Lead removal from barrel

[hkruss]

What products do you feel do the best job of lead removal? I currently use Hoppes, but I wonder what might be better. Thanks

[Skipper]

KROIL
http://www.kanolabs.com/

Give it a good soak, let it sit for a while.........use a tight patch to push it out.

[Shooter45]

The very best item I have found to remove lead from a barrel is the Lewis Lead Remover. Available from www.brownells.com

About any brand of liquid lead remover will work with a lot of scrubbing but I had rather shoot than scrub.

[Rocket J Squirl]

Originally Posted by Skipper

KROIL
http://www.kanolabs.com/

Give it a good soak, let it sit for a while.........use a tight patch to push it out.

Just ordered thier 2 for 1 sale for release agent.

Seems to be turning into a multi-use item

[bluesea112]

I wonder if Kano Labs "Dryphite" would work in firearms instead of oil? Oil is such a magnet for dust and fine sand.

[army mp]

Lewis Lead Remover if heavy leading, J-B bore cleaning compound, if moderate, both are at brownells. I have also cut Patches out of Birchwood Casey Lead remover clothes. If you are getting a lot of Leading. Something is wrong. Bullet Dia. to small or Pushing soft bullet to fast or hard Bullet not fast enough.

[hkruss]

Originally Posted by army mp

Lewis Lead Remover if heavy leading, J-B bore cleaning compound, if moderate, both are at brownells. I have also cut Patches out of Birchwood Casey Lead remover clothes. If you are getting a lot of Leading. Something is wrong. Bullet Dia. to small or Pushing soft bullet to fast or hard Bullet not fast enough.

Nah..., it's not excessive, I just want to be sure I am doing a thorough job!

[Hammerslagger]

I am not recommending this procedure for use, today! I have used it extensively, but not in the last 30 years. I do not expect to use it again. It is potentially toxic! It is not safe unless necessary precautions are taken by a person trained and experienced in working with dangerous chemicals! It is presented, here, for academic purposes and to insure against the loss of potentially useful firearms related knowledge, only!

The most effective way to remove heavy lead fouling from a handgun or rifle bore is with pure mercury.
Mercury is a liquid metal that has the strong ability to dissolve and/or form alloys with some other metals, including lead, at room temperatures.

The bore is cleaned in a conventional manner using bronze brushes, solvent, and thoroughly dried with tight patches. Next the breech is tightly plugged and the bore partially filled (typically 60%) with mercury. The muzzle is plugged. While holding the plugs tightly in place the the barrel is manipulated to cause the mercury to vigorously move back and forth for about 100 cycles. Then the muzzle is unplugged and the mercury and mercury/lead amalgam carefully poured into a suitable container while insuring that the breech plug remains secure. Rapping on the breech elevated barrel with a non marring mallet helps vibrate most of the mercury out of the barrel. Next the breech is unplugged and the barrel cleaned further with tight fitting patches and or bronze brushes to remove the residual amalgam and free mercury. Of course the mercury removal patches become toxic waste.

The original 1935 S&W .357 Mag had a large primer case and drove a 158 grain lead alloy bullet out of a 8 3/8" barrel at 1510 fps. The 1956 S&W 44 Mag. claimed to drive a 240 grain lead alloy bullet out of a 6.5" barrel at 1450 fps (but 1300 was more realistic according to NRA Spring 1956 testing).

I grew up shooting these guns with hand-loaded cast lead alloy bullets and steam locomotive rod cup grease. They leaded quickly and badly, effectively losing any reasonable target shooter accuracy in less than 50 shots. The caked on lead clung to the steel of the barrel like soft solder. Bronze bristle bore brushes were very slow and tedious. The Lewis Lead Remover was better than brushes but mercury was the preferred technology of knowledgeable reloader/shooters of the time.

Again, I present this info for knowledge retention, only. While the"Green Freaks" may have gone overboard relative to mercury (it still can be used with silver powder in US Denistry for cavity filling) it is a toxic material and must be handled with extreme care.

[Helix_FR]

I remember playing with Mercury in elementary school. A science teacher let us roll it around on our desks. I guess thats what happened to me. Your two for two Hammerslagger. Learning something new from you everyday.

Now on the lead removal, I've been using Gunslick foaming bore cleaner. You know when the lead is out b/c it quits turning green and it really helps loosen it up. I just brought a Lebel back to life b/c of it.

[GMFWoodchuck]

WHere can I get mercury?

[GMFWoodchuck]

Nevermind I found a company. Of course I'm not sure if I need 76 pounds of it.

http://www.trivenocorporation.com/

[Hammerslagger]

I am not trying to be a "Smart Donkey" here (never do) ; but you do not want or need the EPA Haz-Mat problems it can bring !!!!!! The 76# "flask" is the standard unit that it is sold in for industrial use. Unless you have a business with an EPA registration number, no business is likely to actually sell it (or a lot of other materials that you used to could buy) to you.

If a glass thermometer (containing mercury) gets dropped on the floor of a high school chemistry lab or hospital, and breaks; you have a Haz-Mat team "clean up" situation, today. Cost, likely several thousand dollars!

Thus, no lab or medical instruments containing Hg (mercury). But you dentist can still use it to fill your teeth, even though few do, today. This all seems ridiculous; but this is typical of what is going on in the USA today.

[hkruss]

I can remember as a kid, a thermometer breaking and some of us kids playing with the mercury, rolling it around in our hands. Do you think this is what is wrong with me!!!

[Gabob]

Before the "Greenies" got involved Blue Ointment (used to treat crab lice) contained mercury and I used it in the past to remove leading.
Nowdays for minor leading I shoot a few jacket bullets thru the barrel. For heavy leading I use Lewis lead remover or J-B Bore cleaner on tight patch

[gazzmann]

Talk bout Mercury,what about florescent bulbs? If one of those new ones breaks in the house do you know what the HAZMAT fees are to clean it up! $$$$$$

[Hammerslagger]

Good point. The "Green Freaks" want them phased out and banned, just like mercury in alkaline batteries.

If you run a business that uses lots of them, you have to pay a "HAZ-MAT disposal company to come get them.

[GMFWoodchuck]

Who said anything about calling the a hazmat team to come and pick up my spills. And I certainly never will call them for a broken light bulb. Especially since the damage is done now...

[Suwannee Tim]

The milligram quantities of Hg found in light bulbs are not of much consequence. Mercury in quantity is dangerous. I found 25 pounds of it in an abandoned power plant due for demolition, I turned it in for disposal. I'm a packrat and I'm not afraid of chemicals but I didn't want this stuff around. I used to use mercury in gold reclamation, we switched to cyanide, I was glad to see the mercury go. Stay away from the mercury. It causes neurological problems that may manifest in months or years. All heavy metals are bad news and mercury is one of the worst.

[Alpo]

If you remember Alice in Wonderland, one of the characters was the "Mad Hatter". A Hatter is someone that makes hats. At the time of the book, mercury was used in the construction of fur-felt hats. Having their hands in mercury so much would cause brain damage and make them insane. Mad Hatter's Disease was a recognized form of insanity. Although no one was quite sure WHY hatters went insane, doctors knew they did.

[Suwannee Tim]

I was watching a video about illegal gold mining in Africa, children were using mercury to extract gold then heating the mercury over a fire to evaporate it. Horrible. Those children don't have a chance.

[arunas]

Originally Posted by hkruss

What products do you feel do the best job of lead removal? I currently use Hoppes, but I wonder what might be better. Thanks

I recommending J-B and Iosso bore cleaner. No mercury

[Popgunner]

My favourite lead remover is the Outers battery/electric system. Works fast.

I've still got a few 5LB bottles of mercury left over from my neon plant. It's fairly common in the sign industry to let neon workers repair mercuric tubes. It's deadly after a few years because the workers use a rubber tube they stick one end in the neon tube & the other end in their mouth to keep the molten glass from imploding. In my shop we wouldn't touch mercuric tube repairs, we made new ones which is only a little safer. This youtube video shows a new safe method of inserting mercury into neon tubes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSKpjAW3Og8 I never used it in my company & I don't think many companies do. Sadly, alot of neon tube production/repair is done by drug addicts who don't seem to care about the risk.

Many thousands of Native Americans were killed in the 1700's when the Spaniards mining gold had the slaves walk "arastras".They were circles with a post in the middle where gold ore was put & weights would be dragged around by the slaves grinding the the ore mixed with mercury(quicksilver) that amalgamated with the gold. The slaves never lasted long walking in mercury with bare feet. The amalgum was placed in hollowed out potatos & cooked on a fire to evaporate the mercury leaving a button of gold.

[dianalv]

Hey thanks, guys, for providing a really interesting read. Wasn't expecting all that about Mad Hatters, mercury and gold mining. Learn something new everyday.