Beans

I have been shooting lead bullets, home cast, for over 40 years.

If my barrels lead up I use OOOO steel wool wraped around a bronze bore brush. A couple of swipes through the bore and it lead free. No damage done to the bores.

If you use stainless steel brushes do not scrub the bore with them, they are hard and the back & forth movement inside the barrel can cause damage. They are made for stright through pushes and straight back pulls.

sniper58

Hmmmm.....I'll have to disagree. I've got about 3,000 rounds of Oregon Trail's Laser-Cast through my Rock Island 5" 1911 (MV 870 fps) and my barrel isn't any more or less leaded than my 4" 1911 that's only had a diet of 230 grain (factory) FMJ. I clean both of them the same way - scrub the barrel with a copper brush soaked with Hoppe's #9 for about a minute and set it aside. Clean the rest of the parts, then return to the barrel. Dry patch until "clean," then use JB Cleaner ONCE. Then dry patch for about a day or two (j/k, it just seems that way) until clean. Then one patch with a LITTLE oil and reassemble.

I have used really lousy/cheap lead cast bullets (Sheriff's Office reloads for qualifying) and they simply SUCK. I had to work on my .357 after 100 rounds because of the lead build up in the barrel and around the forcing cone. Good quality cast bullets make all the difference!

__________________
Tim
BE PREPARED - Noah didn't build the Ark when it was raining!
The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Thomas Jefferson
________
NRA Life Member

paul45

Ive shot lead for the last 40+ years. Hard cast and lubed is good to go and easy to clean. Pure soft lead will coat the barrel and will require a lot of work. Mild leading can be removed with LEAD CLOTH wrapped around a bursh. If the seller is a commercial reloader - probably no issue. If he does it on the side, I would be careful.

__________________
"Being PARANOID is just plain smart thinking when they are really out to get you!"

edr9x23super

In all my years of shooting lead bullets the only thing I found that will completely remove the lead fouling is the Foul-out 2 system, sold by outers. Here is a link for the latest system:

Outers Foul Out 3 Bore Cleaning System - MidwayUSA

It runs on batteries or an AC adapter, and if you are really serious about cleaning that barrel, that is definitely the way to travel. Since the chemicals are a little pricey, I use mine a couple of times a year to really clean all the bores on my guns.....

__________________
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined". - Patrick Henry

Chevyguy85

i have a 4" XD45 and it fires my reloads just fine. Mine doesn't like the 200 grain semi-wad cutters and from all i've read online most others don't as well, jams up almost every round. My .45 rugers are the same way. the 230 grain round nose fire flawlessly. Leading can be an issue my loads are generally between 810-860fps depending on how i load them leading isn't too terrible specially w/ my lazyness going a few range sessions before cleaning. If you trust the reloader then go for it but always be aware of the risks.

thanks for the chore boy tip might have to try that out if i get disatisfied w/ the way gunzilla gets the lead out

*edit*

the jamming w/ the 200gr smw rounds was when i first started reloading so inexperience could have played a big factor those rounds ran fine in my buddys' 1911's