Lead removing cloth

[us1863]

Anyone have experience with lead removing cloth? Does it actually work? What is the best way to use it? Have the lead removing cloth but each time I put a patch down the barrel it comes out as dirty as the last one. I use regular cotton patches until they come out relatively clean. How to judge when the lead removal cloth has done it's job? Any thoughts?

[Paul Lampman 263V]

If the cloth is the yellow stiffish type it is very agressive. If you are using it in an original bore be cautious in its use as you are not dealing with modern steel. If you are using it on a musket you shouldn't have a leading problem unless you have a remnant of a skirt in it. Use a good bore light or pull the breech plug to determine. You didn't state what the issue was that caused you to use it.

[us1863]

Have an original Maynard, type 2 and an original Remington 2 banded musket. Had some problems with accuracy and after trying the usual routs of changing powder loads, bullets, sights etc, which helped, thought lead in the barrel might be a problem. Shot the Maynard well at the nationals and need to size future rounds in the Remington rounds to .580 instead of .579 as barrel mics .581. Just thought using lead removing cloth on a regular basis would eliminate lead build up as a possible cause of accuracy problems. From your post I think using the lead removing cloth in an original barrel could cause problems.

[ian45662]

I like to use kroil to get lead out of barrels and bullet molds.

[Richard Hill]

Get a bottle of Shooters Choice bore cleaner and follow the directions on the label. Blue Wonder also works well.

[us1863]

Thanks for the tips but how do you know if you have lead build up. Am told you can't see it in the barrel.

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

A buddy of mine was raving about his new Outers Foul Out lead remover.
See: http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/243419/outers-foul-out-3-bore-cleaning-system - You basically fill your barrel with a special solution, and suspend a rod in inside that has a current flowing through it. The lead floats off the barrel and collects on the rod.

He claimed it removed tons of leading from his Smith and Wesson revolvers that he was shooting lead bullets with smokeless powder. He offered to clean a musket for me, so I let him have one I’d shot exclusively for years, thinking if anything I owned had leading that would be it. He let it run longer that the recommended time, and the rod came out absolutely clean.

If you have sharp rifling, or are using really heavy powder charges I suppose leading may be possible, but I kind of doubt most of what skirmishers do with black powder loads cause problems. I’ve occasionally used Pro-Shot Lead Remover just to make sure, but I wouldn’t use anything abrasive on the bore.

[Ron/The Old Reb]

I use to use Shooters Choice. But I found that Barnes CR10 works better. Read the directions on the bottle. Dose a good job of getting out the lead and copper. Do not use it in the house it has a very pungent smell. And be sure that you oil the barrel good afterwords. You can get it from Midway.