Get the Lead Out!

Chances are that the label on your favorite bore cleaner says something about "removing lead." Being the curious guy that I am, I began to wonder just exactly how bore cleaners manage to accomplish this trick. Lead is a pretty inert metal, and there isn't much that can actually dissolve it. So just how does bore cleaner get rid of lead fouling in a barrel? If we think about it, there are only a few ways to remove lead from a barrel. We could melt it out with a torch, but no one would want to take a torch to a favorite firearm. The three other ways to remove the offending metal are: (1) to penetrate under the lead to separate its bond with the barrel so that it can be pushed out, (2) use an abrasive to actually scour it away, or (3) to somehow break it down chemically. Some old-timers have also told me that pouring mercury in the bore would remove lead, but since mercury is poisonous and can drive those who are overexposed to it insane, I think we can skip that method.

Get the Lead Out!