Cleaning after shooting Corrosive question

[geo57]

I've always been 1 of those stubborn shooters who for years has avoided shooting corrosive ammo like the black plague. As i'm about to get into 8mm, i can see shooting surplus is the way to go if cautious cleaning is employed. If 1 swabs the chamber, bore, muzzle & bolt face with an ammonia based solvent or Windex w/ammonia ASAP after shooting, will that safe guard a rifle from corrosion or are small internal parts at risk inside the bolt or trigger group? THIS WILL BE USED IN A Yugo m48a. Any experienced thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks !

 

[P95Carry]

Bolt and trigger group should not present much problem - it is the bore and chamber that need dealt with.

Windex is OK as a quick expedient before leaving the range but not for a full clean. Remember - humidity is your enemy - converting residual combustion products like Chlorates - into hydrochloric acid!!

I personally favor the following formulation - which is primarily a BP solvent for M/L shooters but is just great for corrosive - I use it on my Turk after 8mm mil surp and my Enfields after milsurp .303.

Murphy's Oil Soap --------------- 2 parts
Rubbing (iso propyl alcohol) ------ 3 parts
3% Peroxide.-------------------- 3 parts

I mixed up mine as pints - to yield a gallon - I shall be dead and gone before I use even the first pint probably! Mix all components - and store out of light in something like a yellow gallon jug that had anti-freeze in it.

Keep old Peroxide brown bottles for storing current useage mix.

I actually use mine cold - just on patches .. and put those thru several times - then using dry patches until all moisture removed. After this - phos/bronze brush and regular clean if bore needs fouling removed. Do NOT start cleaning with oil containing products - it can 'seal in'' the nasties!

Always check bore 12 to 24 hours after the clean - to ensure you did Ok - if signs of flash rust - no panic - clean again with the mixture - it just means not all corrosives went first time round. If you have done well enough then bore will not show signs of any corrosion.

Enjoy cheap shooting.

 

[ocabj]

Water. Ammonia by itself does nothing to corrosive salts from the corrosive primers. Windex probably works if it has water. I use a 50/50 solution of household ammonia and water and run several wet patches through the bore after shooting at the range and then dry it and run some Butch's Bore Shine through it. If I have time, I'll finish cleaning it then and there. If not, I'll do the serious cleaning at home.

Frankly, warm/hot water by itself is all you need. The only reason I even use 50/50 ammonia and water is because Dennis of Empire Arms posted that on his web page.

 

[SMLE]

Windex is useless for cleaning after firing corrosive ammo...

Hot water. That's all you need, plain old hot water. There is no need to waste time and money on brewing all the various "home remedies" that so many people tout. Just get yourself an ATF funnel from the local auto parts store and pour a gallon of hot water through the bore from the chamber end, then clean normally with Hoppe's or whatever solvent you normally use and oil the bore. Amonia is only useful for removing metal fouling, it will not disolve the salt residue left by corrosive primers.

If you can't clean immediatly, just oil the bore throughly to prevent moisture from getting to the salt. When you get home, wipe the bore with a few dry patches, then boil it out and clean with regular solvent.

 

[Bear Gulch]

I use a mix of 1 part sudsy ammonia 2 parts water. Use 3 patches of this. Clean as usual with ed's red. Make sure to disassembel bolt and clean pin.

 

[jefnvk]

Water is all that is required. Corrosive ammo produces salts as a byproduct of the reaction. This salt gets everywhere that the powder gets. Water will dissolve the salt, and carry it away.

 

[P95Carry]

SMLE - I know water does the job - but I honestly think oiling the bore before the salts have been dissolved can make things harder. Means you have to effectively degrease bore prior to getting on with the water stage.

Only reason I use a ''special brew'' is - it saves a lot of mess - compared with water approach and .... purely going by results - does a great job.

Ultimately tho - it is what works for any one person. The proof will always be the bore that ain't rusted up!

 

[GD]

cleanup

I have used plain water for years and have never had rust when using corrosive ammo in my milsurps. I follow the water scrubbing with a copper solvent and then finish up with gun oil. Twice a year I will run another oiled patch through the bore if I haven't shot the rifle and wipe the metal down with oil.

 

[CleverName]

So where do you do the water/funnel thing? I'm sure SWMBO/roomates/Mom won't like you dumping dirty, oily water all over the kitchen, and hot water's hard to come by in the garage or backyard.

Bolt open or closed? I'm new to milsurps, my friend might be getting one (not sure which one he wants though).

 

[ocabj]

Well, I figure the easy way is to prop the gun muzzle down in one of those 5 gallon buckets and pour the hot water out of a tea kettle.

I saw a trick in Shotgun News that I never tried out:

1. Put hot water in a bucket
2. Stick a patch on a tight jag and rod and push through from chamber to bore until jag is at the end of the bore but still inside the muzzle.
3. Put muzzle end of rifle barrel in water.
4. Pull up on rod and pull the rod out.

Supposedly this will generate some suction action and pull the hot water to the 'top'/back of the barrel.

 

[Chipperman]

"Just get yourself an ATF funnel from the local auto parts store "

I can see the Firearms and Alcohol applications of a funnel, but how do you use it with Tobacco?

Maybe I don't want to know.

 

[Bwana John]

Boiling water is all you need for corrosive priming.

I saw a trick in Shotgun News that I never tried out:
1. Put hot water in a bucket
2. Stick a patch on a tight jag and rod and push through from chamber to bore until jag is at the end of the bore but still inside the muzzle.
3. Put muzzle end of rifle barrel in water.
4. Pull up on rod and pull the rod out

This is how I clean my black powder rifle, (in the bathtub). I us boiling water with dishwashing soap, the metal gets so hot the water evaporates leaving the rifle dry, then a light oiling.

 

[MoeMentum]

Hot water, its that simple.

 

[Bentley8]

Windex contains butyl cellosolve and isopropyl alcohol and about 90%+ water. The butyl cellosolve is excellent at breaking up the carbon/soot buildup. Water alone is not that great at getting rid of the soot, but add a little bit of butyl cellosolve and it comes right off.

I use Windex because I shoot for hours and there's nowhere at my range to keep water hot. I bring it hot, it gets cold. The little bottle of Windex I got at the dollar store 2 years ago is much more portable and works just as well.

 

[natedog]

Windex has worked for me. 400 rounds, no problems in my M1. With a semi-automatic, make sure you clean the gas system as well. I generally retract the bolt, clean the bore, the chamber recesses (where there's visible powder/fouling), and bolt face with a Windex soaked patch. Next, I unscrew the gas cylinder plub and rub it back and forth in there.

 

[Matthew748]

I have always used Windex. First I point the muzzle down into a garbage can and spray the bore with Windex until it drips out. I follow that with about 3 patches soaked with Windex and one or two dry patches. After that I clean with normal solvents. I also wipe the bolt and the inside of the action with a few paper towels sprayed with Windex. It works for me, I have not seen a speck of rust yet.

 

[MilsurpShooter]

Seeing as I have an M48a and shoot nothing but corrosive, I shall break down my proceudre int he following simple steps

1) after I'm done shooting I take some "Outers" foaming bore cleaner and spray into the rifle

2) I pack it into the trunk and take the 15-20 minutes drive home.

3) once I'm home I take the rifle and lay it on the bench, removing the bolt (Make sure the safety is in the MIDDLE position)

4) I place the entire bolt assembly in some hot, soapy water, and let it soak while I do the next steps to the barrel

5) Take a clean patch with nothing on it, and, while pointing the rifle to the floor, run a patch into it to remove the foaming bore cleaner.

6) next, use any bore solvent or cleaner you preffer and run the patches through it until they come out clean. Pay special attention the small recess where the bullet head sits, this often becomes very dirty and can mess with your head when the patch hits it, making the barrel seem like it's ditrtier then it should be.

7) Once the patch comes out clean, put another patch with Hoppes on it through the barrel once or twice.

8) Run a patch of your favorite gun oil through the barrel.

9) Wipe down the other parts, where the bolt slides, where the bullets sit, with whatever solvent you wish.

10) Place the rifle to the side and remove the bolt from the bowl of soapy, hot, water

Now, as far as I go, I completely dis-assemble the bolt, with the exception of the extractor. This slides easily enough so by moving it you can get to spots you've missed. I'll pick up the steps with the assumption that you've taken the bolt apart before and know how to do it, if not, just say so and I have a few websights with a pictorial instruction guide


Ok, a fully dis-assembled M48 bolt should have the following pieces

A) Safety selection lever

B) Firing pin spring

c) Firing Pin

d) Bolt sleeve

e) Cocking sleeve

f) Bolt body

11) Wipe down all the parts well with a solvent of your choosing

12) Using a Q-tip get into the hard to reach gas ports on the Bolt body, and between the extractor, run it once or twice through the center cavity of the cocking sleeve

13) Small amount of oil on the firing pin, the interior of the cocking sleeve, and spring.

14) toothpick to make sure the small hole where the firing spring goes through is un-obstructed.

15) Re-Assemble, and wipe down with a Rod and reel cloth


Now this is overboard, or so I have been told. I spend about 45 minutes cleaning after shooting simply because I enjoy it almost as much as putting rounds into the target. Alot of people here could probably stream line that for you and if you have any questions regarding the M48 let me know. Mine has had about 450 rounds through it in the past 6 Sunday's and i'm getting nickel size groups at 100 yards with it, all Mil-surp ammo.

 

[pinetree64]

What timing! I just finished swabbing out three C&R's after a day at the range. I use a mixture Simple Green and water. About 50/50. After three or four soaked patches over an old bronze brush each passed 4-6 times, the last patch is a very, very light gray. A couple dry patches, a little Hoppes #9... I finish with Balistol and then dry patches. Balistol may not be the best, but it is historical... This isn't a deep cleaning, simply getting the grung out.



tjg

 

[Horsesense]

Hum…. Let's see? Need warm water that I can carry with me to the range and something with which to get the "water" down the barrel.

There is a standard issue device that was issued (by God) and solders have used it in the field for expedient cleaning.

BTW that’s where the phrase "piss on it" came from. When solders wanted to clean the barrel but were to tired to do it by the book… I just made that last part up but it sounded good.


I have never tried it but I have heard that that was done during WWI