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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) lead in bore (Read 13471 times)
wayne r
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lead in bore
Jan 24th, 2010 at 8:33am
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  Am new to shooting old guns!
Need to know how to tell if a bore has lead deposits and how to safely remove it. I have a Win. low wall in 25-20 W.C.F.,barrel was relined 
at some point.   
  It shoots better than my 60+ year old eyes can see,but worry about 
cleaning the bore. Probably a fairly soft steel used in relining!
     Wayne r
  
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QuestionableMaynard8130
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Re: lead in bore
Reply #1 - Jan 24th, 2010 at 10:29am
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I keep one of those kind of waxy-yellow lead-deposit-wipe-away cloths in my kit.  Cutting it into cleaning patches and running it through with a tight jag really cleans the bore and doesn't seem to harm anything.
  I don't remember the name of the wiping cloth, but they used to be common in the gunshops  they were real common for cleanup when shooting lead bullets with revolvers.  I bought a couple years ago and kept them sealed in plastic bags.

someone else may know the exact name and a current source

btw, the liner may actually be harder steel than the original barrel was
  

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Mizura
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Re: lead in bore
Reply #2 - Jan 24th, 2010 at 11:07am
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I use a product known as,

Lyman Turbo Lead-free Cloth. I cut it in squares to fit the barrel.

Lyman product # 7631350, sells for $5-6.

J&M Supply has them in stock.

Hope this is what you're looking for.

Jim
  

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wayne r
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Re: lead in bore
Reply #3 - Jan 24th, 2010 at 11:53am
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    Thanks I'll give it a try!
Wayne r
  
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tim_s
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Re: lead in bore
Reply #4 - Jan 25th, 2010 at 11:08am
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You will find, with all due respect, that if you have any degree of really imbedded lead, the cloths don't work well. There was a review somewhere involving a good series of borescope photos. Two simple effective methods that are quite productive are to use a nylon brush with JB or IOSSO both are non imbedding and use a mild chemical/abrasive methodology, particulary for deposits in the throat.
 Cleaning and maintainance of any barrel really gets interesting when you have the benefit of a scope to actually quantify what's going on in there IMHO.
« Last Edit: Jan 25th, 2010 at 9:26pm by tim_s »  

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Set_Trigger
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Re: lead in bore
Reply #5 - Jan 25th, 2010 at 1:54pm
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In the old days the Lewis Lead Remover did a very good job.
But if you want to get your barrel super clean and really get all the lead out use mercury, if you can find any.
 S T
« Last Edit: Jan 25th, 2010 at 11:49pm by »  
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toolmkr
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Re: lead in bore
Reply #6 - Jan 25th, 2010 at 4:48pm
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I was wondering when someone was going to suggest mercury, no idea where it can be purchased or if anyone would be politically correct owning same. OH forgot site I'm on, please forgive.
  
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Re: lead in bore
Reply #7 - Jan 25th, 2010 at 4:50pm
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toolmkr wrote on Jan 25th, 2010 at 4:48pm:
I was wondering when someone was going to suggest mercury, no idea where it can be purchased or if anyone would be politically correct owning same. OH forgot site I'm on, please forgive.


You can get a LITTLE bit from EACH flourescent bulb.  They should be banned!  All the bad ones going straight into the landfill.  At least lead doesn't get into the water table.

  

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QuestionableMaynard8130
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Re: lead in bore
Reply #8 - Jan 25th, 2010 at 6:03pm
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then there are the old honeywell thermostats in most houses more than 20 years old.  two or three of then would yield enough to clean most bores if handled properly and carefully.

at one time I had a pint bottle full of it on the shelf in my shop Shocked  but I was a good boy and surrendered it to a toxic disposal agency.    Now I wish I had held some back
  

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Re: lead in bore
Reply #9 - Jan 25th, 2010 at 6:04pm
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I had some leading in hot weather in my very first Schutzen rifle. Someone gave me a piece of forcing cone cleaning cloth. A tacky yellow abrasive cloth. It got the lead out. The barrel leaded again, I used the cloth again. The more I used the cloth the faster the barrel leaded. When I moved from Colorado to the PNW the barrel continued to lead in about five shots in cool weather. I tried everything to get that barrel to stop leading. I sent the rifle off for a new barrel, same maker. It does not lead and I have never used that cloth again. 

Bev Pinny had a Smith barreled Miller rifle that shot 250s pretty regular. It was the most accurate rifle shooter combo in the PNW and Canada. One day at a match I heard him say that the barrel was leading and he couldnt get it to stop. During the conversation he mentioned he had been using forcing cone cleaning cloth. I told him about my experience but he told me I was full of  ***t. I shut up. 
The next season he had replaced the barrel because it wouldnt stop leading no matter what he tried. 

My guess is the cloth has a carborundum dust or diamond dust impregnated in the cloth. Does it come off the cloth and imbed in the steel? I dont know. I do know for sure that I will never use it ever. I wont even have it in my shop should I mistakenly push it through a barrel.

3 or 4 ot steel wool on a tight patch works for me.

More of my two cents.

         Joe.   Smiley


  

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Re: lead in bore
Reply #10 - Jan 25th, 2010 at 7:22pm
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I use pure gum turpentine. Has to be the real stuff, not synthetic. A lot of the BPCR folks use turpentine to get the lead out of their bores. I use a crown protector and push a very tight patch in from the muzzle and since it is going against the flow, seems to help lift it out. 

I would recommend having someone control the rifle so you can control the cleaning rod so you don't damage the crown.

The first loose patch is soaked, and let is sit a couple seconds. Then tight patches wet with the turpentine.

This method won't hurt your rifling. I use it to clean my Shilohs and CPA Stevens BPCR rifles.

I have seen extreme lead mines be cleaned up by driving a patch through from the breech end utilizing a large diameter brass cleaning rod. One rifle had slivers come out. Sometimes in hot dry weather, when folks shoot long strings of shots in a day long competition, lube fails and bad leading occurs.

Dave
  
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Re: lead in bore
Reply #11 - Jan 25th, 2010 at 7:42pm
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I agree Dave. A wet patch of #9 let it sit for a while and most if not all the lead comes out with a tight patch.  Wink

            Joe.
  

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QuestionableMaynard8130
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Re: lead in bore
Reply #12 - Jan 25th, 2010 at 9:03pm
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ever use the Lewis Lead Remover bronze/brass screen patch system on a rifle rod.   I had an old one from my IHMSSA days and used it a couple times on my 45-70 browning sporter when I got it clogged up.

ran the rod down the bore attached the plug and screen at the chamber end and pulled it back out.

seems like the bronze screen wouldn't hurt the bore--to me at least.  wonder if they made it in smaller calibres?
  

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Re: lead in bore
Reply #13 - Jan 25th, 2010 at 10:51pm
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QuestionableMaynard8130 wrote on Jan 25th, 2010 at 9:03pm:
ever use the Lewis Lead Remover bronze/brass screen patch system on a rifle rod.   I had an old one from my IHMSSA days and used it a couple times on my 45-70 browning sporter when I got it clogged up.

ran the rod down the bore attached the plug and screen at the chamber end and pulled it back out.

seems like the bronze screen wouldn't hurt the bore--to me at least.  wonder if they made it in smaller calibres?


It's available in 30/32 caliber...Brownells probably won't admit it, but that was one of my suggestions, mainly for the Cowboy Action crowd.

David
  

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Fred Boulton
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Re: lead in bore
Reply #14 - Jan 26th, 2010 at 6:22am
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I have a small stone jar which contains one pound of mercury.
Used it as a lead remover --or tried to--on several occasions. It does not work. I know that it should do and on one occasion I left a plugged barrel with mercury in it for a month. No effect.
Wire brushes don't work.
Leaving a patch soaked in no9 or similar for a day and then cleaning with a tight patch works. I have used the lead remover cloths--they work, but the soak in barrel cleaner works as well.
After the tight patch cleaner, a brisk clean with Iosso or similar mild abrasive compounds will remove the last traces of lead.Fred
  
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