Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

removing lead from 22lr

timhill100
i have a colt 1911 22lr conversion kit on my series 70, been shooting 22s over the more expensive 44acp, well after the range yesterday i went to clean it it was so fouled with lead i couldnt push the brush through, i soaked it in hoppes and after a few hours was able to get it clean, my question is why did this happen after only a few hundred rounds, and is there better ammo i can use. and is there a eaiser way to remove the lead, i was shooting remington ammo thunder bolt hi speed,
thans in advance
0

Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • perry shooter
    The Copper wash 22ammo does not lead as bad as the ones with just a lead bullet.spend a little more for the good stuff Promo 22 ammo is the worst.I have found if the conversion unit has a rough bore try to polish with some J.B. Bore cleaner then it will not lead as bad . If you have a colt service ace type conversion unit you will also need to clean the floating chamber this can be VERY hard to clean get some solvent made to disolve lead. I love Hoppes but their are better products for lead removable
    0
  • timhill100
    yea the floating chamber was bear to clean as well, and will do on the good ammo for now on i dont want to ruin my conversion as these are pretty pricey
    thanks for your help
    0
  • cpermd
    Try Win Dynapoints

    CP
    0
  • USN_Airdale
    i know.., i know, it's dangerous, frowned on rejected by many, but i have used this method for .44 magnums, .357's, plus many other calibers prone to leading..., BUT !! Mercury (not the automobile) is the best lead remover, plug one end of the barrel very tightly, pour in the Mercury let it set for a few hours, pour it back out, run a stainless steel brush thru the barrel and PRESTO !! the barrel looks brand new.

    OK ! turn on the flame machine [:D]
    0
  • He Dog
    Gotta break a lot of thermometers to get that much murcery. Dangerous! You could cut yourself.
    0
  • rufe-snow
    I've owned a number of the Colt made, floating chamber conversion units over the years. Soldering of the floating chamber has always been a problem with the cheap .22 ammo. Until I switched to CCI Stingers, 10/12 years ago. They function perfectly and are extremely accurate in mine. Don't get me wrong you still have to strip it down for a good cleaning every 300 rounds or so, but it doesn't solder up the floating chamber.
    0
  • beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by USN_Airdale
    i know.., i know, it's dangerous, frowned on rejected by many, but i have used this method for .44 magnums, .357's, plus many other calibers prone to leading..., BUT !! Mercury (not the automobile) is the best lead remover, plug one end of the barrel very tightly, pour in the Mercury let it set for a few hours, pour it back out, run a stainless steel brush thru the barrel and PRESTO !! the barrel looks brand new.

    OK ! turn on the flame machine [:D]


    Well, you've already mentioned that mercury is a nasty neurotoxin.


    Then again lead itself isn't that good for your CNS either.

    How bad are these things? Well, I know someone who is walking around all the time with a nice chunk of lead/mercury mixture permanently affixed in their mouth. . .eg ME.

    Mercury/lead amalgam fillings were the standard for decades, and there are still plenty of people with them walking around. I think my brain is OK (though I guess I'd be the last to know if it weren't [;)] ).

    My take on this is as follows:

    Getting the mercury legally isn't easy.
    Disposing of it legally isn't easy.

    While I have no doubt that this *could* work, I'd say this one is probably best avoided by most individuals, and I'd favor more conventional methods of lead removal.
    0
  • cwi555
    No flame, I've used the method myself. You have to use proper precautions. Gloves, etc.
    I've saved a lot of leaded barrels using the method.

    quote:Originally posted by USN_Airdale
    i know.., i know, it's dangerous, frowned on rejected by many, but i have used this method for .44 magnums, .357's, plus many other calibers prone to leading..., BUT !! Mercury (not the automobile) is the best lead remover, plug one end of the barrel very tightly, pour in the Mercury let it set for a few hours, pour it back out, run a stainless steel brush thru the barrel and PRESTO !! the barrel looks brand new.

    OK ! turn on the flame machine [:D]
    0
  • Bill DeShivs
    Dental fillings were not made with lead. They were a mercury/silver amalgum. Lead is too soft.
    0
  • timhill100
    thanks for all the info guys, i will use better ammo and sorry to say to some of you there is no way im useing mecury to clean anything,
    good old hoppes or shooters choice and lots of scrubbing,
    thanks again
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity