I have had a problem and can not figure it out, I use Sweets 7.62 and Pro-shot 1 step gun cleaner and lubricant to clean my guns, I shoot a 45 colt with 250GR LRNFP bullets in a stainless Vaquero 4 5/8 inch barrel, when cleaning I saturate the bore with the pro-shot and allow it to soak for about 15 min. then I use a copper brush to scrub the bore by full pass through and retraction of about 5 to 6 strokes to loosen up any lead fouling then I run a dry patch through, repeat first steps and then I try to continue until I get a clean patch, THERE IS THE RUB, as yet no matter how many times I repeat the cleaning process I am unable to get a clean patch, (Which I forgot to mention is Pro-Shot Flannel) there is always some trace of black which I take as Powder residue???

Mostly powder combustion products, even plain old carbon. For years, I suspicioned that the manufacturers of bore cleaner added an ingredient that turned black when it contacted steel. That allowed them to sell more stuff. It just kept getting black.

If you use a little JB or Corbin abrasive compound, you will eventually get past the black and down to steel, but for the most part it isn't going to make any difference. Probably not worth worrying about.

Cobra44,

I don't know why this works, but it does. Wrap some bronze wool* around an undersized or worn bronze brush. Run it through the bore, dry. It takes out the lead much more effectively than a brush. Then clean with powder solvent as usual.

Ruger recommends Break Free CLP if you're going to shoot lead bullets. Ruger makes it sound as if Break Free keeps the lead from sticking. Break Free is the only cleaning solvent I use on my lead-bullet-shooting revolvers.

Sweets 7.62 is a copper solvent, and it probably doesn't touch lead. If it chemically reacts with lead, then I don't want it. You can walk around with metallic lead pellets in you for 80 years, but solublized lead compounds are highly toxic. They can cause you to become un-recoverably mentally retarded. They can kill you.

I like Sweets for cleaning up after jacketed bullets in my rifles. I think it's costing you needless expenses as well as sending needless ammonia fumes up in your face if you're just cleaning up after lead bullets.

I hardly ever get my revolvers last-patch-clean cleaned. I can't honestly say I remember the last time I did, so I don't want to mislead you into thinking I have the elusive secret. I do get my rifles that clean, and I use Sweets (regularly) and the J-B paste (only very occasionally; it's an abrasive don't you know. I think of J-B as super-fine lapping compound, and I think of myself as a man unqualified to lap the bore of a rifle).

I carry a bronze-wool wrapped brush on a short cleaning rod in my range bag, particularly to matches. A little bit of lead and bullet lube in the charge holes of the cylinder can slow down reloading, so between stages, I run that wool-brush through. Then the cartridges slip in so easily, they bounce.

H. C.

*Since people aren't buying wooden boats hardly any more, bronze wool is kind of hard to find. It's not next to the sandpaper at teh hardware store like it used to be, unless it's a very old hardware store. I wish we had more of them. Anyhow, the easiest to find bronze wool product nowadays is called "Chore Boy". It's a knitted bronze wool scouring pad you can get at the grocery store next to the Brillo pads.

I should not have posted the sweets 7.62 in this question as I do not use it for my lead shooting , but do use it to clean guns with, sorry about the confusion.

I had a really bad experiance a few years ago, I had bought a rifle from a private individual and as I always do cleaned it prior to shooting to be careful, it didn't seem like it cleaned really well but not suspicious of any thing after a sight in at the range, I again cleaned the gun and same story black patches, after examining the bors with a good light I noticed something that concerned me a spot that lookid like rust, as it turned out later to be a gouge in the barrel from I guess a cleanning rod and was full of copper, that was my first experiance with Sweets 7.62, I did get the copper out of the barrel, and took it to a gunsmith to get an evaluation and it was desided to shorten the barrel by the 2 1/2 inches to get rid of the gouge, he recrowned the barrel and no more gouge, at this time still concerned about the black patches, in frustration I took some lapping co,pound from my scope lapping kit and smeared it on a flannel patch, thenproceeded to scrub the hell out of the bore, then used Remington oil (Spray) to flush the bore and then cleaned the thing as always low and behold a CLEAN WHITE PATCH, the bore was so slik that it was rediculas to the feel no drag at all even with a dry patch, the next session on the range to check the effects of the shortened barrel was a really plesent supprise, 5 shots in a quarter sised hole at 100 yds whare before 2 inch was the result. Do not want to lap a bore every tme I want to clean it though.

Bronze wool here...

I love Mcmaster Carr. They have everything. literally