WOW lead is DIRTY!!!

[JesseR]

I shoot a lot of 9mm. So much so, that at $95/1K for FMJ I just can't shoot as much as I want. So I found a deal in some hard cast lead 122gn Semi Wadcutters.

Got them in and loaded up 100rds to see how my HK clone would like them. The results were very positive. No issues with the loads, I loaded the same way I load my low power plinking rounds.

What got me was when I got home and cleaned the gun. 100rds, looked like the gun had been to war. The bolt was gunked up pretty bad, the chamber flutes looked good, but the entire bolt group/FCG/chamber was really dirty.

My first time with lead, the results were positive and I'll keep this going, but must pay attention to cleaning time!

Anything sound out of the ordinary here?

 

[Shadowrider]

Nope. It's normal with lead.

WST and Clays are good powders as is Solo 1000. It's just the nature of lead bullets.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

Some of the extra dirt comes from the wax like bullet lube on the bullets. If you've never shot lead bullets before, pay attention to the lead buildup in the barrel if there is any. Lead bullets are usually loaded lighter than the jacketed bullets. Running too hot a load can cause lead build up in the rifling and can be a momma bear to get out.

 

[BadBadJohn]

I shoot ONLY lead in my handguns. For what I save $$wise I'll gladly spend a few extra minutes cleaning. A trick that I use, I plug the forcing cone end of the barrel with a piece of cork and then carefully pour a little Hoppes into the muzzle end and cork it, then let it sit and soak for a couple hours. Uncork it pour the Hoppes out, then use a brush and then start using the patches. You'll see little slivers of lead on the patches, when you don't see any more of them, then you're good!

 

[TonyT]

When I shot lead in a 9mm it was the 147 gr. weight using W-231 at ca 900 fps - no leading was eperienced. When you try pushing lead bullets in pistols above ca 900 fps then leading appears based on my observations.

I shoot a lot of 9mm. So much so, that at $95/1K for FMJ I just can't shoot as much as I want. So I found a deal in some hard cast lead 122gn Semi Wadcutters.

Got them in and loaded up 100rds to see how my HK clone would like them. The results were very positive. No issues with the loads, I loaded the same way I load my low power plinking rounds.

What got me was when I got home and cleaned the gun. 100rds, looked like the gun had been to war. The bolt was gunked up pretty bad, the chamber flutes looked good, but the entire bolt group/FCG/chamber was really dirty.

My first time with lead, the results were positive and I'll keep this going, but must pay attention to cleaning time!

Anything sound out of the ordinary here?

 

[JesseR]

I'll chrono some tomorrow to check the velocity. I'll ensure to keep it just fast enough to cycle the action of my HK's and 9mm AR. Thanks for the tips. The wax lube line was a little weird to get used to. Any know issues with Titegroup?

Thanks!

 

[Buzzdraw]

Some powders are known to be less nasty with lead bullets (and standard lube). Solo 1000, SR 7625, VV 320, Clays and VV 310 come to mind as less nasty. Tightgroup and Winchester Super Target make a bigger mess than the former. The two burn hot enough that leading is more an issue.

 

[Calamity Jake]

I shoot a lot of 9mm. So much so, that at $95/1K for FMJ I just can't shoot as much as I want. So I found a deal in some hard cast lead 122gn Semi Wadcutters.

Got them in and loaded up 100rds to see how my HK clone would like them. The results were very positive. No issues with the loads, I loaded the same way I load my low power plinking rounds.

What got me was when I got home and cleaned the gun. 100rds, looked like the gun had been to war. The bolt was gunked up pretty bad, the chamber flutes looked good, but the entire bolt group/FCG/chamber was really dirty.

My first time with lead, the results were positive and I'll keep this going, but must pay attention to cleaning time!

Anything sound out of the ordinary here?

Yes, you load is not building enough pressure to expand the case and seal in the chamber therefore you
are getting blow back when the round goes off allowing powder residue and small amounts if bullet lube to
be blown back into the action, raising the pressure(more or different powder) a little may help but it could also cause barrel leading.
You can live with the blowback and extra cleaning or change something to try to fix it.
The chamber in your barrel may be big enough that nothing short of a new barrel will fix it.

Cast bullets are a good source for cheap shooting and can be made to shoot and function very well,
it is not the nature of cast bullets to be dirty!!!!

 

[ldp4570]

Yes, you load is not building enough pressure to expand the case and seal in the chamber therefore you
are getting blow back when the round goes off allowing powder residue and small amounts if bullet lube to
be blown back into the action, raising the pressure(more or different powder) a little may help but it could also cause barrel leading.
You can live with the blowback and extra cleaning or change something to try to fix it.
The chamber in your barrel may be big enough that nothing short of a new barrel will fix it.

Cast bullets are a good source for cheap shooting and can be made to shoot and function very well,
it is not the nature of cast bullets to be dirty!!!!

If you want to push them a little hotter, start putting a gas check on each loaded round, you'll have less leading in the barrel.

 

[Calamity Jake]

If you want to push them a little hotter, start putting a gas check on each loaded round, you'll have less leading in the barrel.

How do you put a gas check on a loaded round? You gota put it on the cast bullet(if it is designed for it, or use a soft GC on a plain base bullet) before you load the round.

I've pushed a 44 plain base cast to 1300 FPS with no leading in over 50 rounds fired.