Corrosive Ammo : Cleaning & Recovery

[FALic]

How does one stop the corrosion on a barrel that's been exposed to corrosive ammo... for too long? I cleaned everything, soapy water, etc, come back a couple days later and there's rust in the barrel. Luckily it's just a pistol barrel... not my FAL.

[ August 10, 2001: Message edited by: EMDII ]

[Dano]

Do not use detergent, use a dishwashing liquid such as JOY and hot water. Blue Windex straight from the bottle work well too.

After a good scrubbing, oil it down with Breakfree.

The old-timers used to clean, wait a day or two and then clean again.

[DABTL]

I use dish soap and water. Oil it and come back with a wire brush a day or so later and oil it again.

Works well for me. Keeps me happy with 8mm Turk.

[Arby]

I used to use old G.I. Rifle Bore cleaner, after I'd scrubbed out the bore with bar soap and hot water, the hotter the better. Clean it well and lube it. Clean it again a day or so later. Keep checking the barrel for days, cleaning it often. When you are sure all the corrosive salts are done doing their evil, re-assemble the firearm. But check it periodically, just to make sure. If rust has already set in you need to be very thorough, if you care about the pistol.

I've had to do this procedure for over a week, in some cases, after having shot corrosive ammo. It's a real pain in old M-1s. Your handgun should be relatively easy to clean thoroughly, if it is not a revolver.

I got to the point in my life some years ago where it is just not worth shooting corrosive ammo.

Good luck!

[ June 30, 2001: Message edited by: Arby ]

[EMDII]

Moved to Ammunition. Probably keep it there for posterity.

BTW- HOT SOAPY WATER

[Buk]

Use Murphy's oil soap, peroxide from the drug store, and rubbing alcohol in equal parts; dry barrel and then an application of a good oil/rust preventative each day for seven days. Try it, you'll like it. BTW, this is an excellent solvent/cleaner for black powder, too.

[jim123sts]

I've had good luck with old fasion Ivory soap, liquid preffered. But "Hot" water has always seemed to be the key.

[twodog]

According to the Moisin-Nagant Forum, ammonia mixed with water nuetralizes the salts that cause the rust in corrosive ammo.
Take a small bottle with you to the range, rise thoroughly when done shooting, take it home and clean as normal within a few days. So far it works great when I shoot corrosive ammo in my Ruskie rifles. HTH
twodog

[Dave1]

2dog is right and I believe the mix is 1 to 1, 1 part ammonia and 1 part water. Don't let it touch blueing for more than a half an hr though, it'll remove it.
Dave