I have have modern smokeless powder leverguns and black powder rifles i shoot smokeless in. With subsonic rounds I have no lead problems in 2 original 1873's, and old 92, and a bit of leading in a marlin 93 in 32 40. My miroku 357 and winchester 94 puke lead down the barrel no matter what i do, i have tried different bullet diameters in the 94 but the lead bullets for 357 that i can find are all .358, dont know why there is no variety in that popular calibre. Anyway what makes one barrel a lead magnet and another one shoots pretty clear, it seems my old bores handle lead better. And i can say a smoother bore doesnt mean less leading, in fact my nice modern bores pick up lead like crazy and my rough old bores let it pass right by
Barrel leading
- Thread starter porpoise
- Start date
What lube are you using? Different lube is needed fo black powder. Softer lube such as SPG. Larger size bullet won’t cause leading. Under size will, they start to skip the rifling. Not enough lube or wrong lube.
A few things you could try are harder lead and/or increase bullet size by .001 or .002. Different lube might help. Gas checks may help if you're not already using them. Different powder, etc etc.
I once had a similar issue (though not as bad as you're describing) with a Miroku '73 in 357 shooting wheel weight bullets 160ish grains. The guy who makes bullets for me started powder coating them and the problem went away.
Good luck - hope you figure it out.
I once had a similar issue (though not as bad as you're describing) with a Miroku '73 in 357 shooting wheel weight bullets 160ish grains. The guy who makes bullets for me started powder coating them and the problem went away.
Good luck - hope you figure it out.
fingers284
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Powder coating is the answer for all your troubles from lead alloy to bore fitment...it just works and is easy to do.
OP, buy powder coated bullets, or powder coat your own.
Many new manufacture pistol caliber rifles have issues with rough bores.
Harder bullets might help, but you aren't casting your own, so you're stuck with a very limited selection.
I have a Lee Enfield chambered for the 45 acp cartridge, and it fouls so much with any cast lead bullets, when Rooster Red or Blue lube is the only lubrication. I only shoot powder coated bullets or jacketed bullets from this rifle.
You don't mention whether your BP firearms are rifles or handguns.
Velocities from the handguns will be much lower, which will alleviate lead fouling issues. Subsonic velocities, can and do create leading issues, with soft cast lead.
There used to be a couple of different manufacturers producing harder cast bullets.
Lazer Cast had some of the hardest, but I haven't seen them around for a long time.
Many new manufacture pistol caliber rifles have issues with rough bores.
Harder bullets might help, but you aren't casting your own, so you're stuck with a very limited selection.
I have a Lee Enfield chambered for the 45 acp cartridge, and it fouls so much with any cast lead bullets, when Rooster Red or Blue lube is the only lubrication. I only shoot powder coated bullets or jacketed bullets from this rifle.
You don't mention whether your BP firearms are rifles or handguns.
Velocities from the handguns will be much lower, which will alleviate lead fouling issues. Subsonic velocities, can and do create leading issues, with soft cast lead.
There used to be a couple of different manufacturers producing harder cast bullets.
Lazer Cast had some of the hardest, but I haven't seen them around for a long time.
I have plated bullets in 358 308 and 429 so I have no problem there and they are as cheap almost as cast. For lead I am only trying for subsonic with softish Brinell 12 bullets. I am aware of the points brought up but it seems no matter what I do some barrels attract lead and they seem to be the modern smooth barrels, and when one of these barrels gets some lead plated on it you are in big trouble
First thing I recommend you do is to buy the Lee reloading manual if you do not have it. There is a section in it about cast bullets and pressures. I can not emphasize how important that section is.
The information in that manual was information we learned in the 70s and 80s from old timer pistol shooters. It was finally put into a book. So, Lee was not the first to figure it out as implied in the manual.
Contrary to belief, it is not always the lead alloy being to soft. Soft cast bullets only cause problems when pressures are too high, causing the bullets to strip lead because it is not strong enough for the stress induced by the rifling to spin the bullet. These bullets are quite soft.
The other issue is that the bullets are too hard. The pressures are not sufficient to swedge ( fill out ) the cast bullet into the shape of the bore. Because the bore is not completely sealed, hot gasses pass by the bullet, which causes leading.
One myth that keeps rearing it's head is that the heat from the gasses making contact with the lead bullet is responsible for leading. Total bs. Not only do you need sufficient energy to heat that bullet to the melting point, the heat from the gasses need sufficient time to be absorbed by the lead bullet.
Another thing to consider is the type of lube being used. Lube primary purpose is to act as a seal. Secondary purpose is as a lube. Too much lube and you get fliers, not enough lube and you get leading towards the muzzle end of the barrel.
Slug your bore. The cast bullets need to be 0.001 to 0.002 over bore diameter to get best results. Bullets too small for the bore diameter will cause leading if the cast bullet alloy is too hard because it cant seal the bore properly. Sometimes, you can get away with using small bullets if the alloy is soft.
The information in that manual was information we learned in the 70s and 80s from old timer pistol shooters. It was finally put into a book. So, Lee was not the first to figure it out as implied in the manual.
Contrary to belief, it is not always the lead alloy being to soft. Soft cast bullets only cause problems when pressures are too high, causing the bullets to strip lead because it is not strong enough for the stress induced by the rifling to spin the bullet. These bullets are quite soft.
The other issue is that the bullets are too hard. The pressures are not sufficient to swedge ( fill out ) the cast bullet into the shape of the bore. Because the bore is not completely sealed, hot gasses pass by the bullet, which causes leading.
One myth that keeps rearing it's head is that the heat from the gasses making contact with the lead bullet is responsible for leading. Total bs. Not only do you need sufficient energy to heat that bullet to the melting point, the heat from the gasses need sufficient time to be absorbed by the lead bullet.
Another thing to consider is the type of lube being used. Lube primary purpose is to act as a seal. Secondary purpose is as a lube. Too much lube and you get fliers, not enough lube and you get leading towards the muzzle end of the barrel.
Slug your bore. The cast bullets need to be 0.001 to 0.002 over bore diameter to get best results. Bullets too small for the bore diameter will cause leading if the cast bullet alloy is too hard because it cant seal the bore properly. Sometimes, you can get away with using small bullets if the alloy is soft.
re cast, Most pistol bullets are cast with softer lead than rifle bullets, so running them through rifles at higher speeds can cause issues
A pistol bullet has less lube also, so running them in a long tube can have its own issues
A pistol bullet has less lube also, so running them in a long tube can have its own issues
