Lead Dissolving Solution?

[bountyhunter]

Any suggestions on how to get built up lead out of a compensator?

I recall some kind of ammonia solution talked about.

Anybody have good remedies?

I've tried Kroil, bore cleaner, Butch's bore shine, oven cleaner, acetone, and the usual suspects.

I'd be tempted to fire up a torch and run it out.

The comp is stainless, so it should be OK to use something acidic or caustic.

[George]

Icepick, , old dental pick, tip of small screwdriver you don't care about and a good bit of elbow grease ;-)

DO NOT be tempted to Dremel it out, no matter what your gunsmith tells you ;-0

[bountyhunter]

I've tried attacking with screwdrivers. It's a large mass of lead that is bonded on like it was torched in place inside the end of the comp.

[George]

It "is" torched in place ;-)

I have had to actually mount the comp/bbl assembly in my vice with wood blocks and use a small mallet with my little junk screwdriver with a sharpened tip to carve it out like a sculptor does with marble. It ain't a handheld job unless you like your palms bloody ;-/

Once the big hunks are out the ice pick, or dental pick get it out of the crevices and corners.

[bountyhunter]

My torch idea is sounding less stupid all the time........

[George]

I tried a torch and got nowhere as far as loosening the lead. I did however manage to loosen the comp that was held on with locktite. Took it back to the smith and had him clean up my mess and the lead deposits and re-blue the whole gun because the heat changed the finish at the muzzle ;-(

BTW, I only shoot jacketed in comp guns now ;-)

[Rob Boudrie]

I tried a torch and got nowhere as far as loosening the lead. I did however manage to loosen the comp that was held on with locktite. Took it back to the smith and had him clean up my mess and the lead deposits and re-blue the whole gun because the heat changed the finish at the muzzle ;-(

BTW, I only shoot jacketed in comp guns now ;-)

Hopefully jacketed rounds without an exposed lead base.

[bountyhunter]

My comp comes off the barrel easily so I can dunk it or flame it without affecting the gun.

My comp comes off the barrel easily so I can dunk it or flame it without affecting the gun.

Shooting only jacketed ammo isn't possible because this is for a Ruger Mk II (.22)

[George]

Hopefully jacketed rounds without an exposed lead base

JHP Baby, where the lead points the right way ;-)

[rishii]

a bunch of years ago, I used an outers fowlout II to de-lead my comps. I would chuck the barrel in a vise horizontally,plug both ends and run the rod thru, fill the barrel and comp with the solution. a few hours later, the lead would turn into a black goo that would come out with a q-tip.

although the torch idea sounds alot faster.

[Skywalker]

A buddy of mine dips the compensator of his gun in oxygenated water (120 volumes) for a few seconds, then easily scrubs the lead out of it with a screwdriver.

Edited April 10, 2006 by Skywalker

[mscott]

I seem to remember hearing that peroxide and white vinegar makes a good lead remover in barrels. I'm personally a bit leary of soaking my barrel in something I'm not sure of. Does that ring any bells for anyone else that may have tried it?

[kurtm]

YES!!! Hydrogen Peroxide and viniger!! about 50/50 I use apple cider viniger, but I think white viniger might work just as well. Plug it up and let it soak in about 10 minutes it will just wash right out, then be sure to re-oil. I've never seen this hurt a barrel. KURTM

[outerlimits]

not recommended, but liquid merc sill make it disappear....

[bountyhunter]

YES!!! Hydrogen Peroxide and viniger!! about 50/50 I use apple cider viniger, but I think white viniger might work just as well. Plug it up and let it soak in about 10 minutes it will just wash right out, then be sure to re-oil. I've never seen this hurt a barrel. KURTM

Thanks, I am soaking it in vinegar, I'll get some hy per and add that.

I thought I remembered something that involved vinegar.

[bufit323]

I've never seen this hurt a barrel.

I have seen it first hand in my USP 45 barrel, small pits running the length of the thing. I never let this solution sit in the things for more than a few minutes. I sent my barrel to Bruce Gray (while sendin him a gun) he told me it was safe to shoot, but that solution will essentially remove lead and then some. Seen it with my own eyes. My USP still shoots great, but when I use lead in it, I use a different cleaning method.

[Jody Waring]

The 50/50 mix of peroxide and vinegar does work, I stand my barrell up in a styrafoam cup to do the comp. After a few minutes, it turns to black sludge that comes right out.

[DJPoLo]

Shooting only jacketed ammo isn't possible because this is for a Ruger Mk II (.22)

Cool. Is it the Volquartzen comp?

-Chet

[bountyhunter]

Shooting only jacketed ammo isn't possible because this is for a Ruger Mk II (.22)

Cool. Is it the Volquartzen comp?

-Chet

Yes, it is a Volquartsen comp..... and it packed full of lead faster than you would believe. I am not convinced a comp on a .22 barrel does anything more productive than hang five ounces of weight at the end of the barrel..... but the other guy's Rugers had one, so I had to have one too.

For the record, the vinegar/hyd per soluion works the best. It does "sludge up" the surface of the lead and make it easy to scrape off. I will keep at it and I think it will come clean.

Thanks for the tip.

[Sam38]

Yes, half and half works the best! I use it myself.

However, in a different thread, I was once warned about the resulting solution.

The product of the hydrogen perioxide and vinegar with the lead is a lead acetate sludge - and according to what I was told - which is highly toxic and absorbable through the skin.

So dispose of carefully.

DVC,

Sam Spiteri

[ChuckS]

MSDS:

Lead Acetate

[bountyhunter]

Yes, half and half works the best! I use it myself.

However, in a different thread, I was once warned about the resulting solution.

The product of the hydrogen perioxide and vinegar with the lead is a lead acetate sludge - and according to what I was told - which is highly toxic and absorbable through the skin.

So dispose of carefully.

DVC,

Sam Spiteri

I washed my hands right after scraping. It was on my skin less than a couple of minutes.

Flushed it down the sink.... then set the frozen chicken in the sink to thaw.

[bountyhunter]

Final report: after a week of soaking/scraping with a popsicle stick/soaking the lead is gone. Very easy fix.

[21 shooter]

A gunsmith told me to soak my 686 cylinder in a product called "orange blast", which is available at wally world and other places. I let it soak over night, and everything just wiped off the cylinder and cylinder face. I shoot cast bullets with Titegroup, and things get nasty real quick.

[bountyhunter]

A gunsmith told me to soak my 686 cylinder in a product called "orange blast", which is available at wally world and other places. I let it soak over night, and everything just wiped off the cylinder and cylinder face. I shoot cast bullets with Titegroup, and things get nasty real quick.

I wonder if it's like the SLIP 2000 orange cleaner they sell for gun cleaning. Tried it, and it wouldn't take off the burned on carbon, just the loose stuff.