ThomasT
Member
This made me curious so I went and dug out the letter with the wax sample. The seller was C.F. Ventures. Ring a bell for anybody?
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That's a lot of hand wringing about what others might do, ignoring that many swear by the practice. It brought to mind that the special jacketed reloads I call chasers to take to the range to remove leading are light (low pressure) loads in full length brass. My guns always start clean, so there is no real buildup. It just makes cleaning easier on some guns/loads. No lecture needed here.Of course it works, unless the pressure spike damages the firearm by stressing, stretching or otherwise ruining or wearing something out that would have been fine if you just cleaned it.
As firearms get older they may also have minor wear and tear that makes them less capable of handling over pressure loads they once could.
It works until it doesn't. But when it doesn't you may wish you never did it.
The less buildup when you use powerful loads the lower the pressure spike, so more frequent is probably less dangerous than less frequent.
Some things I would definitely avoid using this method for though. Like revolvers that use multiple calibers and start leading the chamber when you use shorter rounds. Don't do that awhile and then decide to just clean the thing with magnum rounds without at least reducing the leading first.
Revolvers also rely on timing, and the timing mechanism is highly vulnerable to excess stresses or stretching of metal that changes the dimensions. It doesn't have to be a catastrophic failure to reduce the value of the firearm.
I used to to this after shooting the falling plate matches back in the early 1990's. Never had a problem. And it did remove the lead. And you don't need magnum loads. Just as long as its a jacketed bullet.
In an old Gun Digest (I think) they mentioned the British would fire a shell with a foil (aluminum?) cap that would remove most of the copper fouling from cannons and Naval guns. I only read that once. Maybe someone else can elaborate.
Way back when, when gun magazines actually had content worth reading there were a couple of articles on Wax Gas Checks a fellow was selling. I still have the sample of one sheet they sent me to try. I finally learned that the sheets are just dental wax and they were written up as removing lead from the bore. It was explained that you need to keep the sheets warm(place them under your arm pit) or in a warm area. Powder your brass and then press over the case mouth. IIRC it was Mike Venturino who wrote one of the articles. You can still buy the sheets on ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Meta-BesQu...576047?hash=item281e54f4ef:g:rmYAAOSw6n5XsiBv
Some people make gas checks from aluminum cans with gas check tools you can buy.
Maybe it was aluminum. Inquiring minds want you to look in the attic.
In an old Gun Digest (I think) they mentioned the British would fire a shell with a foil (aluminum?) cap that would remove most of the copper fouling from cannons and Naval guns. I only read that once. Maybe someone else can elaborate.
Since some people use aluminum to make gas checks for lead bullets, and Ratshooter was remembering it might be aluminum, I just wondered if it was and used that as an example.I believe it was lead sheets to remove the copper fouling.
The problem in the debate is citing scenarios wherein lead had been allowed to buildup significantly, not just one range outing. Hard to argue that it would not be foolish at some point. I do it as matter of routine before putting a gun up, having tried everything short of doing my own casting. Worse though is coating deposits left in the barrel and trying to get back to bare metal.Does anybody have documented instances of guns blowing up due to firing fmj ammo after lead?
It makes sense not to but then again it doesnt make sense at all. Im skeptical.
Maybe it was aluminum. Inquiring minds want you to look in the attic.
Lead foil was used to remove copper from the bore years ago.lead behind a bullet they were using to clean out the cannons.
Lead-filled is an exaggeration of what is really being discussed here.https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/list-the-copper-reducing-powders-please.823522/
Lead foil was used to remove copper from the bore years ago.
Most modern day powders have a decoppering agent .
Shooting jacketed into a lead filled bore, not for me, ty.
Lead-filled is an exaggeration of what is really being discussed here.
they are leading pretty bad. I won't go into great detail,
Same here -- powder coating is the wave of the future for handloaders.I used to do it. Powder Coated bullets have pretty much eliminated any leading for me
US Artillery ammunition contains foil -- often in the form of sheets of foil or a foil-wrapped charge bag. It works great.I
In an old Gun Digest (I think) they mentioned the British would fire a shell with a foil (aluminum?) cap that would remove most of the copper fouling from cannons and Naval guns. I only read that once. Maybe someone else can elaborate.
Yes, but none of this should be read as justifying shooting jacketed in a gun that has not been cleaned of leading regularly.
The OP said