FS268 carried a very interesting article by Ed Harris on cast bullets in the 9mm Luger/Parabellum, and it reminded me of a question I should ask the experienced shooter on this site. What are the hazards (if any) of shooting some jacketed bullets through a barrel that has some degree of leading? Since a copper wash is easier to clean out of a barrel than leading, I have for years fired a magazine or cylinder of jacketed bullets through the barrel of my Colt .45 Ruger SA or my 1911 Springfield after a target session of shooting mainly cast bullets at the steel plate. I'm reasonably sure that the barrel is not heavily leaded by any means, but I admit that I don't check that out before shooting the jacketed loads. Now I'm pretty sure I know already what the manufacturers would say about this despicable practice, but I would like to hear practical advice from experienced shooters. Am I the only miscreant in the known universe who shoots some jacketed bullets to clean out light leading?
Jacketed to clean out lead?
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- Last Post 06 March 2024
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I do that. But accepted knowledge tells us only a dork gets leading in the first place....
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This old remedy of removing lead is not a sure fire way to remove lead, to pardon the pun. It may happen with certain guns, but is not the norm. After spending decades on the firing range teaching police officers to shoot I experienced this not happening more time than not. It is always best to do a proper cleaning to remove lead if necessary.
David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .
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FS 268? Is that a mis print? Man, I still don't have #267 yet!
Tom
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If you wrap a piece of a copper chore boy pad around an old bore brush it takes any lead out quite quickly and easily.
B.E.Brickey
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Tom
FS 268 is out, but I get my copies now online.
bob
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" I do that. But accepted knowledge tells us only a dork gets leading in the first place..."
Accepted knowledge is often pure baloney that has been repeated a lot.
If a non-dork loads enough cast bullets in enough guns at enough velocities he too will run into the dreaded leading. Don't feel inferior, just get some steel wool or Chore Boy and scrub.
John
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Try the "double tuff" brushes from Brownells; they work as well on minor leading as the Lewis lead remover and are much easier to work with than the Chore Boys. My results with jacketed bullets to remove leading have been inconclusive at best. It works to an extent, but not as well as good brushes. Heavy leading? Learn to avoid that.
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If you want to take the lead out the easiest way: Get some liquid mercury. Degrease the bore. Plug the bottom or chamber end and fill the barrel with the mercury. The next day all the lead will be gone. Pour your mercury back into its bottle until the next time. And don't worry about mercury poisoning,, that is only going to happen if you vaporize the stuff. If it really bothers you wear gloves.
B.E.Brickey
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It doesn't sound very nice and helpful to call someone asking for help a dork But don't dare post anything religious or political.
Mashburn
David a. Cogburn
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We will do the best we can to discourage name calling, implied name calling, and general uncivil discussion.
Allowing religious or political posts is the quickest way to make uncivil posts a lot more difficult to control -- been there, done that.
People wanting to get into religious or political discussions have a lot of other options.
John
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I don't see the post as calling anyone a name, it was just an expression of common thought.
David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .
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Back to the subject and question at hand. A Lewis Lead Remover, works very well even on barrels with extreme leading. You have a rubber bushing holding brass screens to drag through the barrel that is lubricated with cleaning solution. Takes some time, but it works.
The Lewis Lead Remover is the second non-standard reloading tool I recommend to each new reloader. The impact bullet puller is the first. I have one with .38, .44, and 45 setups and have not used it for myself in years. But it's in a cabinet shelf on the wall for instant usage.
Shooting Jacketed bullets through a barrel can "iron" the lead so flat it appears to be gone.
Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest
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I agree totally with Bud. It is very valuable tool to have on hand. We keep them at the PD range in every caliber available. They make quick work of cleaning the lead. Brownell's carries a good selection of the Lewis Lead Remover components.
I have also used mercury and am still using the same pint bottle of it i purchased 45 years ago. You have to be very, very careful in using it because if you spill any, it is a bugger to recover it.
David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .
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I have had great results using the chore boy method. My dads S&W had bad leading from early made factory .357 lead rounds. It came out nice and clean with a little elbow grease.
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Sorry if I offended anyone.
I was calling myself a dork because I said, "I do that" meaning I shoot jacketed bullets out of my guns in order to remove leading.
We must learn to laugh at ourselves.
Seriously, I use chore boy on a brush with CLP. I built a wooden gun vice to hold the gun upside down when doing things like this. Keeps solvent from running into the action.
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I found that shooting a cylinder full of jacketed bullets, after a day at the range of shooting cast bullets, works fine at cleaning any fouling or leading out. I don't do this that often, and I am not recommending this as a policy, but when done, it does work, as a matter of convenience. If the leading is more severe, than just at the leade, a Lewis lead remover, or some bronze wool wrapped around an old cleaning brush works quite well, and is more desirable. Heavy leading should not be shot out, as pressures can increase dramatically.
If you get severe leading, you are doing something wrong with your bullets, and a remedy should be sought.
There is the old argument, that jacketed bullets will iron any leading into the steel barrel. I don't see how this is possible, as the gilding copper bullet jacket is much softer than the barrel steel, and if there is any ironing to be done, it will be into the bullet jacket. But others insist that it will. This is an ongoing debate.
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Thanks to all those who responded to my question about shooting jacketed after cast to clean out light leading! I'll probably continue the practice, at least with light leading. I've found some Chore Boy copper scrubbing pads, and I'll try that out--but I don't know where I'd be able to find any mercury to experiment with that method. Useful thoughts and good ideas, guys. . . .
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I guess I shouldn't even ask if powder coated bullets remove lead.
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Since it is the hot, high pressure gas that melts and blows out the leading, not the jacketed bullet itself, a high velocity (high pressure) load with PC bullets should do the same. No reason to think that a PC load at moderate CB typical pressures would do the trick, but who knows.
Has anybody actually tried it? Enlighten us please.
John
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At least in my .44 mag guns, if I get minor leading, I remove it easily with 5/ea gas checked 429215's and 19.7g of WC820. My theory is the gas check edge removes the lead as it passes through it. If this theory is incorrect, I don't care, because it works!
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