Best methods for removing lead from revolvers?

[SeriousStudent]

I have decided to do even more revolver shooting this year. This will be an attempt to improve my execrable pistol skills, by concentrating on lots and lots of double-action trigger pulls. I also tend to use plated or jacketed bullets as much as possible, but have quite a few wadcutters and some Bullseye laying around. So that has much appeal for cheap practice, and the reason for this thread.

I just ordered a Lewis Lead Remover from Brownells. I have a combination of stainless steel, blued steel, aluminum and titanium-framed revolvers. All of them are of the .38 or .357 variety.

I have read the cautions that Tam, nyeti, Wayne Dobbs, LSP552 and LSP972 have offered about the 340's and 342's in particular, with their titanium frames. Are there any other helpful ideas that folks can offer?

I also plan on being very careful about removing the screws that hold the crane in place, so I do not mix up the screws or otherwise boogerify a nice wheelgun. I do not remove sideplates just to peer into the innards of a revolver, I realize the limits of my skills.

Any products you folks can recommend in particular? Are there any that you would avoid?

Thanks very much for your time and input, and stay safe.

[41magfan]

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/923/Ld4PZ9.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pnLd4PZ9j)
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/922/v0aSfL.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pmv0aSfLj)

[LSP972]

I have read the cautions that Tam, nyeti, Wayne Dobbs, LSP552 and LSP972 have offered about the 340's and 342's in particular, with their titanium frames.

Cylinders, bud… cylinders. The frames are "regular" alloy in the .38 examples, Scandium in the .357 examples. Neither requires any special care. The titanium cylinders, OTOH; well, I would use only nylon brushes… period. You break the integrity of that clear coat, and its all over in short order if you keep shooting it.

Brownell's also sells a specific chamber brush for .38/.357 revolvers. This actually works better than the Lewis tool, which was designed primarily for cleaning the barrel's forcing cone. The rubber plug deal intended for the cylinder charge holes can be a real PITA to use… and is not always effective, especially if you don't get the little brass screens folder over just right.

Don't even THINK about putting one of these chamber brushes in a bore. Just… don't. Ditto a titanium cylinder. Chrome-moly (blue steel guns) or stainless cylinders, they're just the thing. A hint… a fixed (non-rotating/non-bearinged handle, etc.), short cleaning rod makes them easier to handle; the fit in each charge hole is quite tight. Also best to use it with the cylinder either still on the gun, or completely off and detail-stripped. The point here is, sometimes a cleaning brush (not just the chamber brush) sheds bristles, and if these get inside the cylinder mechanism they can cause all sorts of grief.

BTW… S&W revolvers employ a YOKE. Colt revolvers have a CRANE.

One of those M-16 lookalike toothbrushes with the phosphor bronze bristles is useful for removing lead build-up in nooks and crannies on blued and anodized alloy revolvers. You can use the wood handled welding brushes with stainless bristles on stainless guns.

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[entropy]

Ive used both a Birchwood Casey cloth (that you cut into strips) and copper (NOT copper colored) ChoreBoy. Ive never had anything that either wouldnt remove. Im not sure on how the Ti would react to either though.

[LSP972]

Im not sure on how the Ti would react to either though.

Badly.

NO abrasives, whatsoever. Which is why shooting lead in a titanium cylinder is not real smart.

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[entropy]

Thinking some more (always problematic with me) I recall using a mix of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar to clean a real buggered BHP barrel once. I wonder how the Ti clearcoat would do with that?? Id be scared and stick with the FMJs I think.

[SeriousStudent]

LSP972 - thank you very much for the corrections and information. Is this the correct bronze bush you mentioned?

http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-chemicals/brushes-amp-bore-snakes/gun-cleaning-brushes/all-purpose-cleaning-brushes-prod22941.aspx

And is this the correct chamber brush you mentions for removing lead?

http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-chemicals/brushes-amp-bore-snakes/bore-brushes/revolver-chamber-brush-prod1290.aspx

Thank you again for the detailing info, and for correcting my misunderstandings.

I will make a point of never shooting lead in a Ti cylinder. Thanks for that tip as well.

[SeriousStudent]

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/923/Ld4PZ9.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pnLd4PZ9j)
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/922/v0aSfL.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pmv0aSfLj)

Thanks, I will get a pair of those.

[StraitR]

Thanks, I will get a pair of those.

They're the same thing, just from two different manufacturers. Pick one. In my experience, they perform the same. The Birchwood Casey is cheaper in my neck of the woods. The KleenBore is bigger so it tends to last longer. I've also found either work well at removing marks left by brass brushes/punches.

[SeriousStudent]

They're the same thing, just from two different manufacturers. Pick one. In my experience, they perform the same. The Birchwood Casey is cheaper in my neck of the woods. The KleenBore is bigger so it tends to last longer. I've also found either work well at removing marks left by brass brushes/punches.

Ah, gotcha.

Well, this will give me one for the gun room at home, and one for the range box.

Thanks again for the tip!

[LSP972]

LSP972 - thank you very much for the corrections and information. Is this the correct bronze bush you mentioned?


And is this the correct chamber brush you mentions for removing lead?




Yes, and yes. There's even a nylon-bristled one for your 342.;)

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[LSP972]

Ah, gotcha.

Well, this will give me one for the gun room at home, and one for the range box.

Thanks again for the tip!

One of those firms- cannot recall which one- also sells .38 sized "patches". These come in handy when you've got a lead-fouled bore that isn't responding to normal procedures.

Or, you can buy a big cloth and just cut patches from it as needed. Again, keep these away from your titanium cylinders… because, abrasive. But they work great on stainless guns. They WILL remove bluing, too; not instantly, but shortly if used frequently and aggressively.

Just sayin'…;)

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[SeriousStudent]

Thank you again. I think I'll chop up one of the two cloths I ordered into patches.

I have a couple of those nylon cleaning toothbrushes. I wish I had a buck for every one of those I wore out in the Corps, with the OCD cleaning silliness - sigh. And it cut into our drinking time as well!

[camsdaddy]

I loaded some loads with the standard bullseye load and shot almost 50 of them. I came home and found a nasty barrel. I swore off lead. I'm thinking of trying some of the lucky13 coated wadcutters

[GJM]

Another approach is the Bolke method. You buy so many darn revolvers, that you can't possibly shoot any one enough to develop lead issues. I have heard whispers that a Bolke revolver, actually shot by Bolke with some residue to prove it, has higher resale value.

[Sigfan26]

D Lead Surface Cleaner Concentrate.

[farscott]

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/923/Ld4PZ9.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pnLd4PZ9j)
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/922/v0aSfL.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/pmv0aSfLj)

The "Lead Away" cloth is NOT compatible with the Ti cylinders. That stuff impregnated in the cloth is an abrasive, and that abrasive will remove the protective clear coat finish S&W applies on the cylinder face. If that clear coat finish is breached, the very soft titanium cylinder alloy will be quickly eroded. The abrasive in the "Lead Away" cloth will even polish bluing away if one is not careful.

[41magfan]

I have no intentions of getting in a pissing contest over it, but the Lead Away stuff that I've been using for three decades isn’t comprised of an abrasive. The cloth is impregnated with a chemical that removes the lead deposits and stains. It may not be compatible with the finish on Ti cylinders, but it's not due to it being an abrasive.

When used, the main component in the compound (kaolin) will work itself out of the cloth as a pasty residue that has no abrasive qualities. It's worth noting that the chemical in the cloth also attacks rust stains, hence the warning against exposure to blued surfaces because bluing is …… well, you know, a controlled process of oxidation.

Now again, the chemical that is used in the product may well do all sorts of things on materials or finishes that I'm not familiar with, but the cloth doesn't work by a mechanical action (abrasive) …. it's purely a chemical reaction.

ETA: I'm clueless about the specific Ti alloy used by S&W but pure Ti may be the hardest metal produced. I suspect the clear coat finish is purely for cosmetic purposes since Ti is highly susceptible to corrosion but that's simply a WAG.

[LSP972]

Not familiar with the Kleen-Bore product... but the Birchwood-Casey cloth is most definitely abrasive.

And the clear coat on the Ti cylinders is mainly to prevent ERosion, from firing; not CORRosion; per the little yellow sheet that came with my two, anyway.

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[Wondering Beard]

I suspect the clear coat finish is purely for cosmetic purposes since Ti is highly susceptible to corrosion but that's simply a WAG.

Wait, I thought titanium wasn't at all susceptible to corrosion which was supposedly why it was useful in marine environments.

[41magfan]

Wait, I thought titanium wasn't at all susceptible to corrosion which was supposedly why it was useful in marine environments.

My bad, I meant to say oxidation .... not corrosion. Oxidation is a cosmetic issue with Ti.

[Trooper224]

I loaded some loads with the standard bullseye load and shot almost 50 of them. I came home and found a nasty barrel. I swore off lead. I'm thinking of trying some of the lucky13 coated wadcutters

If you're getting excessive leading in your barrel the problem is your execution, not the process.

[Wondering Beard]

Well, I had to go google the difference and how it applied to Ti.

Interesting stuff that I knew very little about.

Thanks for getting me to learn something :-)

[41magfan]

Well, I had to go google the difference and how it applied to Ti.

Interesting stuff that I knew very little about.

Thanks for getting me to learn something :-)

To be truthful, I couldn't logically get over the cost vs benefit hurdles of Ti components in S&W revolvers to bother educating myself about them ..... I'm blissfully ignorant as they say.

I did find this article interesting and can now see why you must handle these guns with kid gloves. If what they are eluding to is legit, I personally don't "get it" ..... the allure of Ti, that is.

https://www.all4shooters.com/en/Shooting/technics/Titanium-cylinders/

[Trooper224]

Revolvers should be made of steel. If one can't handle the load of a little steel J frame one should turn in their man card.

[LtDave]

Nowadays, I don't shoot lead so long as I can get jacketed, plated or the new fangled plastic coated bullets. The only exception being factory lead SWCHP self defense loads or factory wadcutters. I've had very good results with the plastic coated ones from Bayou and S&S Casting. I believe the coatings are all from the same source, but there are now several vendors offering the bullets or the coatings alone if you want to cast your own. Lots of colors available too.

[camsdaddy]

If you're getting excessive leading in your barrel the problem is your execution, not the process.

Would you mind explaining

[Jeep]

Revolvers should be made of steel. If one can't handle the load of a little steel J frame one should turn in their man card.

I tried to do that and replace it with an "Old Geezer" card, but I found out that to do that I had to enroll in AARP. Still, I much prefer my aluminum frame jframe for carry to my steel ones. More importantly, my back agrees with that view.

[LSP972]

I did find this article interesting and can now see why you must handle these guns with kid gloves. If what they are eluding to is legit, I personally don't "get it" ..... the allure of Ti, that is.



Okay, let's see… the author starts out with a lot of engineering/technical terms about titanium that might make sense… if I could understand them in context to actually using the gun (reminds me of another engineer type who used to a prolific poster here, but we won't go there). But wait… on page three, we finally understand. Our engineer has finally figured out that The Beast is NOT fun to shoot with ANYTHING, but one can tolerate small doses of light loads.

And then we find out that he directly (and knowingly) violates the factory warning against less-than-120 grain bullets, and is outraged when something happens that the factory warning told him might happen. There is a name for that sort of individual, but this is a family-friendly site, so I'll settle for "idiot".

41magfan, if one is interested in shooting full-patch .357s out of a pocket gun, then I'll agree… these AirLite revolvers are a very unwise choice. But what you don't "get" is that, loaded with +P .38s for carry and shooting target or midrange .38s for practice, there simply is nothing that is lighter or more convenient with anything approaching equal "power".

My M-360PD is 14 years old, and has over 5K rounds through it. Exactly 15 of those were full-patch .357s… Federal 130 grain HydraShoks, to be exact. Each one was physically painful. The remaining rounds have been mainly factory wadcutters, some 158gr RNL mid-range factory rounds, a LOT of my reloads loaded to bunny fart levels (I settled on four grains of N320 under a 110 grain Remington JHP bullet; got a steal on a ton of those once), and perhaps 50 of my carry load; the Speer 135gr Gold Dot +P "short barrel load". The frame and barrel shroud on this revolver are highly worn, showing a lot of bright metal; the cylinder, except for the burn rings on its face, looks pretty much the same as the day I took delivery of it.

I know of two others, one M-360PD like mine and one M-340PD, that have been in service an equal amount of time; they were all delivered the same day, and fired their their baptism rounds the next day. The 340PD belongs to my old SWAT partner, who insisted on qualifying with "magnums"; 50 of them, all issue Federal 158 grain HydraShoks. LSP552 knows this fellow well, and will tell you that he was- and still is- much a man. He got through the 50 round course, but BOTH his hands were bloody and torn up. The next year, he insisted on doing it again, with the same results. After that, he decided .38s would do just fine, thank you very much.

My point here is, this so-called piece of S&W junk that supposedly destroys itself in less than 50 "magnum" rounds, has in fact digested a bit over 150 of same over that 14 year period. It looks just like mine; frame and barrel shroud plenty worn, the cylinder… not worn at all.

But let's say YOU bought one, followed the instructions, and refrained from doing what you are advised not to… and the cylinder began eroding anyway. S&W will replace it, very few or no questions asked.

Yes, you must handle that cylinder with kid gloves. If that seems too onerous, then I would avoid getting one.

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[LSP972]

Revolvers should be made of steel. If one can't handle the load of a little steel J frame one should turn in their man card.

Get ready… you'll be turning yours in eventually, then, just like I did. There is simply no believing how much less of a "load" the AirLite guns are, when pocket carried, until you've tried it.

.

[Mitch]

Revolvers should be made of steel. If one can't handle the load of a little steel J frame one should turn in their man card.


Get ready… you'll be turning yours in eventually, then, just like I did. There is simply no believing how much less of a "load" the AirLite guns are, when pocket carried, until you've tried it.

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It's not that I can't handle it so much, as it is that I prefer to wear sweat pants or gym shorts when I go to the gym, I'd rather not go unarmed, and off body carry doesn't do it for me.

I work out hard. And as a normal guy (unless I have to surrender my man card after this), I don't own a lot of clothes. So, while I could throw on jeans, a belt, and a wonder 9 to go train, my jeans would smell like sweaty ass after one day and I'd end up doing laundry 3 times as often. Or smelling like sweaty ass all the time, I guess.

So if liking an airweight because I can toss it in the pockets of my gym shorts means that I have to give up my man card, well then color me a little bitch.


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[Trooper224]

I think you missed my humor.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f259/Sand_Junkie/Jokes/LightenUpFrancis.jpg

[Trooper224]

Would you mind explaining

It was a joke, jeez, some of you people need to quit taking yourselves so damned seriously.

[Trooper224]

Get ready… you'll be turning yours in eventually, then, just like I did. There is simply no believing how much less of a "load" the AirLite guns are, when pocket carried, until you've tried it.

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My only real problem with J frames is they're simply to small for my big hands. If I use grips big enough it eliminates the advantages of such a weapon. Too bad, as I've always liked the 642. This is the primary reason why I've always gravitated to smaller semi-autos to fill that niche.

[Mitch]

I think you missed my humor.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f259/Sand_Junkie/Jokes/LightenUpFrancis.jpg

Sorry man, my tongue was firmly in cheek there. Tone doesn't always come across well on the Internet, I was not offended at all and I hope you didn't take anything personally because there was no attack intended.


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[LSP972]

My only real problem with J frames is they're simply to small for my big hands. If I use grips big enough it eliminates the advantages of such a weapon. Too bad, as I've always liked the 642. This is the primary reason why I've always gravitated to smaller semi-autos to fill that niche.

Understood. But when you retire, your perspective changes… big time.;)

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[Dagga Boy]

Understood. But when you retire, your perspective changes… big time.;)

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No kidding. My life is a constant battle. Half of me is on the "you are older, out of shape and full of broken parts...you need to be better equipped and trained than ever", the other half is going "I'm retired, I am supposed to be carrying a lightweight snub and a speed strip" and use all those decades of experience to avoid trouble". So, I carry a lightwoeght snub around the house, and a VP9 and a lightweight snub when I leave.....argh.

[Trooper224]

Sorry man, my tongue was firmly in cheek there. Tone doesn't always come across well on the Internet, I was not offended at all and I hope you didn't take anything personally because there was no attack intended.


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No worries brother. Many things are hard to communicate in this farbed up medium, especially humor.

[LSP972]

No kidding. My life is a constant battle. Half of me is on the "you are older, out of shape and full of broken parts...you need to be better equipped and trained than ever", the other half is going "I'm retired, I am supposed to be carrying a lightweight snub and a speed strip" and use all those decades of experience to avoid trouble". So, I carry a lightwoeght snub around the house, and a VP9 and a lightweight snub when I leave.....argh.

Right there with you, except substitute a USPc 9mm for the VP9. Nice combo, got most, if not all, of the Tactical Timmy bases covered. But I am REALLY thinking about that G43; I believe I've got mine sorted with the new TT mag springs, and I carried it all day the other day when I was reasonably certain it would be a low-threat environment all day. It was, and I wasn't listing to starboard at the end of it.

Perhaps the most compelling reason for NOT going to it, is all the grief I'll catch from colleagues and co-workers because I dumped HKs for a Grock. Talk about the horns of a dilemma…:D

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[Trooper224]

Understood. But when you retire, your perspective changes… big time.;)

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Perhaps. On the other hand, if the douche nozzle that's currently running our state keeps up with his unbelievably moronic policies, retirement might not be an option. :rolleyes:

[Eastex]

Hmm, maybe that's why that 642 feels so natural in my right pocket....I'm already leaning that way anyhow.


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