Cleaning after corrosive ammo

[Slater]

After firing some Russian milsurp through my M91/30, decided to try the old fashioned hot water method to see how it worked. Poured about a gallon of boiling hot soapy water down the bore and followed up w/boiling hot clean water. Bore looked squeaky clean but was too hot to touch for a while. I guess this works as it flushes all the corrosive salts from the barrel, and I heard that the boiling water expands the metal slightly so crud is removed from all the crevices, but it's kind of messy. Burned my fingers, too.
Anyone else use this method on a regular basis? Windex seems a bit easier overall.

[Terick]

It's the best thing going for getting the gun really clean, so don't write it off. (It gets easier with practice, and improvising) It is a hassle tho. I only do it with really dirty guns. The quick "Windex" treatment seems more realistic to me as well. I pull a couple of damp patches thru right after shooting, then dry patch and oil patch. Wipe the bolt face and it's good for a few hours. I clean again at home with water base cleaner and oil everything down real well when I'm done, but that's probably overkill. Gotta take care of the toys, but don't get to the point where it stops being fun. :)

[tor]

This is how I do it;

Written by Dennis Kroh www.empirearms.com (http://www.empirearms.com)

Dennis deals with old military weapons quite some time so he should know....

Regards,Torsten


How to properly clean after using corrosive ammo

This is how I do it... it's easy, it's fast, and it's effective. Best of all you can do it while still on the firing-line and thus not offend your significant other with the usually pungent stench of commercial cleaners in your home.

Dilute regular household ammonia (sudsy is best but regular is OK too) to 2/1 or 3/1 with water (it can be as much as 10/1 if the smell really gets to you). Keep in a small bottle to take with you to the range but label it well so you don't mistake it for contact-lens solution or something (yeeeowww!)

After you are done firing and while still at the range moisten (not dripping-wet, but sorta-soaked) a patch and run it down the bore and back once. This instantly will neutralize and dissolve the corrosive salt-compounds from the primers and start in on the copper and powder fouling with a vengeance.

Let stand for thirty seconds or so (just enough time to take off and throw away the ammonia-patch you just used and put a new, dry patch on your rod). Run the dry patch (or several) down the bore and you are most literally done.

DON'T OVERDO IT! More ISN'T better in this case...

You really don't want to slop ammonia (especially if heavily concentrated) all over the blued parts of the gun (as it will likely start to remove bluing after 30 minutes or so) and you also shouldn't leave the ammonia in the bore for an extended period of time (like hours, although I do know folks who do that anyway) as that may (not WILL, but MAY) cause "crazing" (microscopic pitting) of the metal. I also have to caution against slopping ammonia on the wooden parts of your rifle, as it will usually strip the finish down to bare-wood, BUT if you follow my advise on HOW MUCH ammonia to use (only enough to dampen, but not soak, a single patch per gun) you will not EVER experience ANY problems at all...

If you are worried about primer residue getting on the bolt-face you may want to quickly wipe it with the wet patch before throwing the thing away and quickly dry it. Same thing with the gas-tube in a semi-automatic rifle... don't go overboard, just wet it and dry it and get done with it.

As a final precaution (since the ammonia will also kill all lubricants and leave the metal very dry) you can run a patch of gun-oil down the bore and leave it like that for protection from the elements (just be sure to run a dry patch down the bore before shooting it again).

I've been cleaning guns this way (including *every* gun we sell) for nearly thirty years, and have never had rust form in any bore (even here in humid Florida).

However, if you are (like some folks I have met) completely obsessed about leaving traces of ANY powder or copper residue in the bore of your weapon, you can certainly follow up your "field-cleaning" with a detailed, strenuous, traditional cleaning once you are home (or in a week or month from then). But I warn you... your bore is much more be likely to be damaged from your over-enthusiastic scrubbing to get out that "last speck of copper" (which has no affect on the actual accuracy of your firearm) than it will with all the rounds you could possibly send down it during your lifetime.

Dennis Kroh

[gunhead]

Hi Guys;
I have a few Rifles that I shoot corrosive ammo in, The M38 Sako, 7.62rimmed & Yugo M48A & FN-49 in 8mm. I just do it the easy way, I small bit of Windex or the Ammonia/water method. Just do it as soon as possible at the range or when ya get home. All my rifles still look fine, no corrosion :D
I hear the older military bore cleaner is great also, i'll get some of that soon also ;)

[usmc326]

Just get a can of GI bore cleaner(the one that smells like creosote) from the 50's. I run a patch through before leaving the range, then clean it at home.
The military recommended cleaning it again 2-3 days later, but I've never
had to.

[Rawles]

I always use the hot water method at the range. Our range has 110 volt outlets and I take a hot pot with me. I also take one of my Canadian milsurp Enfield cleaning funnels. Works great, and keeps the water in the barrel and not on your hands.

[W.E.G.]

Urine also contains ammonia.

Just be careful where you place the nozzle if you are using this method to clean a Garand.

[cowbilly]

Hoppe's used to sell a corrosive cleaner for black powder. I bought a bottle of it about 10 years ago and still use it if I suspect corrisive ammo. I haven't seen any lately for sell. Works well, resembles LSA. The soap and boiling water deal works good too.

[rob1]

Originally posted by gary.jeter:
<STRONG>Urine also contains ammonia.

Just be careful where you place the nozzle if you are using this method to clean a Garand.</STRONG>

WECSOGing at it's finest! :D

[Mad Dog 7.62]

Originally posted by gary.jeter:
<STRONG>Urine also contains ammonia.

Just be careful where you place the nozzle if you are using this method to clean a Garand.</STRONG>

I only piss on Carcano's........ ;)

[Blood of Tyrants]

Originally posted by gary.jeter:
<STRONG>Just be careful where you place the nozzle if you are using this method to clean a Garand.</STRONG>

Oooooooowwwwwww! :eek: Man, just saying that made me cringe as I am a victim of my M1.

[W.E.G.]

Originally posted by Blood of Tyrants:
<STRONG>...made me cringe as I am a victim of my M1.</STRONG>

http://www.erols.com/gary.jeter/garandfinger.jpg

[MG-70]

Gary, please keep in mind this board is rated R...

MG-70

[rob1]

I'm just glad he put up a pic of his thumb!!!!!!! :eek:

[marko16]

Since I hardly have a rifle that doesn't get corrosive ammo run through it and quick and easy is for me, all I do is run a swab of Tetra bore cleaner and let it sit for a few minutes. There is so much ammonia in this cleaner that it makes the eyes water. I then clean as usuall and have never had a rusty bore. My K98's have been through hell and back, and it the wet European climate have never been more than oiled. I just mention that because although prevention is better than none I'm not going to spend more time than what's needed cleaning these things. And with that simple step I've never had a problem. YMMV

[Dryfire]

I have been using the old GI green can bore cleaner and then clean with CLP. This has worked for the last 20 years. SOF did a test of CLP about 20 years ago with corrosive ammo. That worked by itself, but it just takes an extra minute to put up with the smell of the green can.

[dandor]

I have burned alot of black powder in my 1853 Enfield Repro. I use a mixture that an "old timer" told me about to clean it. Rinse the barrel with boiling hot water, then use a mixture of 1/3 hot water, 1/3 Murphy's Oil Soap and 1/3 Hydrogen Peroxide, then rinse with hot water. This does an excellent job. I'm sure it would work for corrosive ammo cleanup.