Cleaning my gp100 revolver tonight and I noticed what at first looked to be a bunch of gouges inside my barrel, i recently switched ammo to lead nose " PPU 38 special "

 

Tried cleaning with multiple cleaners, metal brush to no success, I took a small pick and ran it across and it is def. metal lip, but it then flaked off and fell out with a little pressure. Which makes me think somehow the lead bullet from the ammo is being flaked off and sticking to the interior of the barrel ?

 

Any ideas why this happens and what I should do to clean this ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cleaning my gp100 revolver tonight and I noticed what at first looked to be a bunch of gouges inside my barrel, i recently switched ammo to lead nose " PPU 38 special "

 

Tried cleaning with multiple cleaners, metal brush to no success, I took a small pick and ran it across and it is def. metal lip, but it then flaked off and fell out with a little pressure. Which makes me think somehow the lead bullet from the ammo is being flaked off and sticking to the interior of the barrel ?

 

Any ideas why this happens and what I should do to clean this ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOAK A PATCH WITH HOPPE'S SOLVENT AND LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. THAN SOAK A BRASS BRUSH ON YOUR CLEANING ROD IN HOPPE'S AND PUSH IT BACK AND FORTH 35 TIMES.NOW FOLLOW UP WITH

ANOTHER SOAKED PATCH AND THAN WITH DRY PATCHES ON A JAGG. YOU MAY HAVE TO USE 10 DRY PATCHES TO GET THE BARREL REAL CLEAN. THAT SHOULD DO IT.

Not sure if its true or not but I was always told to only go one way down the bartel not back and forth. A bit of a hassle taking the brush on and off but idk. Also you use a bore snake? I gotta say they are great.

%100 copper Chore boy wrapped around a .22 jag or .38 jag, tight enough that you need to lightly hammer it down your bore. Will wipe it all out in one pass. Before any of you panic about barrel damage, I can assure you that its still alot easier on the barrel than an oversized copper coated bullet being fired down it with heat and 20k PSI. Just be sure to use an actual chore boy since the rip offs are copper washed steel and not actually copper. Those are no good. Make sure to do this with a dry bore, the more friction the better.

 

Hoppes and a brush will take you hours on hours to do. Hoppes doesnt disolve lead and all it does is help the brush slide OVER the lead, you are better off brushing dry if you really want to use a brush. If you prefer a chemical method of cleaning vs mechanical, use a lead-away cloth. That will actually break down the lead. They are also great for cleaning the front face of the cylinder. Yes, you can actually get that bare clean on a stainless revolver! Just dont use it on a blued gun... because it wont be blued when you are done!

 

I promise that either of these methods will work better than anything

 

You cant get a cylinder face like this with hoppes! Especially not when you are blasting it with 60,000PSI loads.

Not sure if its true or not but I was always told to only go one way down the bartel not back and forth. A bit of a hassle taking the brush on and off but idk. Also you use a bore snake? I gotta say they are great.

Damn Alec! Is that all from Sunday? That's a ton of build up from 150 rounds.

Yeah, 150 rounds?! Thats a ton. Leading can be %100 avoided with lead loads, but unfortunatley its all about the ammo. Either the lead in those Prvi loads is way too soft allowing it to scrape off/burn into the bore or the lead is way too hard (more likely) and it is failing to obturate, causing some gas to blow by and again, burn lead into the bore. I reload 148 grain HBWCs and can fire hundreds upon hundreds of rounds and the bore doesnt even have a spec of ANYTHING in it. Its all about hardness to pressure. Its a bummer that it leads like that, Prvi usually has great ammo. Excessive leading can also be from a rough bore but a new GP100 wont have that.

CHRIS,

I NEVER HEARD THAT YOU COULDN'T PUSH BACK AND FORTH THROUGH A BARREL.THE BRUSH WILL FOLLOW THE LANDS AND GROOVES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.WHERE DID YOU HEAR THAT CHRIS? I'VE BEEN SHOOTING PISTOLS AND REVOLVERS FOR ABOUT 42 YEARS AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH ANY OF MY FIREARMS.

I had issues with lead build up when I shoot lead ammo through my 1911. Now whenever I do that I always shoot a magazine full jacketed ammo at the end and I never had that issue again.

Shooting a a jacketed round through a heavily lead fouled barrel can cause pressure issues depending on how bad it is. Plus then you have to clean the copper out. I'de rather just stick a chore boy down the bore. Its easier on the gun, I dont have to bring 2 kinds of ammo, and at the end of the day I dont need to use a copper solvent.

It was probably close to 300-400 rounds of prvi ammo.

 

Thanks for the tips everybody, I'll get some of them pads in the morning and give it another go. Relived to know it's common issue at least, thanks again.

 

-alec

I use to shoot alot of lead bullets, always shot jacketed bullets through during the range session and at the end to keep it cleaned out.

 

That looks like alot of leading, i would swith ammo brands..they seem to be too soft.

...i would swith ammo brands..they seem to be too soft.

 

Most likely too hard to avoid shipping damage, which results in the bullet failing to obturate and getting the same effect as a bullet that is too soft.

 

Either way, I agree with the switch ammo comment

Not sure how to solve your problem, but some of the pictures you posted reminded me of my colonoscopy.

SOAK A PATCH WITH HOPPE'S SOLVENT AND LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. THAN SOAK A BRASS BRUSH ON YOUR CLEANING ROD IN HOPPE'S AND PUSH IT BACK AND FORTH 35 TIMES.NOW FOLLOW UP WITH

ANOTHER SOAKED PATCH AND THAN WITH DRY PATCHES ON A JAGG. YOU MAY HAVE TO USE 10 DRY PATCHES TO GET THE BARREL REAL CLEAN. THAT SHOULD DO IT.

 

Do What he say! Do what he say!

 

Not sure if its true or not but I was always told to only go one way down the bartel not back and forth.

 

I have a book that talks about this - although it's specifically about competition rifles. The author recommends cleaning from the breech forward only. He says it has more to do with protecting the target crown on the muzzle than anything else (avoid contact between the crown and the cleaning rod).

 

Don't know if it's applicable to handguns.

As I said I dont know the truth to it but I read it somewhere a few years ago.

Have fun clenaing a revolver from the chamber end

 

You have to clean from the muzzle, be careful of the crown and carry on.

The lead away cloth works great. Like HE said, only on SS guns. They are well worth the money.

I'm not sure direction matters with revolvers. With auto loaders you have to worry about what ever your pulling out of the barrel falling into the frame of the gun... no issue there with a revolver.

I'm not sure direction matters with revolvers. With auto loaders you have to worry about what ever your pulling out of the barrel falling into the frame of the gun... no issue there with a revolver.

 

You should have the gun field-stripped with the barrel separate, and should push the cleaning jag from the chamber side to the muzzle.

You should have the gun field-stripped with the barrel separate, and should push the cleaning jag from the chamber side to the muzzle.

I use bore snakes, and their easier to use with the barrel attached(better grip). I also don't do a complete field strip every time i shoot, but i do clean the barrel with the snake(it's just too easy and simple not to). And yes, always from breach to muzzle. I probably should just take the barrel off, but i dont see any huge benefit in doing so.

OP,

I've had good results with Shooters Choice lead remover and a bronze bore brush.