The best lead remover you have used?

Janitor's Ammonia, cut about 2:1 with water.

Sorry, I know it's only 7$ a quart. Maybe if you check around, you can find somebody who put the word "gun" on the label, and sells it by the ounce.

Firing a couple jacketed rounds.

The Lewis Lead Remover is the best I've found. They're caliber specific, but work well.

Hope this helps.

Fred

The best is Chore-boy copper scrubbing pad strands wrapped around a bronze bore brush. Takes a little bit to build up the copper strands on the brush but once you get enough on the brush all thats needed is a fresh strand every time. When strands break just cut off the loose parts, leave a row of bristles open at both ends of the brush to tuck the ends of the strands into to keep them from unraveling.

Best way to clean the lead out is run the brush with copper strands down the barrel a few times dry, this removes most of the lead fouling. Next I run a dry newer bronze brush down the barrel a few times which generally finishes off the lead. Finish cleaning the bore like usual with wet patches and a few more licks of the bore brush.

What muddydogs said

Mercury

mrawesome22-250 said:

Firing a couple jacketed rounds.

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Allan Jones says don't do it. It can result in a damaged barrel.

https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/ammunition_st_lowdownleadfoul_201002/99962

troy fairweather said:

Mercury

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Did that in the old days.

Muddydogs said:

The best is Chore-boy copper scrubbing pad strands wrapped around a bronze bore brush.

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+1 for copper scrubber strand wrapped around old bore brush. Wrap it slightly oversized and few strokes back and forth and lead is removed and bore is clean. Fast and easy.

Check out Glen Fryxell's book (Bottom of Chapter 7) on lead removal - http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_7_Leading.htm

I soak the barrel in Shooters Choice Lead Solvent, let it sit for a few hours and then clean out the barrel with chore boy wrapped around a bronze brush.

It has been a very long time since I have had to remove lead. Finding the problem is easier than removing it lol.

1- A couple of jacketed bullets for light leading, but don't clog your barrel with lead then think you can shoot a couple of jacketed bullets therein.
2- ChoreBoy on a brush.
3- (Preferred)A solution of 50% hydrogen peroxide/50% vinegar, plug the barrel, using a syringe, fill it up wait a few minutes, dump the solution and wipe dry. Lead will be GONE. Don't let it sit on blued metal for long as it could damage the finish. Next someone is going to jump up and down and tell you the solution creates lead acetate and is toxic. In large quantities, it is, so don't drink it, but FYI until recently it was one of the ingredients in hair dye.

35W

Chore Boy on a jag, or easier on a worn brush if you have one.

As an advantage over mercury or ammonia (ye gads!) you're not making any horribly toxic and easily absorbed lead compounds. No doubt those methods work, and spraying used oil on the road to keep the dust down works too. . .

ArchAngelCD said:

I soak the barrel in Shooters Choice Lead Solvent, let it sit for a few hours and then clean out the barrel with chore boy wrapped around a bronze brush.

It has been a very long time since I have had to remove lead. Finding the problem is easier than removing it lol.

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This method serves me well, I quit using my Lewis lead removers.

35 Whelen said:

... A solution of 50% hydrogen peroxide/50% vinegar, plug the barrel, using a syringe, fill it up wait a few minutes, dump the solution and wipe dry. Lead will be GONE. Don't let it sit on blued metal for long as it could damage the finish. ...

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Be very careful with this approach!

Not only will it damage bluing, it will corrode your bore if you let it sit for too long.

I have an old revolver that came to me with a heavily-leaded, but otherwise mirror bore. I let the solution "sit for too long" (30-45min?). It is now thoroughly frosted.

Be aware!

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BTW, I prefer a worn phosphor-bronze brush wrapped in Chore Boy copper run thru a Kroil-soaked bore routine for simple-level lead removal.

lewis lead remover has worked for me.

Copper Choreboy wrapped on a bronze brush and good old Hoppes #9! Fast, Economical and Works every time-on leading!

35 Whelen said:

1- A couple of jacketed bullets for light leading, but don't clog your barrel with lead then think you can shoot a couple of jacketed bullets therein.
2- ChoreBoy on a brush.
3- (Preferred)A solution of 50% hydrogen peroxide/50% vinegar, plug the barrel, using a syringe, fill it up wait a few minutes, dump the solution and wipe dry. Lead will be GONE. Don't let it sit on blued metal for long as it could damage the finish. Next someone is going to jump up and down and tell you the solution creates lead acetate and is toxic. In large quantities, it is, so don't drink it, but FYI until recently it was one of the ingredients in hair dye.

35W

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With regard to method 3. They no longer use lead acetate in hair dye for the lead poisoning reasons. In addition the hydrogen peroxide/vinegar puts the lead acetate in a dissolved state that is readily absorbed by the human body more so than the hair dyes that used it. Lead acetate in the hydrogen peroxide/vinegar solution can be absorbed extremely fast if ingested, exposed to mucus membranes or your eyes, it is so bio-soluble that it can be absorbed through unprotected skin. So if you insistent on using this method do yourself a favor and wear latex/nytrile gloves and some safety glasses. And do you local water system a favor and don't poor it down the drain, save it and take it to the local hazardous waste disposal collection site.

What does “Pretty bad” look like?

We have fired SMG’s with cast bullets to the point they were smooth bore, that’s pretty bad but was thousands of rounds, and higher barrel temps than most would see.

I have alternated lead with cast while shooting to minimize cleanup myself but would not recommend it on one that’s leaded to the point of it being an obstruction.

I second the advice not to "shoot out" the lead fouling.
Several years ago I scored several square feet of pure copper window screen. It is the best lead remover I have found, poor mans Lewis. I use a square of it with a cotton patch on a proper sized jag. Don't know if you can find any more of the screen but grab it if you see some.

I'm think concern over lead and mercury is overblown.

I've never worried about it and there's absolutely nothing wrong with me!

Muddydogs said:

The best is Chore-boy copper scrubbing pad strands wrapped around a bronze bore brush.

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Without question!
And it's waaaaayyyy cheaper than a Lewis Lead Remover.

If you have leading a COPPER Chore Boy is your best friend.
But be careful some other brands are copper coated steel.
You DON'T want steel in your barrel.

What I do is clean with Hoppes No 9.

Then if there's still leading, I take a long strand from the Chore Boy pad.
Wrap it around a mop or bronze brush & scrub. Usually only takes
10 strokes, wipe the barrel with a cleaning pad.
Re-do as needed.

If you have severe leading then you need to visit bullet fit in the barrel, or bullet composition.

Hope this helps

For a deep down cleaning of lead deposits in my revolvers I use the Outers electronic bore cleaner. It works by electrolysis. Bores that I had scrubbed with a chore boy and thought were clean were still leaded up. The electronic rod still found lead in the barrel. A really leaded up gun may take 4 hours to completely clean, cause you have to remove the deposits of lead on the electronic rod so the bare metal is exposed. This unit also has a solution to use to remove copper deposits. Works very well too!

Fyrstyk said:

For a deep down cleaning of lead deposits in my revolvers I use the Outers electronic bore cleaner. It works by electrolysis. Bores that I had scrubbed with a chore boy and thought were clean were still leaded up. The electronic rod still found lead in the barrel. A really leaded up gun may take 4 hours to completely clean, cause you have to remove the deposits of lead on the electronic rod so the bare metal is exposed. This unit also has a solution to use to remove copper deposits. Works very well too!

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That sounds interesting.
What does it cost to do pistols?