Muzzle Brake is Completely Clogged with Lead

Hey everybody,

My Marvel conversion has been showing some flyers and bullets going through the target sideways and my analysis found the Muzzle Brake completely clogged with lead so those bad shots were hitting the lead obstruction then spinning off out of control.

I tried using my bore brush and the hole in the middle is clean but all of the holes are completely blocked.

How do I clean that crap out of there? It's hard as a ROCK!

Declare a HAZMAT condition and .....

Take a 5/8 (I think this is the clearance size) drill bit and hand twist it in the comp bore to "ream" out the bulk. Then pick more out with pointy things. Then soak in a powerful penetrating oil and pick the rest. Wear protecting gloves.

Then don't use it anymore.

Submerge it in Hoppes for several days to start.

Declare a HAZMAT condition and .....

Then don't use it anymore.

I like those comments. I'm still laughing!

The other option is to replace it and save your time for dry or live fire practice.

I had one of those on my first marvel, they are only good as a barrel weight, they do nothing to add accuracy, but for your problem. Here is the fix, mix 50% hydrogen peroxide with 50% of white vinegar, put this in a glass and drop the comp in, and watch the lead just lift off. If its real clogged this may take a few days, but the lead will start lifting off immediately , kinda cool to watch. the lead will settle to the bottom of the glass. no need to say, dont ever use the glass to drink out of anymore once you see most of the lead has dissolved you can use a brush or bore cleaning brush to work out any thats left, it will be like mush.

DavidR,
Isn't that an acid?

hydrogen peroxide is used as mouthwash, and a antiseptic, white vinegar is found at the grocery store, i can only tell you neither will do anything to the lead by themselves but mixed its a awesome cleaner for lead in compensator. I found the recipe years ago on a high power forum, those guys been using it for years. It works is all i can tell you.

I'm wholeheartedly interested in quick lead removers but have read some folks have had barrel pitting/rusting issues with this mixture.

Steve B wrote:I'm wholeheartedly interested in quick lead removers but have read some folks have had barrel pitting/rusting issues with this mixture.

This topic, is about removing lead from a marvel compensator, which has no rifling and is removable, no danger damaging anything at all in this context which is all i was offering the info for. I had his problem when i had a marvel comp, and cleaned it several times with no issues.

Jack H wrote:

Then don't use it anymore.

I second this advice. Muzzle brakes on .22's are just not worth the trouble.

I believe that my original copy of Gil Hebard's "The Pistol Shooter's Treasury", discussed some test of accuracy with and without muzzle brakes. At the time, my High Standard pistol could be equipped with a muzzle brake very easily. After reading the article, I decided that I wouldn't fool with muzzle brakes.

On a marvel its only true benefit is as a barrel weight, the metal one is better than 5 oz, and the aluminum one is 1.6.

DavidR wrote:

Steve B wrote:I'm wholeheartedly interested in quick lead removers but have read some folks have had barrel pitting/rusting issues with this mixture.

This topic, is about removing lead from a marvel compensator, which has no rifling and is removable, no danger damaging anything at all in this context which is all i was offering the info for. I had his problem when i had a marvel comp, and cleaned it several times with no issues.

If an increased potential for oxidation is OK then all's good.

Steve B,

Don't hijack my post with being a wise guy. We are talking about a Marvel compensator. If you were too you would know that a little corrosion is not going to effect the round, but the fouling will. I may say things that are incorrect from time to time, but if I am wrong, I don't keep mouthing off about it. Knock it off.

Like I said previously... All's good.

Just for the record, i cleaned my marvel comp in this solution i know at least 4 times, and never had any rust, maybe on a piece of non treated steel it would but what ever marvel treats there metal with is pretty tough. I would never put anything like this in my barrel.

I put mine in the mixture after supper and it's still fizzing. No sign of any ill effects to the brake or the metal. It's now 11:30...I'm going to let it fizz till morning.

its cool to watch, if it is really hard caked it may take a few days, it wont remove most but when you take it out it will be like soft mud , use a dental pick or something to scrape it out.

I have unclogged my compensator on my Unit 1 by using Kroil. I simply drop the comp into Kroil, and let it soak for a day. Last time I did it, I took it out, let the oil drip off, and pried once inside the comp. The lead came out in one piece, separated easily from the metal.

Kroil also works very well for treating the inside of your bore. Plug and soak the barrel for a day, then patch it out. The final authority, though, is the Outer's Foul Out. One session of that through a barrel that was shiny to me resulted in a gray sludge pouring out after one 30 minute treatment. Doesn't harm the bore, either.

I love the smell of aero kroil...mmmm almost as good as Hoppe's No.9

DavidR wrote:I had one of those on my first marvel, they are only good as a barrel weight, they do nothing to add accuracy, but for your problem. Here is the fix, mix 50% hydrogen peroxide with 50% of white vinegar, put this in a glass and drop the comp in, and watch the lead just lift off. If its real clogged this may take a few days, but the lead will start lifting off immediately , kinda cool to watch. the lead will settle to the bottom of the glass. no need to say, dont ever use the glass to drink out of anymore once you see most of the lead has dissolved you can use a brush or bore cleaning brush to work out any thats left, it will be like mush.

Before I stopped using my comp I used this method. I does work well, but it also attacks the blue. I have a barrel weight I've tried. It also collects crud. I stopped using it as well.