the Lead Away and the Flitz cloth on the exterior of stainless revolvers. Ruger Blackhawks. I honestly have used them to clean burnt powder from the top strap and cylinder and even ran it down the bore. But the one time I used one of them on a blued piece (Ruger Single Six), I ended up having to touch up the bluing afterward. So, it looks like I should have read the instructions, eh?
'Been a long time ago.
Go for it. Rub hard. Report back.
No ... waitaminit ... I HAVE used the Lead Away and the Flitz cloth on the exterior of stainless revolvers. Ruger Blackhawks. I honestly have used them to clean burnt powder from the top strap and cylinder and even ran it down the bore. But the one time I used one of them on a blued piece (Ruger Single Six), I ended up having to touch up the bluing afterward. So, it looks like I should have read the instructions, eh?
'Been a long time ago.
Being the sceptical type, I take what I read on the Net with a grain of salt, so I had to check this Chore Boy idea out for myself. Here's the scoop:
Went to the nearest likely place to get a copper pad, which happened to be a Dollar General. The package said "copper scrubbing pad". Checked it with a package of refrigerator magnets hanging nearby. Seemed OK, so I bought them. Checked them again with a bigger magnet at home. Thunk! They stuck. Pulled a strand out and scrubbed the copper off with emory paper. Steel underneath the copper. Got my money back.
Went to Wally World. They had ScotchBrite brand, which was plainly labeled "copper-coated". Reject.
Went to super market; found Chore Boy, which was labeled "pure copper". Checked with a magnet: Nothing. Success.
Now here's the secret. The pad is a knitted -- yes, knitted -- tube rolled up like a sock in your sock drawer. Find the two places where it is tucked inside itself, and untuck it. It will now unravel just like a knitted sweater, if you start at the correct end of the tube. I was able to pull four or five-foot strands from it. Spin several feet around an old bore brush, just like jhenry said before.
I had been pushing some LWCs pretty hard through my Blackhawk .357, so it was leaded up pretty good. Ten strokes with that bore brush and some Hoppe's No. 9 and the barrel looked like it just came from the factory.
The copper is way softer than the steel barrel and probably softer than the bronze bore brush, so it won't hurt a thing. JUST BE SURE THE PAD IS MADE OF PURE COPPER.
Went to the nearest likely place to get a copper pad, which happened to be a Dollar General. The package said "copper scrubbing pad". Checked it with a package of refrigerator magnets hanging nearby. Seemed OK, so I bought them. Checked them again with a bigger magnet at home. Thunk! They stuck. Pulled a strand out and scrubbed the copper off with emory paper. Steel underneath the copper. Got my money back.
Went to Wally World. They had ScotchBrite brand, which was plainly labeled "copper-coated". Reject.
Went to super market; found Chore Boy, which was labeled "pure copper". Checked with a magnet: Nothing. Success.
Now here's the secret. The pad is a knitted -- yes, knitted -- tube rolled up like a sock in your sock drawer. Find the two places where it is tucked inside itself, and untuck it. It will now unravel just like a knitted sweater, if you start at the correct end of the tube. I was able to pull four or five-foot strands from it. Spin several feet around an old bore brush, just like jhenry said before.
I had been pushing some LWCs pretty hard through my Blackhawk .357, so it was leaded up pretty good. Ten strokes with that bore brush and some Hoppe's No. 9 and the barrel looked like it just came from the factory.
The copper is way softer than the steel barrel and probably softer than the bronze bore brush, so it won't hurt a thing. JUST BE SURE THE PAD IS MADE OF PURE COPPER.
Do yourself a real favor and buy a Lewis Lead Remover kit. Brownell's offer's 'em and believe me, it IS the answer to your problems. The kit even includes a tapered forcing cone fitting for revolvers.........basically works by using bronze pre cut screens. One or two passes with a Lewis and you will not believe just how much crap was left in a presumably clean bbl.
Uncle Buck
New member
Another Chor-boy fan here.
My father got a sweet deal on a .357 pistol. When he examined the gun up close at home he found the "Rifling in the barrel is shot away, I got taken!"
Turned out it was lead fouling and chor-bor removed it all very well. Barrel looked like new and I still have the gun in my revolver collection.
I have the Lewis Lead remover kit and my biggest problem is tearing the screens. (I have not been able to get any more screening from ACE Hardware). The chor-boy works better and easier for me.
My father got a sweet deal on a .357 pistol. When he examined the gun up close at home he found the "Rifling in the barrel is shot away, I got taken!"
Turned out it was lead fouling and chor-bor removed it all very well. Barrel looked like new and I still have the gun in my revolver collection.
I have the Lewis Lead remover kit and my biggest problem is tearing the screens. (I have not been able to get any more screening from ACE Hardware). The chor-boy works better and easier for me.