Lube or leading?

Swampman1

New member
OK guys, after about 30 rounds with the XDm-9 today, I noticed something I hadn't seen before...at least not to this extreme. My bullets normally drop out of the Lee mold at .357-.358, and I have experienced little to no leading. In the first and third photo looking down the front of the barrel, it appears to be little leading. But in the second photo, looking at the end of the barrel...is that leading or bullet lube? This appears only at the last 1/3 of the barrel. My understanding is leading show up like fibers? this looks more "caked" on. BTW it does come off very easily with Chore Boy copper.

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Just looking at it from my phone, it looks like light leading. This is particular to your lube running out. Usually it shows up just like what you posted.

If you are only giving a light coat of alox you might try a double coat and see if that clears it up or at least lessons it. If you have some carnuba red you might try that. If it still shows try both.

This is real leading here,
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Don't get discouraged those 9's are tricky to get cast to work just right.
 
Run a dry patch through the barrel. Lube will usually come out with a patch, and leading won't. Most leading I've encountered is a build up in the corners of the rifling and in the grooves. It isn't necessarily a thread like deposit, but sometimes comes out as thin strips/"hairs" when heavy.
 
You guys are right. Mike I did go lighter than normal with the LLA this time around, as I was at the bottom of the bottle.

Mikld I verified the patch suggestion, and it is lead for sure.

Now that I'm almost out of lube, I know there are a lot of home brewers out there with tons of recipes. Any of them good enough to replace LLA without getting too involved?
 
Personally I would just go to White Label Lubes and order a jug of the premixed 45/45/10 and be done with it. In fact that is what I did.

You will save time and money and don't have to stink up the place cooking it. It should show up in about 3-4 days and will last a long time.

I shot some 357's with it and could hardly tell it. That said, there is a whole forum dedicated to lubes over on Castboolits. I'm sure you could find something you like there.
 
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