Discoveries at the range (lead removal ?)

[zzzarkt]

Was a fine day at the range last Saturday and I made two discoveries that day.

1) I love shooting rifled slugs through my IC barrel 870.
very accurate out to 50 yards with rifle sights.

2) Back home, cleaning lead out of same barrel is a real
pain. Scrubbing and scraping, with none of the
solvents I currently had doing much to help. Worked at
it for almost an hour on the barrel alone, still some left
in there. Only shot about 20 slugs.


So I figured what the folks at THR used to "get the lead out".

Thanks.

 

[Fumbler]

I've been known to use a Tornado brush.
It's spiraled steel wire that scrapes the bore out. Theoretically it doesnt do damage because there aren't any sharp edges, but I suspect using it a lot isn't a good idea.

I usually get a good coating of Breakfree CLP on the bore and let it sit a while, then go at it with brushes.

You can also find copper wool (like steel wool) and wrap that around a dowel or patch holder. It should work better than a brass/bronze brush.

I'm sure someone will suggest Lead Away cloth. I've never used it.

 

[plateshooter]

I use a piece of a "copper" pot scrubber pad. I get them at Family Dollar or Walmart for about a buck. I cut off a piece and wrap it around a worn 20 ga brush for my 12 gauge smooth bore slug shooters. Take the handle off of a cleaning rod and put the rod into a battery drill. On low speed, spin the rod while moving it through the length of your barrel. The lead will be gone with very little effort. If you have plastic smeared in your bore from wads or some sabots, acetone will take that out quickly as well, just don't get it on anything else you don't want melted.

 

[Waywatcher]

I've been known to use a Tornado brush.
It's spiraled steel wire that scrapes the bore out. Theoretically it doesnt do damage because there aren't any sharp edges, but I suspect using it a lot isn't a good idea.

I usually get a good coating of Breakfree CLP on the bore and let it sit a while, then go at it with brushes.

You can also find copper wool (like steel wool) and wrap that around a dowel or patch holder. It should work better than a brass/bronze brush.

I'm sure someone will suggest Lead Away cloth. I've never used it.

I use the EXACT same method, and it works great for me.

I'm not too scared of the steel brush, I'm sure it's a much softer steel than the barrel.

 

[zzzarkt]

Great suggestions all, thanks.

I have that tornado brush, after MANY passes through by barrel, only small flecks of lead were coming out leaving much still on the bore. I'm reasonably sure it will not damage the barrel but like Fumbler I am uneasy about scraping that thing up and down the barrel so much.

I will try that copper scrubber / drill idea, that sounds like it should work.

Thanks again to all.