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Dougan wrote:Hi Rog,

I bought a Winchester (now switched for a Marlin) that had had only 38s down it...there was a raised carbon ring in the chamber that prevented chambering .357, and was a bugger to fully remove...

...out of interest, can you feel any resistance when you chamber a .357 in yours?

No, but I do clean my gun!

I clean my TR and classic rifles after every shoot (all copper bullets), but I find that with the gallery rifles (though I'm relatively new to the game) that you can clean them too much - Full strip-downs can encourage problems (lever and semi-autos), and it seems to take quite a few rounds (even with the best of boolits ) to gain accuracy again after cleaning the barrel...so I try to time a full clean to about a month before an important comp, and then put a good few hundred practice rounds down...

The fouling problem at the mouth of the chamber is actually down to poor boolits rather than the gap between the case mouth and the start of the throat, even with 357 cases there will still be the step as most cases never really fit the chamber well enough to close that gap.

Fouling comes from too hard an alloy, poor boolit fit and a poor lube. All this contributes to fouling and if you are getting that then the step at the case mouth is the first place it will collect.

Fouling in front of the case mouth is normal but with proper alloy and boolit fit then there should be no lead in the fouling, using a good soft lube will help keep the primer and powder fouling soft so that a "ring" doesn't build up with each round clearing the fouling of the previous one. A pass with a patch covered in Ed's Red is all that is needed to clean with after use.

Almost all commercial cast boolits that I have had the misfortune to use have been too hard, too small and carrying a hard lube that is as much use as alcohol free beer, they foul, lead and rarely shoot well.

Lead boolit shooting guns should definitely not be over cleaned. In fact I rarely clean mine, I am fortunate that they are kept in a dry gun room, if moisture was an issue then one pass with an Ed's Red soaked patch is all I'd do and then a pass with a dry patch before firing.

I put 200 rounds of cast through my 03 yesterday at a velocity of just over 1800 fps, the barrel was clean and shiny when finished, cleaning was a wipe to the bolt face and and an overall wipe down with an oiled cloth, then back in the rack. The bore wasn't touched. That rifle with cast boolits will put the shots in the 10 ring all day if I do my bit, with no fouling. I know for a fact that the cases are short for the chamber and there is a gap 'tween the case mouth and the throat but I have no fouling build up or cleaning issues as I have ensured good boolit fit, a suitably soft alloy and a decent soft lube.

Thanks for the clarification Adam - I hadn't noticed a ring since getting the Marlin, but then I switched to Rog's lovely soft bullets soon after getting it.

I keep meaning to ask Rog what he puts in the lube...I'm sure I can smell coconut in the last lot...?

He got a batch of used Brazilian hair depilation wax cheap on thievebay so he has been using that.

Ooouuuwww! :lol:

Wow, I like the two of that, but I really like the 357 cause its better than 38, and its was powerful than 38 i think.

Welcome Ivyravens!

Why not introduce yourself on the New Members forum?

Dougan wrote:Thanks for the clarification Adam - I hadn't noticed a ring since getting the Marlin, but then I switched to Rog's lovely soft bullets soon after getting it.

I keep meaning to ask Rog what he puts in the lube...I'm sure I can smell coconut in the last lot...?

If I tell you I'd have to kill you!

Coincidentally, I am casting the RNFP boolits today - sizing them to .358" and with the black magic lube going onto them. Luvvly Jubbly!