I have a Walther Tribute .22lr pistol and a Ruger 10-22 that I shoot a lot of Remington Thunderbolt through, I know, not the best but it’s cheap and fun. After 200 rounds through the .22 pistol the barrel is so leaded that the bullet starts to tumble, I have tried running CPRN through every 5th mag but it still fouls around 200 rounds, then it’s an hour of scrubbing.

What is odd is, I shoot the same ammo through the 10-22 and can put 200 rounds through easily in one session and no lead in the barrel. Both barrels are chrome plated. Has anyone else experienced this? All I can think of is the shorter and much lighter barrel on the pistol heats up faster and the lead sticks. It turns into a major barrel cleaning after each range trip. 

How many rounds do you have through the Walther?

800 or so.  

That rules out the barrel being shot out.

What I believe ya have here is a case of hard bullets.  Lead bullets are supposed to expand when shot through a barrel. When they obturate (expand) the bullet forms a seal.  If they do not obturate, you get gas blow by, and the hot gasses melt the lead into the rifling and on the barrel wall.  It's a somabitch to get out.

If the problem is only with that particular ammo in that specific gun, then avoid using that ammo in that gun  Problem solved, unless your problem is you have a million rounds of the stuff.  

Try giving the barrel a good cleaning, and then shoot noting but CCI Mini Mags (or similar) for the next 500 round.  If you don't get gummed up, you can pretty much confirm the hard bullet theory.

 

Thanks for the advice, I have some Armscor LRN and some CCI mini mags, the CCI are CPRN. Does the plating matter? 

Mini-Mags are kinda the gold standard for 22 ammo.  It's not the absolute best ammo out there, but it's the best at being reliable, relatively clean burning and having decent accuracy.  The copper plating helps reduce fouling, but does eventually foul too. 

If you clean after every range session, copper fouling is easy to keep up with.  If you let it go until you can't ignore it any more, prepare to spend some time soaking and scrubbing the bore.

I'd try the mini mags first because they are the safest bet, like a control for the experiment, and if no problem, give the armscor a go.  It may be a case of the Walther hating on Thunderturds.  It happens.

I've shot thousands of thunderbolts,  They foul up the barrel fast. You have to stay on a cleaning schedule when shooting non plated bullets.   

6 hours ago, silverado427 said:

I've shot thousands of thunderbolts,  They foul up the barrel fast. You have to stay on a cleaning schedule when shooting non plated bullets.   

Andy, when you say foul, do you mean lead or normal carbon build up? Would you consider 200 rounds in one range session a lot? I didn’t think it was but I could be wrong, at 200 rounds the pistol is unshootable, there is a so much lead when I clean it I get large chunks out once it loosens.  On that pistol I clean after every trip to the range.  
 

When I try the CCI I hope I have better results and don’t need an hour of scrubbing after each range trip, I’ll find out this weekend. 
 

Thanks Gents

I mean lead, To the point where the weighted end of a bore snake would not even pass through.

You have to run some plated ammo once in a while to help clean it up. 

Bring a bore snake with you to the range,   Pull it through once or twice every 100 rounds.

Now I only shoot plated bullets. 

 

1 hour ago, silverado427 said:

I mean lead, To the point where the weighted end of a bore snake would not even pass through.

You have to run some plated ammo once in a while to help clean it up. 

Bring a bore snake with you to the range,   Pull it through once or twice every 100 rounds.

Now I only shoot plated bullets. 

 

Got it, when I get home I have the same issue where a wetted patch is a struggle to even get through. 
 

I do run some plated rounds every 50 or so, didn’t seem to help. Once I get it clean I’ll try the Mimi mags for a few hundred and see if that changes anything as Scorpio64 suggested.  

Do you lube the barrel after cleaning?  A good quality lubricant can make a difference. 

Yes, slip2000. 

About a year ago, I was shooting my M&P15/22. After shooting around 300 rounds of non-CCI ammo, my shots started being off paper even at 25 yards. Once home, I could not even force my cleaning rod thru the barrel. Yikes!  Filled the barrel with Hoppes for 24 hours, no help. Did the same with Ballistol, no help. What finally did help loosen and remove the lead(chards of it) was a lead removal cloth (from Brownells as I recall) that I cut up into patches. Ever since I only use CCI Mini-mags and AR Tactical in that gun. 

I saw that cloth, I just purchased bore tech rimfire blend, it had good reviews, I also purchased some chor boy copper scrub pads, giving that a shot this time.

The first time this happened I used peroxide and vinegar 50/50 mix, in 2 hours it melted the lead away, but is dangerous if not careful. Plug the muzzle, fill with the mix and come back in a couple hours and it’s gone. Lead poisoning is a real concern if not careful going that route. There is a chemical transformation of the lead with the mixture making it capable of being absorbed through the skin. 

33 minutes ago, Redeye65 said:

I used peroxide and vinegar 50/50 mix, in 2 hours it melted the lead away,

hmmm...yeah.. I wouldn't do that.  That is a nasty corrosive mixture called peracetic acid, it will etch the bore. It is used industrially to etch steel.  If it accidentally comes in contact with other metal parts, they too will corrode.  The good news is, the reaction lasts a finite amount of time, so it's not constantly eating away at shit.  The bad news, you end up with a toxic sludge called lead acetate.

Actually, since you've mentioned that is how you typically clean barrels, it is entirely possible you etched out a barrel so badly, that you are now getting gas blow by, which would causing the leading.   If the sludge you dump out is any shade of red, you are corroding the bore.

Just some food for thought.

Only did it once, the sludge was brown, one and done with the mixture. The barrel is still shiny chrome. When I used it the barrel was new at the time and leaded right up after 200 rounds. Bore tech rime fire blend and chor boy is the plan going forward.

I cut some strands from a copper Chore Boy and wrap it around a bore brush. Cleans lead fouling very quickly. Of course I stopped shooting Thunderbolts years ago because they are crap.

3 hours ago, JC_68Westy said:

I cut some strands from a copper Chore Boy and wrap it around a bore brush. Cleans lead fouling very quickly. Of course I stopped shooting Thunderbolts years ago because they are crap.

Yep, that is the plan for this clean out.

 

And as for the Thunderbolts, I will not be buying any in the future.

 

What's odd, in the 10-22 they are perfectly fine, 200-300 rounds in a range session and all that is needed is a couple of passes with a bore snake and I'm done, no lead.

Hit the range this morning, 200 rounds of CCI CPRN went through, no lead, no gunk throughout the gun, a couple of pulls with a bore snake and it’s ready for another range trip. Think I have to chalk it up to Scorpio64 suggesting hard bullets and Andy suggesting Thunderbolts are dirty and crappy, and everyone else who said to themselves, you idiot, Thunderbolts suck. Anyway, live and learn. Thanks all for chiming in. 
 

Plenty of Thunderbolts to trade… lol

I have a Ruger SR22 and Thunderbolts start keyholing after 200-300 rounds. I need to clean the lead out after every 200 rounds or so and I am good to go.