[Newton]

I never shoot lead through my .38, always FMJ, but I recently came by a hundred rounds of 158gr SWC that cost me exactly one dollar.

Thing is, I don't want to crap up my gun with lead in the rifling and built up around the forcing cone for the sake of using my free ammo.

So is it worth the hassle of shooting it, and if I do, what's the best method of cleaning out those nasty deposits from a blued 4 inch .38 Spl. Would shooting some FMJ's after the SWC "blow" most of it through.

Thanks

Newton

[Shane]

Lead bullets won't hurt your gun, it will just make it harder to clean. There are lead solvents that you can buy that help in removing lead, and there is also a lead remover tool. I just use lead solvents and use a lot of muscle grease when I get lead deposits. It takes time, but the lead comes out. I've heard there are better ways and quicker ways of removing lead though.


Since your revolver is blued, you won't be able to use the lead away clothes, unfortunately.

[dfariswheel]

We lead bullet shooter's have been using the Lewis Lead Remover Kit since about the late 1940's.

This set will quickly remove all lead from the bore, chambers, and the forcing cone.

Unlike some other methods the Lewis is proven NOT to damage the gun.

Buy it from Brownell's.

I DON'T recommend shooting jacketed bullets out of a leaded bore to clean it. Pressures can skyrocket when a jacketed bullet is forced down a heavily fouled bore, and usually the lead isn't removed from the chambers or the forcing cone.

I have seen at least two revolvers with ringed or bulged barrels from attempting to shoot lead out.

As for "lead Solvents", there are solvents that can work their way under lead and help lift it off the steel, but these take time to work.
There is no such thing as a lead "solvent".
Think about it: what chemical do you know of that can dissolve lead, that won't also dissolve steel, AND YOU.

[Kahr carrier]

Shoot it.:)

[Standing Wolf]

Lead in revolvers has been working just fine quite awhile longer than any of us has been drawing breath.

[Tom B]

My gundealer has a very old S&W M29 that he showed me the other day. He has owned it himself since new and claimed it had over 500K rounds through it. He says it has been rebuilt many times except has never had the barrel replaced. He said he only shoots lead bullets so barrel has very little wear. If true (and I have no reason to doubt his word) another benefit of shooting lead.

[Ala Dan]

Most all of my shooting is done with lead
bullet's. For those persons that still cast their
own; scrap lead is easy to come by. For the
rest of us, its very affordable. In my early
year's of handloading, I shot a fair amount
of jacketed bullet's from Speer, Sierra, and
Hornady; without realizing how much money
I was sending down range, at paper target's!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

[Baron Holbach]

I have no qualms about shooting lead bullets through my revolvers. I clean the bores with brass bore brushes soaked with Break Free CLP. Then I run plenty of Break Free CLP-soaked cotton patches through the bore. You can also leave the bore soaked with a thin layer of Break Free; just make sure you run a dry patch through the bore before shooting the gun. Cleaning lead out of your gun's bore takes a little more time.

[Quantrill]

dfariswheel has it right!!! Quantrill

[10-Ring]

No lead through semi's, Yes through the revolvers. Just be prepared for more elbow grease when cleaning the barrel. ;)

[mainmech48]

Almost all of my revolver shooting has been with lead bullets. The only really notable exceptions would be my old S&W 1917 and my 625. Actually, quite a bit of lead went through the 1917, as cast bullets were all that I could afford at the time.

Most of the cleaning hassles came from the grunge associated with bullet lube and powder residue from using "Unique" almost exclusively. Leading really wasn't that much of an issue unless the alloy was too "soft" or I'd tried to push the velocity to 1000 fps. Sometimes I'd have to use the Lewis tool on the forcing cone, but Hoppe's and a bronze bore brush would usually do just fine.

I couldn't even guess just how many lead bullets have been through my old Dan Wesson 15-2 in the past 27 years. My standard reload for practice and plinking has long been 5.5 gr. of Unique in .357 cases and 4.3 in .38 Spl.s, both with 158 gr. cast bullets. The bore still looks like new.

One relatively new product that helps clean-up on the cylinder face and around the forcing cone a lot is "Carter's Compensator Cleaner". Most crud just wipes off. A spritz on the cone/topstrap area and cylinder face before you start shooting is all it takes.

[Master Blaster]

Lead Solvent

Here is the recipie it does disolve lead

1 part hydrogen peroxide mixed with one part white vinnegar.
both components availible at the grocery store for $2
this solution is called paracetic acid.

Plug barrel pour in barrel let sit 10 minutes all lead is dissolved

WARNING THIS SOLUTION COULD DESTROY THE STEEL IN YOUR BARREL DEPENDING ON ITS COMPOSITION.

i USED IT IN A 686+ WITH NO PROBLEMS.


I dont use it anymore since I found a good source for hardcast lead bullets properly sized with good lube and driven to a reasonable velocity (not too fast ).

I would skip the cheap reloads cause its a B***H to clean out fouling from cheap lead bullets.

I shoot almost noting but good hardcast lead bullets in my guns.

[tbeb]

Shoot the lead SWC's as long as they're standard pressure, not +P's. I've shot thousands of my reloads, that did 800 fps from a 4" barrel and never had a problem. And the lead bullets weren't all that hard either.

[Johnny Guest]

No lead through semi's, Yes through the revolvers. Just be prepared for more elbow grease when cleaning the barrel - - -And I just don't understand it. It is far easier to clean an auto shot with lead than a revolver--Remove barrel - -Only one chamber to clean, right along with the bore. Use a nylon brush and solvent inside slide and on breech face. Dry everyhing with an old t-shirt, re-lube, and you're done. Far easier than cleaning barrel and five to eight chambers separately.

But, really, Newton, there's very little hassle to cleaning a revolver when you're organized to do so. Loose-fitting patch, soppy wet with solvent, through bore and each chamber. Leave 'em wet while you use a toothbrush around rear of barrel, breech face, and under extractor star. Unless I've used soft bullets with warmish loads, I don't even use a bronze brush--Just a few tight-fitting patches on a jag tip through the barrel. This usually takes out all the softened fouling. Then do same with each chamber, not forgetting to dry the solvent beneath the extractor.

If there are streaks of lead in barrel, some bronze brushing may be indicated. Lewis Lead Remover (Now marketed by Outers/Blound Inds.) is better. I prefer unwrappped lengths of copper pot scrubber, wrapped around an old brush, fitted tightly to the bore. These have plenty of edges which grab 'hold and drag the lead out of the bore.

Whatever, do NOT use stainless steel brushes or abrasive bore pastes to clean your barrels. Does a lot more harm than good.

Firing thousands of lead bullets through a pistol barrel has the effect of lapping it out, maing things smoother and smoother. This allows less lead to be torn from bullets by roughness.

There is much good to be said for modern jacketed bullets, when shooting heavy loads. For the majority of practice, target work, plinking, and small game hunting, they are a needless expense and increase wear on a fine handgun.

Best,
Johnny

[Quantrill]

What John said. Most .45 auto bullseye shooters that I know and shoot with have never used anything but lead bullets for target and practice. Quantrill

[Poohgyrr]

Dittos on the Lewis kits working well and making it much easier. The softer or swaged lead bullets lead too much. "Hard cast" bullets do fine.

I'm still using a handloaded batch of midrange .357's (158 gr LSWC's from Western Nevada and Unique/ WW231) that cost about 7 cents a round from a while back.:)
:D

[griz]

As a service to a fellow shooter I am willing to dispose of those rounds through the barrel of my revolver.:D

(If you missed the point I'm saying shoot 'em)

[Sisco]

They make bullets out of something besides lead??

[SASS#23149]

Thousands of Cowboy Action Shooters (cas) shoot hundreds of thousands of lead bullets every week.Try some from LaserCast of Oregon.A great hard-cast bullet,and they shoot great.I shoot em in .44's and .45's all the time.Not sure how fast you can shoot em,but I think 900fps would be a snap.
A lot of military-rifle shooters shoot lead bullets for economy,and for safety when shooting steel targets...jackets can fly back and cut like a buzz saw.
If you think the ones you got are hard-cast,shoot em.
Mike

[22luvr]

Someone, somewhere said he used lead solvent, then he carefully ran several strands of a popular pot cleaner through the bore and virtually ALL of the lead was easily removed with no damage to the bore. It is a product that is not so widely used anymore but many of you have probably seen it. It is not steel wool but a copper-colored tightly-curled cleaning pad. The name escapes me.

[Selfdfenz]

Per the comments about lead in autos....lead is fine in autos if the round is loaded to the right level and the bullets isn't too soft.

And here is one lead bullet that is very easy to clean up after. Excellent product. I don't own the Company but I wished I did.
http://www.precisionbullets.com/

BTW.......what do you think most 22 ammo is loaded with. Even the ones with copper films are lead underneath.

S-

[JPM70535]

You'll be fine as long as the lead you are shooting isn't too soft or the bullet isn't driven more than 1000 fps. I have been casting my own bullets from wheel weights for more years than I care to remember, and shooting them in everything fron 380s to 45acp. The only excesive leading I ever encountered was with my 40 caliber Glock. But then that was my fault as shooting lead in Glocks is not recommended because of the rifling type.

One thing I can attest to is that if you try to load much over the 1000 fps level, you will start to get excessive leading unless you use gas checks, but thats a different story.




THE SECOND AMENDMENT GUARANTEES ALL THE OTHERS!!!

[Edward429451]

The only good reason to not shoot lead is laziness. Personally, I dont care how long it takes to clean as long as it continues to do what I want it to while shooting!

[Johnny Guest]

the brand of pot scouring pad I use is called Chore Boy. Just how this differs from the original, Chore Girl, I do not know. I believe the base material of this is either or a copper alloy--It is noticibly softer than the barrel steel, but enough harder than lead bullet material that it does a good job.

My procedure: Buy pads--they come in packages of two or three. Find the staple that holds the pad together and cut it with pliers. Unroll the copper mesh. Using shears or old scissors, cut the mesh into strips about as wide as the usual pistol brush. I use a .38/9mm or .40 brush for .44 and .45 bores. Wrap about two turns of the mesh around the brush--You'll learn how much. The assembly should take a little forcing to get it into the barrel. I like to clean from the chamber end of an autopistol barrel. Can't do it with a revolver--Just be careful not to let an aluminum rod rub against the inside of the muzzle--It is very abrasive. Better yet, use a polished steel cleaning rod.

Run the brush to the end of the barrel, but not quite all the way out. P-U-L-L the brush back toward you, all the way out. Examine under good light and see all the lead trapped in the mesh. Tap it on a piece of white paper and watch the lead fall!

This procedure may be used with barrel either dry or previously soaked with solvent. I do NOT dip used brushes, wrapped or not, into the solvent jar--They contaminate the fluid.

When you've dragged out as much lead as possible, clean barrel with solvent, to remove loosened lead, and finish up with a few snug fitting cloth patches. Probably takes longer to read the above than to do it.

I usually don't find it necessary to use the copper wrapped brush in revolver chambers.

All the best,
Johnny

[Newton]

Thanks guys.

I'll shoot 'em. I'm actually interested to find out how much leading 100 rounds will cause and how long it will take to scrub it out.

Newton

[Hal]

Personally, even though I shoot lead 95% of the time, I 'm not so sure it's a good idea to shoot a load you aren't 100% sure of it's origin,,regardless of whether it's lead of jacketed.

If you're sure the loads are factory or even possibly a name brand commercial reload it should't be a promblem.

If they're reloads that somebody put together I think I'd pull the bullets, dump the powder, fire off the primers and start fresh.


Other than that,,,ditto to the other lead shooters' comments.

[mainmech48]

Newton; Very dependent upon a number of variables: alloy, lube type, powder type and charge weight, barrel/cylinder alignment, etc.

Assuming average commercial quality for the first two, and normal standard-pressure charge weight of a suitable cannister powder. my guess from my experience would be from 10 to 15 minutes of actual brushing and swabbing. It might need 30-40 minutes of "soak" time with solvent in between to loosen things up in the worst case.

Could also be a good deal less if you choose the "Chore Boy" system mentioned earlier. I've used a similar system with coarse steel wool back before I learned of the Lewis tool. The "steel" of the steel wool was too soft to cut the steel of the barrel, but takes the softer lead right off. Wrapped around an old bore brush sparingly, it'll conform to the rifling surfaces and just a pass or two is all it takes.

A bronze or brass bristled "toothbrush" will clean up around the forcing cone/topstrap area and cylinder face nicely without much work. If you use the Carter's spray before shooting, you likely won't even need it. Whatever's in that stuff keeps lead from getting a hold on the surface, and it just wipes off.

[MR.G]

I shoot more lead than anything else. It costs less, and shoots well. I seldom shoot less than 200 rounds each time at the range. Lead takes a little more time to clean than the jacketed rounds, but is not that bad with the proper tools.

[Woodchuck]

Has anybody ever used household ammonia as a lead remover? An old guy told me thats all he uses. He says that Bo Peep ammonia is the best and strongest.