Author Topic: What does leading look like? (Read 660 times)

jpuke · « **on:** July 28, 2005, 01:29:22 AM »

I spent an hour yesterday cleaning my Marlin 1895 and I'm still not sure if I have leading or not. Does leading appear as gray streaks that you can see if looking at the muzzle? I must have ran over 50 patches through the bore, not to mention the brushing and only a few specks of lead were on a couple of patches. Should I guess that leading isn't a problem or am I probably not getting it out?

KSR · « **Reply #1 on:** July 28, 2005, 03:53:00 AM »

Leading looks like small chunks in the rifling. It is very obvious that it is
there. It sounds like your barrel is pretty clean with some light streaking
of lead in it. Not really anything to worry about as long as your accuracy
is still acceptable.

jpuke · « **Reply #2 on:** July 28, 2005, 07:47:13 AM »

Thanks KSR, I don't see any gunk in the grooves of the barrel. I guess I just need to hit it a bit more with the brush to get any lead streaks off the lands.

jgalar · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2005, 04:46:39 PM »

You can buy some copper scrubbing pads and cut strands off and wrap them around your regular brush to remove leading. A little bit of grey in the barrel doesn't pose a problem. As stated above don't be to concerned unless the accuracy drops off.

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #4 on:** July 31, 2005, 05:18:35 AM »

Leading can appear in two forms. Silver streaks in the grooves is the one most people think of, but it can also be a dull gray wash generally near the muzzle. That can also appear on the muzzle itself and shows lube failure. A coat of Liquid Alox on your remaining unloaded bullets should prevent that problem from recurring.

Either type can continue to build if not removed. The Chore Boy trick is as good a method as any.

Leading is mostly a problem for beginners and is the main cause of people giving up on cast bullets. It can be the result of bullets too hard, too soft, too small, too high a pressure, poor lube, or a rough bore. With experience, you learn what works and how to deal with problems, but it can be a rocky road when you are just starting.