Excessive leading in revolver- part 2

First topic message reminder :

I figured I would start a new thread instead of resurrecting the old one.

I have been having problems with leading in the cylinders of my Bill Davis PPC revolver. I thought that the Precision Delta bullets were the problem... so I bought a bunch of Zero 148 HBWC.

I tried loading with unsized brass and 3.1 gr. of w231 powder. I also made some with sized brass... also at 3.1 gr, with the bullet sat flush with the top of the brass. I also have a small roll crimp.

The other day I shot 50 rounds. After 30 I looked into the chambers, and did not like what I saw. I knocked some of the excessive lead out of the chambers, and fired another 20. I did not look at the range, but I took pictures just now

Soaked in Ed’s Red for 12 hours. Lead came off the cylinder face easily. It still took a lot of work to get all the lead out of one chamber. I used the Lewis remover, and after many pulls....I think I have one done.  I put it back in to soak overnight and will work more tomorrow.

Thank you for everyone’s advice. I’m pretty anal about cleaning my stuff, and am finding it difficult to believe how much lead is in the cylinder throats.

Chore boy wrapped on an old brush.  Just a few strokes and the lead is out.

David

I know its been said before.

Sounds like time for reamer & polish.
I used PD bullets ones, only for testing & the rest was an anchor weight. If I would expand cases for Remington bullets, they would fall right on top of the powder. The problem may get better but will never go away from the forcing cone. It will also stay in your mind when you use those loads with PD bullets in them.

I have tried the chore boy wrapped around a brush. Both pushed through and pulled through, and spun in a drill. The lead is still there.  I have used a Lewis lead remover with two screens, with the nut so tight the rubber deforms. Pulled through many times...still lead. It has now soaked in Ed’s red for three overnights...Along with Lewis and chore boy, the lead is mostly gone. I think when it is finally gone, I will polish with the bore tech 800 grit hone, then clean more often. Does lubricating the bore with a quick light oiling stop leading- just a thought..

dissolving lead

stainless or blued?
id try on a small blued piece first.

Blued

Interesting article. Sounds slightly dangerous!

I mentioned this earlier it can remove blueing  but probably wont .

Hate to ask, but what is a fire brush? I did try searching.

Thanks

joeangi wrote:Hate to ask, but what is a fire brush? I did try searching.

Thanks

Maybe means a propane torch

I think your sweating it too much.

Revolvers always leave something behind.

Unless you remove metal you will never get all the lead out in one, or a couple of cleanings.  Clean the best you can and go shooting.  Then clean thoroughly again, do it every time you shoot and at some point it will get much better in regards to leaving lead in the cylinder throats and what's there will easily brush out.  The M-14 I bought used had the same problem as yours and it took about a year of shooting and cleaning thoroughly afterwards to get to the point where the flakes of lead stopped appearing and after shooting a 100 rounds or so the lead build-up would brush out easily. I have no idea how many rounds were shot through that gun but I'm guessing a lot.

Some people just don't notice the lead build-up and it accumulates for years and thousands of rounds,  The lead flaking like yours is considered by some normal for shooting lead.  It's not normal, it's from years of no thorough cleaning of the cylinder for fear of wearing something out which is really really hard to wear out with Chore Boy brass, brass brushes or JB Bore paste even when spun with a drill.

My advice (I'm no expert by any means) is to clean best you can and go shoot then clean best you can again.  Over time you will get the lead out and it should be less and less every time you shoot and clean.  I would be hesitant to use anything that might remove metal including reaming the throats until you exhaust every other means over a period of time.

Virgil

Agreed, time to stop cleaning and start shooting! I will clean her well after each session. I feel it is pretty darn clean now, and a good baseline to go from.

As others have said, kroil works. From your pictures, it looks like a 357 cylinder. If so, you'll always get a  lead ring in the chambers. Try an oversized bronze brush. I have a 38 chamber brush, but if you have a 40 cal bore brush or even a worn out 45 bore brush, that would work.