How do I get rid of heavy leading in a revolver barrel?

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DarthNul

New member
I picked up a new Smith/Wesson model 69 recently. The only .44 ammo the store had at the time was a box of cast lead "cowboy action" rounds. so I got a box of.44 special and a box of .44 magnum.

I went through the magnum box, and about half the special box along with some poly/moly coated handloads (target loads, nowhere near full power), and maybe 20 or 25 full power jacketed rounds. So I've got at most, 150 rounds through the barrel, and it's been cleaned probable every 30 to 35 rounds.

Before I started the last cleaning (I'm still working on it) I noticed that the lands seemed kind of rounded off. The lands seem to have developed lead "shoulders" and there are heavy deposits of lead in the grooves.

Bronze brushes, patches, and "Shooter's Choice" lead solvent (four rounds af 15 minute soaks) barely put a dent in it. The only thing that seems to work is literally scraping it out with small picks, screwdrivers or whatever I can find that'll fit down the barrel and against a land. Unfortunately, none of the tools are effective more than 2-1/2 inched in from the muzzle.

I've spent several hours on this and there's still plenty of lead left in there.

I've had a couple of other guns that had similar issues (one was also S&W) but they had defective barrels right out the box: A 7" S&W 22A had so many tool marks in the bore that after 50 rounds, the muzzle looked like the mouth of a lead volcano, and a Rock Island 1911 that due some some quality control issues, had a bore that was completely parkerized. Both of those went back to the factory. I don't see any issues like that in the stainless steel barrel of the model 69.

How do I get this stuff out of there? I'm hoping to shoot this with a clean barrel before I'm on social security. I promise I'll never run any naked cast lead through it again :)
 
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Buzzard Bait

New member
jacketed rounds

well I don't know if this is a proper way to do it but seems like firing a few jacketed rounds seems to get the lead out
bb
 
J

JohnKSa

Administrator
Lewis Lead Remover

I've also heard folks advocate unraveling copper "Chore Boy" cleaning pads and winding them around a bore brush for removing lead as in the thread below.
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=390507

Be careful about firing jacketed bullets down a leaded bore. It might not be a problem in a lightly leaded bore, but if there's a significant lead buildup, it can act like a partial obstruction and cause damage to the barrel or even result in an overpressure event. At least one manufacturer (Beretta) I'm aware of recommends against the practice and Allan Jones, formerly of Speer indicated in more than one of his articles that he had seen several guns damaged by the practice.
 
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Bill DeShivs

New member
You can also stuff a tight wad of 0000 steel wool in the barrel and push it through with a cleaning rod. It won't hurt the barrel.
 
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TMD

New member
Chore Boy copper scrubbing pads. Clip off a piece and run it down the barrel a few times.
 
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mehavey

New member
Take a magnet with you !!!
You will find that many "ChoreBoy" look-alikes
in a store are actually copper-plated steel mesh.:eek:

You don't want those. :mad:
 
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gyvel

New member
The "drastic" method is to use mercury. If you can locate some mercury, plug one end of the barrel and fill the bore with it. Let it sit overnight and you should see most of your lead gone.

Of course we played with mercury in our youths, but it has somehow gotten very toxic in the last 60 years, so be careful with it.
 
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Jim Watson

New member
Mercury will work, no doubt about it. But pound quantities of mercury are hard to come by in this environmentally enlightened age.

I have read that vinegar and hydrogen peroxide (peracetic acid) will work, too, but again the environmentally conscious citizen will worry about handling and disposing of toxic lead acetate.

I have read that case filler will scour the lead out.
I tried Super Grex shotshell filler and it did not help. The usual recommendation is grits or Cream of Wheat.

It was claimed that the old CF Ventures wax wad would anti-flux it out, but is no longer available. Would canning wax or dental impression wax work? I don't know.

Chore Boy or steel wool will scrub it out but I tried the Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner and it worked better.
http://www.big45.com/
Midway Tipton Gun Bright looks similar but I can't say that it is the same stuff.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/439502/tipton-gun-bright-metal-gun-cleaning-pad-stainless-steel
 
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j357

New member
+1 on the ChoreBoy. That's what you want, by name. +1 on taking a magnet if you are looking at any other brand. I will suggest you start at your local grocery or family owned hardware store. Took me the better part of an afternoon, and like 5 stops to find anything other than copper washed steel.
 
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mapsjanhere

New member
Mercury works great, but the quantities by weight you need are not insignificant. For a 4" 44 barrel you need about 4 oz, for a 6" 6 oz. Even if that's only half a shot glass, mercury is dense. The good news is as long as the mercury is liquid you can keep using it, the bad news is the phase diagram is pretty steep and at 3-4% lead your amalgam will be solid at room temperature. You can reclaim your mercury, but that should be left to professionals unless you've got access to a chemistry lab and good disposal for hazardous waste.
 
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Don P

New member
I have read that vinegar and hydrogen peroxide (peracetic acid) will work, too, but again the environmentally conscious citizen will worry about handling and disposing of toxic lead acetate.
Click to expand...
It works well. It is extremely caustic so after the barrel is clean I would flush it out with a mixture of baking soda and water. The latter will neutralize the acid mix. Works great.
 
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MrBorland

New member
Use a Lewis Lead Remover.

Peroxide dissolves lead by chemically reacting to it, but while elemental (i.e. metallic) lead isn't very toxic, lead compounds are, so I'd advise against it.

Mercury? Stay away from the stuff. Yes, it's toxic. Always has been. And if you spill it in your garage, you've got a real problem.

Don't shoot jacketed ammo to get rid of it, either. It really doesn't get rid of it, so much as smooshes it flatter. And if the barrel's heavily leaded, it's not likely to be good on the barrel - with the tight tolerance between the bore and the bullet, something's gotta give a bit.

If you're going to shoot lead through your revolver, you need an LLR.
 
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Ifishsum

New member
The ones I'm familiar with are only for cleaning the forcing cone.
Click to expand...

My Lewis Lead Removers came with a straight rubber jag for the bore and a cone-shaped one for the cone. They do a good job of getting the lead out in just one or two passes I think.
 
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gyvel

New member
My Lewis Lead Removers came with a straight rubber jag for the bore and a cone-shaped one for the cone. They do a good job of getting the lead out in just one or two passes I think.
Click to expand...

Ah. Then, as usual, I am somewhat behind the times.:D
 
A

AzShooter

New member
Lewis Lead Remover and get some MPro7. Let it sit for an hour and then use your patches and all the lead will come out. I've been using it for years and love this stuff.

No smell, 1 bottle will last a long time. No smell so the wife won't get mad.
 
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Ifishsum

New member
If you're gonna shoot a lot of factory lead (loaded ammo or purchased components), the LLR is a good investment I think. You can do multiple calibers by buying one kit plus extra jags for other bore sizes. It makes lead removal pretty quick and painless IMO.

I started casting my own at some point after buying the LLRs and just do not see the leading like I used to when I was buying my bullets, so they see little use now. But I'm glad I have them.
 
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