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Sounds odd, always felt higher vel increased fouling. FYI, sometimes I have found firing jacketed bullets thru a lead fouled bbl helps. Other's might chime in. Bullet hardness sure affects fouling. Not sure how low speed affects it, that variable alone other than perhaps sealing gas?

Other's will perhaps add more.

Any other ideas on the barrel leading so badly?

One more thing comes to mind, what diameter those bullets are, compared to your bore dimensions, and I suppose whether you have lubed bullets or not. Gas checks can perhaps help seal off gas from passing the base, and that may help but others can confirm.

On the bore "breaking" in and getting slicker, yes, after a few hundred jacketed bullets - often one gets a bore that gets a bit smoother like a lapped bore.

One other thing is the forcing cone, some have their forcing cone worked on to either improve accuracy and/or perhaps reduce fouling. Someone else may can confirm, I'm not up on that topic. Hope those bits get you in the right direction.

Get a caliper and see what the diameter of the lead bullet is that is causing the leading. Can it be pushed through the chamber throats? It could be too small and skidding down the barrel.

I've usually found that leading is caused by a rough bore. To smooth them out I use FINE automotive valve grinding compound on a tight patch pusher works very well. I finish it up with 30-40 micron diamond lap that the knife makers use for polishing their knives. It will usually leave the bore like a mirror and no more leading.

It could also be that you have a constriction where the barrel screws into the frame causing a choke point. I don't know if this happens on the new S&W 2-piece barrels but than can cause a lot of accuracy and leading problems if it does have it...

Never had any leading problem with the 357PD or NG. Most of the bullets that went through the PD were Berry's plated bullets. The NG did gut quite a few of my home cast 180s...

Bob

If they're hard as rock that might be your problem.



Dave

The bullets can't be pushed into the chamber throats.......there is .003 to .004 difference in the diameter.

Cutting them with a knife blade, it seems the suspect bullets are about the same hardness as the 41 and 45 cast bullets I have.

For all I know, all the leading may have come from the first half dozen rounds thru a new barrel and it may slick up now.

If it doesn't, I'll try the polishing deal mentioned.

I hate cleaning guns.

Gene,

Order some Dyna-Bore Coat from Midway. Clean down to bare metal (yes, that sucks) per instructions, coat, cure, and carry on. The stuff works.