Help with Leading issue

[fpsaholic]

Hey Guys,

I just started loading cast bullets for the first time, and I am seeing some things I am not familiar with.

The Pistol is a brand new S&W model 66. The Bullet is a Dardas 148gn DEWC (I think 16-18 BHN). I used hodgdon data and loaded it with CCI primers and 3.0 grains of Tightgroup. The OAL was 1.230

What you see in the pictures was after 24 shots. The barrel was filthy afterword. Any help?

Edited November 28, 2014 by fpsaholic

[fpsaholic]

Here's a shot of the barrel...

[leewongfei]

Stop pointing your gun at me! I'm just kidding. Generally, leading like that can be caused bye a few different things. The powder is burning way to hot/ or too much powder, the casting of the projectiles is to weak, or your formula is all messed up. Is this the only gun with that kind of fouling? Do you have to much of a roll crimp? Have you tried to modify your load data? Are you only using lead load data instead of jacketed?

Edited November 28, 2014 by leewongfei

[fpsaholic]

The formula was from Hodgdons database, the OAL is a bit longer, the powder amount is middle of the road for their specs. The crimp is just as you see it. This is my first time with cast bullets. I usually use copper plated...

[Miranda]

hmmmm...

my barrel looks like that after a magazine.

is accuracy suffering?

frankly, I am not certain what to do for mine. As I cast my own,

my current plan is to try softer bullets by adding some pure lead

to my melt.

I also have not settled the reloading for lead. things like powder,crimp and oal.

they can all add and subtract to affect the problem

[fpsaholic]

Accuracy was fair- not terrible, not something I would want for match use... Powder charge felt consistent judging by recoil.

[Miranda]

I have to state I fell into thinking about all the variables and MY problems....

back you you.

accuracy suffering is what you think.

iffin you do better with copper jackets then lead fouling is a problem.

from all I have read about revolvers, they have leading as a perennial issue.

and if your accuracy is the same after 20-30 rounds, I'd tend to think you don't have a leading problem.

it looks dirty to me but that could be lubricant and burnt powder.

if you have streaks in the rifling and your accuracy gets worse as you are shooting you have leading issues.

I shot a few jacketed rounds and that seemed to clear things up so I decided I had to change things and examine

[PatJones]

I only shoot lead. I regularly shoot 700-800 rounds thru my 627 between cleanings and there is very little lead in the barrel.

First, Some revolvers lead. I had a Colt that leaded due to a barrel construction where it screwed into the frame.

Second, in my experience jacketed and lead bullets so not mix. Lead sticks to copper fouling. A buddy shot 6 rounds of jacketed .44 thru my revolver and it leaded terribly until I got the copper out.

I have had my best luck with slower powders. Try some unique or universal. Try some different bullets, I've had good luck with Colorado Cast Bullets from Montrose.

[PatJones]

Oh and I forgot, you need to size the projectiles to your cylinder throats What size are those bullets? .357? Will an unloaded bullet drop thru your chamber and out the end of the cylinder? If so, the bullet is too small.

When things are running correctly there will be some lead in the barrel but it won't build up.

[9x45]

When I was shooting ICORE years ago, I ran only full metal jackets. For 30$ more per thousand it's well worth not putting up with the lead mess in both the gun and the dies, not to mention keeping your blood lead level down from breathing in the lead cloud. If you have never been tested, you should.

Edited November 29, 2014 by 9x45

[dauntedfuture]

What powder are you using? I think you will do better with as fast of a powder as you can go. Years ago Bull's-eye was and still is the go to for .38 special target loads. its also likely that those are soft bullets intended for very low velocity and you might be pushing them a little bit. I Shot lead in a 9mm, .40 and .45 for years without issues. I shot hard lead in .38 as well. I now shoot mostly jacketed or coated bullets for anything other then practice. Almost no matter how you slice it shooting lead will much your cylinder up in a wheel gun. Someone make a special chamber brush or you can brush the chambers out one at a time. So, try faster power with lighter charges and I think the powder will burn a little better.

[noylj]

For revolvers, the lead bullet needs to be a snug slip-fit in the barrel's throats and be at least 0.001" larger than groove diameter. You need to slug your barrel and determine the ID of the throats.

Your rounds look OK, except you should be using a slight roll crimp (get a Redding Profile Crimp die) and roll crimp in the crimp groove on the bullet.

Can't tell where the leading starts in your barrel, but, in general:

A clue to what is causing the leading is where the leading first begins to appear.

If it appears near the chamber, chances are that bullet diameter or hardness are the cause. A diameter too small or an alloy too hard will allow high pressure gas to leak past the bullet, which erodes the bullet and leaves leading near the chamber. Almost all commercial cast bullets today are way too hard.

If the leading first appears on the leading edge of the rifling (if you imagine the bullet being pushed through the barrel, you will note that one edge of the rifling does most of the work of imparting a spin to the bullet. This is the edge you see when you look through the barrel from the breech end), the bullet might be too soft or the velocity too high.

If the leading appears in the second (front) half of the barrel, the bullet is running out of lube.