Leading Problem

[Rustler]

Hopefully someone can help me understand why??

I use Bear Creek Supply Molly coated bullets for both 45 Colt and 45 ACP with TightGroup powder and Winchester Large Pistol Primers.

After shooting the Colt (205 GR RNFP) the barrel (7.5 inches) is clean; no leading at all. A couple of swips of the brush and the barrel is clean as a mirror.

When shooting the 45 ACP (230 GR RN), the barrel (5 inches) has streaks of leading which is very difficult to brush out. If I shoot Winchester FMJ with the same powder load, no leading and it will clean out any leading left over from the Bear Creek bullets.

So the question is; why do I see leading in the 45 ACP and not the 45 Colt with the Bear Creek Molley bullets? Does it have anything to do with powder charge? I'm using a medium load 4.8 grains of tightgroup for the 45 ACP and 4.5 grains in the Colt (cowboy shooting).

Thanks

 

[Roadkill]

Heavier bullet, more pressure, more lead build up. You getting a lot of recoil?

rk

 

[Rustler]

The recoil doesn't seem to be a problem, seems normal to me. I shoot a lot of IDPA with this load and don't have any recoil problems.

Since the FMJ seems to clean it out, is there a problem with shooting the Bear Creek lead, and then a magazine or two of FMJ?

Thanks

 

[quiknot]

200gr 6.5 titegroup

i am using a 200gr RNFP, with titegroup and 6.5gr powder...i coat my bullets (just finished up doing some) with Lee ALOX....have not seen much leading and it works great in my 50cal BP...can shot over 25 rounds without having to clean the barrel

 

[Rustler]

I also use Bear Creak in my Sharps 45-70 both with Black (Swiss 2F) and Smokeless (SR-4759) with no leading problems, only seems to be in the 1911??

 

[HSMITH]

Are you breaking the moly coating with the crimp? Pull a couple loaded rounds down and see if you are.

Are you belling enough to not shave the coating? Pull a couple bullets and see.

 

[Doug b]

I found titegroup to be a very good powder for jacketed bullets but tended to burn the base of cast bullets.You might try checking the bore after 1 shot to see if you have splatter, any shots after this will iron out the lead and appear as leading.This ironing also occurs when trying to shoot the lead out with a jacketed bullet. That nasty old lead is still in there and will be even harder to remove when accuracy falls to unacceptable.

 

[Rustler]

I Like the Bear Creek bullets in everything else I shoot, but it sounds like I should stay with FMJ and not have to fight the leading issue with the 1911.

I'm guessing the higher pressure is melting the bullet and causing the problem. My crimp is good, and I'm not shaving the bullet when seating it.

Read some other posts about using some Copper Scouring pads to help clean it out.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[bakert]

For various reasons, barrel a bit rougher or other things, some guns especially newer ones at times seem to lead worse than others. A few of mine with this problem have gotten better after a lot of shooting . May not be the case in your gun but something to consider. And yes, some strands of a copper scrub pad(no soap) wrapped around an old bore brush will take the lead out. I usually run a solvent saturated patch through the barrel then let it set for a while before using this method. Others believe in shooting a few jacketed bullets to help clean the lead out first but this may or may not work.

 

[Rustler]

It is a newer gun (Kimber TLE), maybe 800 rounds of mixed Bear Creek and Winchester FMJ with my load of TightGroup. First few hundred rounds I used PMC, until I bought some 45 ACP dies.

I'm going to try the copper scrub pad trick, if that works I may continue to use the Bear Creek as they are are about $10 per 500 cheaper than Winchester FMJ.

I guess each gun has a personality

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

What diameter are the bullets?

 

[OhioPaints]

One common reason for leading is that the bullets are too small for the barrel. The real experts measure the barrel (slug it) and then use lead bullets .001 or .002" inches oversize.

There can be many reasons for leading including too hot a load, too weak of a load, lead too soft, lead too hard and so on.

Ken
(NOT an expert!)

 

[Poper]

I have had this occur with bullets with beveled bases in a .41 mag. and .357 mag. It appears the beveled base allows gasses to cut into the bearing surfaces of the bullet under firing before the bullet base has the chance to obturate. Going to flat base bullet cured the problem, though getting them started in the case meant I had to pay closer attention.

Poper

If it wasn't for the NRA, we might not be having this discussion. If you aren't a member, join. If you are, renew. If you are a Life Member, thank you!

 

[mc223]

I once had a problem with leading. Tried all kind of remedies. One of them famous "old timers" told me I should bump the powder charge up or use slower powders. To get the bullet to properly obturate. Worked for me.