A Solution of 50% Hydrogen Peroxide and 50% Vinegar can be used to remove lead from barrels very quickly.
If you shoot a lot of pistol ammunition there is a good chance you will shoot cast lead bullets out of your gun at one time or another. Cast bullets can save you a lot of money. Unfortunately, when you use commercially cast bullets they can leave lead in your barrel that is hard to remove. This is a procedure to remove lead out of barrels that works very well.
A solution of 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% white vinegar reacts with lead and eats any lead in your barrel within 2-3 minutes. It is important that you plug off one end of the barrel and fill the barrel up all the way with the solution. Only let it set in the barrel for 2-3 minutes and then dump it out and flush the barrel out with water. Follow this by a dry patch through the barrel followed by a brush with solvent on it. Patch out the excess solvent and you are done. You can repeat the process if there are stubborn deposits that won’t come out on the first try.
The solution used in this process can cause damage to your barrel if it is exposed for long periods of time; it can also damage blueing on chrome moly barrels. The remaining solution that comes out of the barrel does contain lead and is poisonous.
To plug off the barrel I use a case that has been fired out of the gun. This case had a split in it so it needed to be discarded anyway. A rubber cork that can be bought at almost any hardware store could also be used.
I use a large syringe to measure the proper amounts of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide into. In this case I just sucked up 20 ccs of peroxide and 20 ccs of vinegar. The syringe also makes it easy to put the solution in the barrel.
Here you can see the solution in the barrel. The bubbles are the solution reacting with the lead.
Here is the first patch after flushing the barrel with water.
the solution should be disposed of properly, NOT put down the sink drain
At 81+ I find it a constant pleasure to find out new things with respect to the firearms sports/interests. This is another reason why for many years I have always insisted that firearms interests in an of themselves can and do offer a good deal of knowledge one would (could) not otherwise be privy to.
Lead acetate is VERY toxic. Double up on gloves at a minimum and treat the after product as hazmat for disposal. More information is available by googling “suppressor dip.”