Too early to have issues!

[lone shooter]

So about a month ago I picked up a BNIB Browning Buck Mark Pro 22LR hand gun. Yesterday I took in out to the range for the first time. I shot about 200 rounds of Thunderbolt ammo.

Went out to clean everything this morning and I could not get the cleaning rod through the buckmark. I look in the barrel and there appears to be lead adhering to the inside of the barrel.

Not sure what to do at this point since I can't a cleaning rod through it to run a wire brush.

Any suggestions (besides dump the Thunderbolts)?

[customiiguy]

Spray some ballistol or hoppes and let it soak for a couple minutes. Then try cleaning

[vliberatore]

I'd probably soak in in Hoppe's No.9

[lone shooter]

will do. Thanks.

[Tank 57]

Try using a.17 cal. brush and cleaning rod.

[Scratch705]

wood dowel then hammer it through.

or as some said, soak in cleaning solution of your choice and hope it loosens the lead up.

[usmcspud]

Put some Kroil in the bbl and let soak a coupla hours. Then take an old worn down 22 cal bore brush with PURE copper Chore-Boy strands wrapped around it. Put your cleaning rod in the muzzle out past the chamber. Screw the wrapped bore brush onto rod and pull it out. Make take several tries.
If you can't find Chore-Boy copper pads, get some generic. But read the fine-print and confirm it is pure copper. Some brands use copper coated steel wool. Check with a magnet to confirm.
I bought off-brand once that read it was pure. NOT.
Anyway, this is the easiest way to get that lead out.
Much easier to remove the bbl. for this process.
Ditch the Thunderbolts. LOL.

[Twystd1]

Put some Kroil in the bbl and let soak a coupla hours. Then take an old worn down 22 cal bore brush with PURE copper Chore-Boy strands wrapped around it. Put your cleaning rod in the muzzle out past the chamber. Screw the wrapped bore brush onto rod and pull it out. Make take several tries.
If you can't find Chore-Boy copper pads, get some generic. But read the fine-print and confirm it is pure copper. Some brands use copper coated steel wool. Check with a magnet to confirm.
I bought off-brand once that read it was pure. NOT.
Anyway, this is the easiest way to get that lead out.
Much easier to remove the bbl. for this process.
Ditch the Thunderbolts. LOL.

I agree. That is what I have done MANY times.

-T

[lone shooter]

wood dowel then hammer it through.

or as some said, soak in cleaning solution of your choice and hope it loosens the lead up.

Thanks guys. So I soaked it with Hoppes #9 then shoved a perfectly sized allen wrench in the barrel and turned it. It was raining little sliver flakes. Did that from both ends which allowed me to finally run the wire brush though it. Got it all out. I'm going to keep on top of it from now on as it was a PITA.

There was a tell tale sign tho. As I was shooting it, little hot flakes would blow out the left side and onto my hand. I'm sure this was the point it was adhering onto barrel.

[WMG]

I remember thunder bolts being $.98 a box of 50.
That was $.97 too much.
And then only if you didn't care about losing a penny.

[mschn99]

Thunderbolt ammo is junk. Its softer lead than it ever was, and it was not great ammo in the past.

My 7 year old son has a Davey Cricket (formerly called a chipmunk). For what it is, its a bad *** kids gun. Stainless barrel and action, synthetic stock. Well built gun. I have 4000 rounds of copper jacketed Aguila ammo mixed with 2000 rounds of thunderbolt. Ive yet to have issues with the Thunderbolt in my Buckmark or Mark 3, but i have extraction issues in the single shot rifle with them. Im assuming im not seeing your issues due to the copper cleaning the barrel out. I went to the range with my son yesterday, he put around 300 rounds downrange in his rifle. I had 8 rounds i had to pry the casing out with my pocket knife, and all of them were the exposed lead rounds which means they were the thunderbolt.

[StuckInTheP.R.O.Ca]

Try using a.17 cal. brush and cleaning rod.

^ What I was thinking. Also a long soak with solvent.

[JTROKS]

I don't feel comfortable inserting an Allen wrench made of steel and turning it inside a barrel. I would just soak it with Kroil and use brass bore brush and repeat process until all the lead fouling is gone. Too bad they don't have a .22 bore size Lewis Lead Remover. That's what I use for my 357 revolvers.

I've shot thousands of Rem thunderbolt and never ran into that type of severe lead build up. The accuracy must have sucked.

[QXSOUP]

Put some Kroil in the bbl and let soak a coupla hours. Then take an old worn down 22 cal bore brush with PURE copper Chore-Boy strands wrapped around it. Put your cleaning rod in the muzzle out past the chamber. Screw the wrapped bore brush onto rod and pull it out. Make take several tries.
If you can't find Chore-Boy copper pads, get some generic. But read the fine-print and confirm it is pure copper. Some brands use copper coated steel wool. Check with a magnet to confirm.
I bought off-brand once that read it was pure. NOT.
Anyway, this is the easiest way to get that lead out.
Much easier to remove the bbl. for this process.
Ditch the Thunderbolts. LOL.

+1
This is what I do with my revolvers. It pushes the lead right out.

[Pally]

tagged, good info!