How do you get lead out of a 9mm barrel?
- Thread starter McHaggis
- Start date
My Lewis lead removal hasn't been used in over 20 years. In that time I've put nearly 100,000 rounds of lead through my 45's, 38's and 41 mags.
Try this. Take a 9mm bronze brush and wrap it with several strands of ALL COPPER CHORE BOY pot scrubbers. Run that through your bore several times and the lead will come out. Critical that it be all copper, not copper washed steel. That stuff will score your bore horribly.
Try this. Take a 9mm bronze brush and wrap it with several strands of ALL COPPER CHORE BOY pot scrubbers. Run that through your bore several times and the lead will come out. Critical that it be all copper, not copper washed steel. That stuff will score your bore horribly.
Ed's red,and bronze wool wrapped "into" a std for that bore,brush.
The trick "seems" to be,keep whatever mechanical part(brush,Lewis,or whatever).... dripping wet. Not even gonna say ER is the only concoction. Heck,try some of your regular cleaning solvents.
Dripping wet,and some sort of safe scrubber. Will spare the classic,shouldn't get it there in the first place..... Instead,encourage you to take this time to find a cleaning solution. Catch it early,meaning don't put 50 rounds down the barrel before checking progress. More often than not,if your combination is gonna lead,it'll do so in 10 rounds.
Not directed at OP but,folks looking for one liner solutions to shooting cast aren't getting the whole picture. It's much more than that. Corny as it sounds,it's the journey. Part of that is cleaning up combinations that don't work(think Edison).
I shoot high velocity cast in varmint rigs with factory barrels. It can be extremely accurate, with zero leading. Is it for everyone,heck no. Good luck with your project.
The trick "seems" to be,keep whatever mechanical part(brush,Lewis,or whatever).... dripping wet. Not even gonna say ER is the only concoction. Heck,try some of your regular cleaning solvents.
Dripping wet,and some sort of safe scrubber. Will spare the classic,shouldn't get it there in the first place..... Instead,encourage you to take this time to find a cleaning solution. Catch it early,meaning don't put 50 rounds down the barrel before checking progress. More often than not,if your combination is gonna lead,it'll do so in 10 rounds.
Not directed at OP but,folks looking for one liner solutions to shooting cast aren't getting the whole picture. It's much more than that. Corny as it sounds,it's the journey. Part of that is cleaning up combinations that don't work(think Edison).
I shoot high velocity cast in varmint rigs with factory barrels. It can be extremely accurate, with zero leading. Is it for everyone,heck no. Good luck with your project.
Like the Dr said when asking about "touching right here"..... well then,don't touch it. It's an oversimplification,but has at least some truth behind it.
Same with cast "issues". The longer you wait,or complicate the problem,the worse the cleanup is going to be. Catch it early,and develop a plan.
Not preaching but;
Less is more, in an awful lot of issues with cast. With high velocity/pressure rifle loads,less lube is needed because of the "spray" or atomization improvement it brings to the table. In handguns,less hard alloy is usually better because of how the bullet upsets.Both,lube and "hard cast" are complicated because they aren't souly predicated on end user performance. They're mainly based on manufacturing and shipping.
It's like a cast iron skillet. You gotta get the exact right combination of slow heat(all day on a woodstove is NOT the same as cranking up a new range on high) ,slick arse pan,just the right amount of grease. Failure in anyone of these,and you gonna be scraping eggs off with an air chisel.
Same with cast "issues". The longer you wait,or complicate the problem,the worse the cleanup is going to be. Catch it early,and develop a plan.
Not preaching but;
Less is more, in an awful lot of issues with cast. With high velocity/pressure rifle loads,less lube is needed because of the "spray" or atomization improvement it brings to the table. In handguns,less hard alloy is usually better because of how the bullet upsets.Both,lube and "hard cast" are complicated because they aren't souly predicated on end user performance. They're mainly based on manufacturing and shipping.
It's like a cast iron skillet. You gotta get the exact right combination of slow heat(all day on a woodstove is NOT the same as cranking up a new range on high) ,slick arse pan,just the right amount of grease. Failure in anyone of these,and you gonna be scraping eggs off with an air chisel.
dhagerty40
Gold $$ Contributor
Heavy leading I use Kroil. let it soak and the lead will come out as pieces.
Light leading, i use Proshot 1 step cleaner and lube. it is easier on the bore than some cleaners.
Light leading, i use Proshot 1 step cleaner and lube. it is easier on the bore than some cleaners.
I've tried the Chore Boy trick - it works well if you have nothing better and shooting a jacketed bullet behind lead fouling will remove some leading, but not all. You still need to brush.
The best methods I've found include the Lewis Lead Remover or Brownells "Double Tuff" bronze brushes. For handgun barrels, I've never found a need for any solvent other than Hoppe's #9 or Ed's Red.
The best methods I've found include the Lewis Lead Remover or Brownells "Double Tuff" bronze brushes. For handgun barrels, I've never found a need for any solvent other than Hoppe's #9 or Ed's Red.
garandman
Bolt Gun Bodacious
A man who knows how to season his iron!
I use an ammonia/water solution & a cotton plug on my 22, BP and 30-30s. You can add vinegar (acetic acid) to the mix to improve the lead removal.
Wear gloves - the solution of lead nitrate is toxic. If vinegar, even more so - I've been warned that lead acetate easily absorbs into the skin.
I noticed one of the posts said to shoot jacketed bullets to get the lead out. That is a myth that has been around for as long as I know about. I tried it then followed up with a Outers Foul out Kit-It removed a lot of lead. It appears that jacketed bullets may remove some lead but irons out the rest of it in the bore and it looks clean to the eye.
k80skeet
Silver $$ Contributor
Hard to bear the Lewis Lead Remover!! I have used them for years. Just have to buy a few new screens every now and then. Buy once and need regret it.
These work. Both are needed. I avoid 9mm leading by sizing bullets to .3562" https://sharpshootr.com/ 
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If you shoot jacketed bullets through it , it will only smash it in harder.... Use a brush and whatever your chemical of choice is... I have heard of people putting pistol barrels in the oven to soften the lead... It's almost always a PITA to mess with and why I don't use lead bullets...
JSH
Gold $$ Contributor
A whole lot of folks think hard cast bullets will solve leading. Hard bullets tend to skid before they will grab the rifling.
Size is king.
Then you have alloy and speed. Most commercial lubes were little more than crayon, made to look pretty and ship well when handled roughly.
Complaining about leading is like complaining about jacket fouling. Gilding metal tends to be some what easier to remove. Lead can be as tough to get out as carbon.
I have rigs devoted to cast and cast only. Shoot them all day long with my loads and alloys, zero issues. FYI these are not mouse fart or cat sneeze loads either. I have run 30 calibers up to jacketed non magnum speeds with zero issues and good accuracy out to 200.
I went a long spell several years back without shooting a jacketed bullet through anything. Lost my tally book, rifle and various pistols was a pile, I was into the tons of alloy lol.
Got back to varmint rigs and the speed thing got in my system again. Now I just fight carbon for the most part and have that figured out pretty well.
Size is king.
Then you have alloy and speed. Most commercial lubes were little more than crayon, made to look pretty and ship well when handled roughly.
Complaining about leading is like complaining about jacket fouling. Gilding metal tends to be some what easier to remove. Lead can be as tough to get out as carbon.
I have rigs devoted to cast and cast only. Shoot them all day long with my loads and alloys, zero issues. FYI these are not mouse fart or cat sneeze loads either. I have run 30 calibers up to jacketed non magnum speeds with zero issues and good accuracy out to 200.
I went a long spell several years back without shooting a jacketed bullet through anything. Lost my tally book, rifle and various pistols was a pile, I was into the tons of alloy lol.
Got back to varmint rigs and the speed thing got in my system again. Now I just fight carbon for the most part and have that figured out pretty well.
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