Beer before liquor?

[Shrinkmd]

Never sicker. Liquor before beer, all clear.

Remember that one? It seems like people say the same about shooting jacketed before lead, but avoiding the other way around so that the jacketed rounds don't smash the lead deposits even further into the barrel's rifling and possibly raise the pressure.

Of course, many people suggest doing just that as an alternative to using a Lewis Lead remover or the copper chore boy on a brush technique.

Anyway, my question is, do people find it necessary to bring along a lead remover to the range to do a quick clean before you change over to jacketed rounds. I have this idea that it would be fun to warm up with lighter "target" loads, and then fire up some hotter jacketed rounds. Especially some .357 to remind you what they're like after a bunch of light wadcutters.

Then again, I have put 100 rounds of the Dardas hard cast lead through my 45 and noticed almost no leading at all, as compared to some filthy old wadcutters that fouled the barrel so badly that I was missing the target. A quick brush with a borrowed bronze brush at the range helped some, but not enough.

 

[pps]

I will shoot lead bullets first, then run either a Lewis Lead Remover through, or a bore brush wrapped with a Chore Boy. As far as follow up with jacketed raising pressures, it depends on how bad the leading gets....

Care to chance it on a barrel like that? If your bullets are under sized, like mine were that day it will lead.

 

[Mags]

I fire lead first then jacketed to get the lead out. Maybe I'm screwing something up here?

 

[Resto Guy]

I never shoot lead, FMJ only. Any harm in that?
S&W 642 & Rossi 851 (both stainless), Dan Wesson 15-2 (blue) .357.

 

[Dirtpile]

It's not a bad general rule at all but if you're shoot good hard cast or well lubed lead pills at a modest veloctiy so that leading is hardly even noticable, then switching to jacketed shouldn't be a problem unless the jacketed loads are especially hot. (or it's a .40 or .45 Glock)

 

[colorado_handgunner]

My solution, only FMJ

 

[pps]

My solution, only FMJ

Once you find out what to size your bullets to, then you will have minimal problems with lead bullets. Using lead makes hand loading rather cheap.

 

[armoredman]

That's the weirdest analogy...
I use wheel weight cast bullets sized at .356 for 9mm and .358 for 38 Spl, lubed with lee Liquid Alox, over low to medium plinking powder levels, no leading issues so far. I try to shoot lead only during a range session, then clean at home before using for jacketed.

 

[MDW GUNS]

Only FMJ here too.
I dislike beside the mess in the barrel the extra smoke.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

When I did IPSC I always finished the day by running a magazine of jacketed ball through the gun.

LD

 

[Shrinkmd]

I was cleaning up after a 250+ session of mostly cast lead (older lousy wadcutters, not new hard cast bullets) and I used the Lewis lead remover and the chore boy trick. There is still a small stain in the barrel. Should I break out the JB bore paste? I am annoyed by the small streak of lead fouling left. I put several lead remover patches through, but it is still in there.

I wet the bore down with some Bore tech Eliminator solvent, so we'll see what it looks like in a day or so.

 

[tipoc]

Good question. This is what I do.

At the range, if I'm doing any volume of shooting (meaning I've shot a box or so of lead and switch to jacketed after that), I'll run a bore snake through the barrel when I move from lead to jacketed rounds. I save the more serious lead removal tasks to once I'm home.

It pays though to keep an eye on how much any round leads the barrel. Lead builds up and a small bit of leading will attract more build up over time. In my experience it pays to remove it well after a session at the range.

You can't "shoot the lead out", it doesn't work.

tipoc

 

[DAVIDSDIVAD]

I was cleaning up after a 250+ session of mostly cast lead (older lousy wadcutters, not new hard cast bullets) and I used the Lewis lead remover and the chore boy trick. There is still a small stain in the barrel. Should I break out the JB bore paste? I am annoyed by the small streak of lead fouling left. I put several lead remover patches through, but it is still in there.

I wet the bore down with some Bore tech Eliminator solvent, so we'll see what it looks like in a day or so.

I absolutely love IOSSO bore paste for clearing out those last bits of fouling in the crevice between the lands and grooves.


Here's what I do:

Get nylon bore brush or cotton bore mop. Wrap a patch around that. then, get a piece of panty-hose and wrap it around the whole thing a few times.

Put some of the bore paste on the hose.

It should be really tough to get through the bore, but it will clear out the fouling and make the barrel shine.