Metal (Lead/copper) fouling in 22's?

[TMan]

I've been kind of anal about making sure that I only shoot copper coated ammo in my 22's. My rationale was that if there is copper coating, it can be chemically disolved. Lead fouling has to be removed by mechnical means.

Then I heard say that 22's don't get metal fouling because of their low velocities? Is this true? If you use higher velocity ammo, my favorite CCI Mini-Mags come to mind, isn't there a higher danger of fouling?

To be honest, I don't recall ever getting blue patches out of any of the 22 barrels.

[MLB]

Might be true, but it certainly doesn't make sense. Seems to me that if you rub two metals together enough at any velocity, one's going to rub off on the other. The waxy coating on the lead .22s I've seen probably cuts down on the fouling though.

Regarding the lead. I understand that if you don't mind playing with a toxic metal, you can use mercury to disolve the lead ;D

[TMan]

Oh, like the chemicals that I've been using aren't toxic. ;D

I just remembered something too. On one of the Jennings that I bought as a parts gun, I had horrible lead fouling. It looked like the metal in the barrel was coming apart. I removed the barrel and took it into my gunsmith. He used Sweets and a bronze brush, and the lead came out in strips.

Maybe on quality barrels leading isn't a problem. I've never had lead or copper fouling on any of the quality 22's.