Removing lead

[glockbox]

I've read several posts here that say shoot a couple of jacketed rounds through your barrel to remove lead. I've also heard that this parctice "irons" the lead to the bore. Basically smearing it from the forcing cone to the muzzle. Giving the bore the appearance of being clean but in reality having a thin coat of lead. I purchased a Ruger blackhawk a few years ago that had a barrel that appeared smooth. It was compleatly coated in lead. A friend of mine told me that cool-aid will remove lead. I plugged the barrel with a rubber ear plug, mixed a small amount of cool-aid and put it in the barrel and let it sit overnight, he did the same with his Colt python (but used a wad of paper instead of an earplug). The next morning I removed the plug, poured out the cool-aid, and all ther lead was gone! It worked! It also leaked out of his barrel and removed the bluing off of his python! Anyways.... any thoughts on the "ironing" of lead in the bore? I use a Lewis lead remover, it's fast and works good. :-D

[Lloyd Smale]

ive shot the lead out of my guns with jacketed bullets for years and its allways worked for me. As a matter of fact for the most part its about all i do to clean a barrel  Never heard of the koolaid thing but if it attacks the bluing i would have to believe it will be attacking the steel in the barrel also. About the best way to scrub out lead that ive found is a lewis lead remover and a little jb bore paste.

[Sixgun]

I tried some 180 gr Laser Cast Bullets in My 357 Max barrel one time and got a bad case of leading in the bore.  About that time I was reading the first Lee manual and Richard Lee claimed that Lee Liquod Alox, applied to cast bullets would actually clean the barrel.  I decided to give it a try.  I lubed up a few of the Laser Cast bullets and used the same load that had caused the leading.

It worked just like advertised.  When I get lead, or copper deposits for that matter, I just shoot some cast bullets with the Lee Liquod Alox through it and it cleans right up.

Sixgun

[MTleadhead]

The fastest way to remove lead from a barrel is to shoot a bullet of the correct alloy for the velocity. Most commercially cast bullets are way too hard for the velocity that most of us shoot. That aside, I have found that wrapping copper wool around a tight bore brush removes lead quickly without damage to the bore. I purchase the copper wool from Brownell's in either the fine or medium grade. This product is also good for removing lead from bullet molds as it will not damage the mold and unlike steel wool, has no oil that will foul the molds.

[calvon]

Go to most any grocery store and buy a copper or brass pot scrubber. Chore Girl is one brand name that works. Tear the Chore Girl into ribbons and wrap those around an undersize bore brush. Add enough that it is a snug to tight fit in the bore. A few passes with that and the lead fouling is gone with no damage to the bore as brass or copper is softer than barrel steel.

Hat Tip to Veral Smith's book Jacketed Performance With Cast Bullets.

Caveat: DON'T use a pot scrubber made of stainless steel!