Lead Remover

[Doctor Sam]

I saw a website that recommended a 50:50 mixture of white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to remove lead.  Swab bore, wait a few minutes, dry patch, then clean and oil.
Chemically, this is 2.5% acetic acid.
Anyone used this?
What do you use and how does it work?
Thanks.

[Robert]

That would depend on the percentage/strength of the vinegar and the peroxide.  Most peroxide that is available commercially is only about 3% and the rest is water.  I am also looking into some lead problems, I am trying Tetra-Gun.  Pretty potent ammonia content, would double as smelling salts if anybody ever fainted.

[Shootingamigo]

Hey my 2 cents worth here,
                                         Try Kroil penetrating oil. Works great I use in barrels and molds. They make Silikroil which is a silicone based penetrant. I stay away from that. Patch on let sit for 24 hrs and clean as normal. Positively amazing stuff. I spoke with a guy there at Kroil his name is Joe he told me they use Kroil for cleaning bullett traps at gun ranges and let set for 24 hrs and scrape the lead away with scraper.

[Lloyd Smale]

watch you bluing if you do it. Id try the penentrating oil or JBs bore paste they both work well

[Jim L.]

I dont care to use the chemicals for lead. Go out to grocery store and find the chore boy copper cleaning pads. cut it down and wrap it around a old worn out copper brush or swab until its a snug fit for the bore. A few strokes and the lead will be gone. You can feel it cutting the lead as you go. Just DONT get any of the SS cleaning pads.
Jim

[Hcliff]

I am like Jim and Lloyd.  Scrub it out that way.  If you want some solvent good old Hoppes works with the chore boy pad.  I haven't tried it but  Shooter's Choice makes a lead remover solvant.  I have not tried it)

Hcliff

[Shootingamigo]

I have tried the Shoters choice and it seemed real real good in the barrel but didnt do too well in the small area like the forcing cone. The penetrating oil did the job there. Shooters choice lead remover is a good product though.

[waksupi]

I'm with Jim L. This is the method that has been used by the benchrest shooters for years, and you don't do something to a competition barrel that is going to harm it.

[kevin]

I have tried most chemicals designed for removing gun powder and copper and lead fouling, but have not tried the poor boy thing sounds interesting! but something that i have used and found extremly good is made by Blue Wonder  called gun cleaner just fallow the directions, after yur chore is finished and you look down the barrel you notice that not only is the bore nice and shinny like it is brand new but all lead and copper fouling has disappeared, i first used this stuff in my yugo 48a and the bore was just copper fouled out after a few minutes and a little scubbing and letting it rest you should have see all the crap come out i did the prosses twice after the second one i tried the time tested hoppes , and a few dry patches too see how dirty the bore was and that was a waste of time they came out just as clean as they went in.
   I then broke out the lead guns only and as the rest  of us know that how much a pain it is when we get a real small amount of lead fouling of a bunch well in a barrel that runs real hard lead it lookd a i figuared was clean you should have seen the junk come out of that thing, I've used hoppes most of my life its what grand pa used and dad used and what i will still use but i will be adding Blue Wonder to clean them seriously before a match,oh almost forgot to add ablout my muzzleloaders ( they are all side locked mostly flinters), i lulled the breach plugs and did the same to them and they also are rejuvenated.
                                             Kevin

[The Cast Bullet Kid]

:wink: Three syllables I have come to love.
JB's Paste.  Can't go wrong.  REAL tight patch and a few wipes.  No more lead.
cheers
TCBK

[kciH]

Jim L is 100% on the mark here, the copper Chore Boy works faster than any other method.  I've used a foul out after using the Chore Boy and some other techniques, the Chore Boy is hands down the easiest, fastest, and best method.  The Chore Boy will make short work out of the worst mess, like undersized hard cast bullets at low velocity kind of mess.  Best of all, it's cheap and easy.

[Questor]

Another vote for Chore Boy. I actually use fine bronze wool, but that's what I had. You can get bronze wool through Brownells. It's about $10 for several pads that will last for years for bore cleaning.  You don't need to discard the stuff after each use.

My technique is to wrap some bronze wool around a bore brush for a smaller calliber (38 to clean a 44 or 45).  Then clean the bore. Then use my solvent rag to squeeze out the excess solvent after cleaning.

Works great. I still keep some shooters choice lead remover on hand, but I can't remember why.

[ssmith_1187]

If it's an option...I'll shoot a cylinder full of copper jacketed bullets at the end of my shooting session.

For example, in my S&W 686, if I have shot a couple of hundred .38 Special FWCs...I will finish my day with a cylinder of full throttle .357 JHP or JSPs.

It does a good job of cleaning the lead fouling out.

Steve

[Doctor Sam]

Many thanks, Gentlemen, for all your comments.  Kevin's remarks about Blue Wonder is spot on.  Made by Novum Solutions in Houston and the stuff works.  They recommend that you saturate a bore brush with it and swab the bbl about 5 times.  It is a semi-jell.  Wait up to 10 minutes and run a patch or two through.  I was pretty skeptical about their claims but you should see the junk that comes out.  Did it twice, as did Kevin, and the bore was sparkling clean in an Argentine 1909 carbine that you could see the lead in one spot in the groove.  Lubed after as they recommend to prevent rust.  I don't know how this stuff works but it does.  Seems to me to dissolve everything except the barrel.  The latest Rifleman has the source or maybe a Google search.  
I have used a bunch of patches before using this to clean the accumulated gunk from these old military rifles.  Won't happen again.  I hope they stay in business for a long time.
Doctor Sam

[Dand]

I'm wondering why nobody mentions the Lewis Lead Remover for hand guns?  Don't know of a set up for rifles but my LLR works great in my reolvers - very quick and a little less hassle than cutting up chore boys I think.