Cleaning up after corrosive Ammo?

[texgunner]

How do you all clean up after shooting a milsurp with corrosive ammo? I recently purchased a Mosin-Nagant M44 and a Yugo M24 Mauser. Recently I have discovered that eastern European surplus ammo is extremely cheap (.09 - .11 cents/round) but is corrosive. What is the best way to clean a milsurp after shooting corrosive ammo?

Tex

 

[ocabj]

Water

 

[brentwal]

Water
Windex or Ammonia and Water
more water

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Hot soapy water or Windex will clean the corrosive stuff out of the barrel equally well and then clean as usual. (The Widex is easier and you can shoot it down the barrel right after shooting while at the range)

 

[Thin Black Line]

Water if you're still in the early 20th century, or a good bore solvent and
copper remover such as Shooters Choice in the 21st century.

Use solvent to wipe down all parts that had contact with burnt powder such
as bolt face; (gas piston & inside of gas tube for semi autos).

 

[daniel (australia)]

Normal petroleum-based bore solvents aren't much good at removing salts, such as are left behind by chlorate primers, regardless of which century . That is where the water comes to the fore.

What I do is set up a small container of hot water on the floor, rest the muzzle of the rifle in it, holding the butt up at hip height, and push a cleaning rod with a patch down the bore almost to the muzzle. I then pull it back almost to the breech, sucking the hot water up with it. I pump up and down this way for a few strokes, then push the patch through so it falls clear, remove the barrel from the water and withdraw the rod from the bore. The barrel will be nice and hot so will dry very quickly, and I look down the bore to see that it is clean (using copper solvent if necessary to remove any stubborn metal fouling) and then oil the bore.

 

[bartsimpson123844]

I use 4 wet patches of windex(or similiar substance) and 3 dry patches. I also swab the bolt face with windex. It seems to work fine.

 

[Thin Black Line]

Normal petroleum-based bore solvents aren't much good at removing salts, such as are left behind by chlorate primers, regardless of which century

That's why I use the ones with ammonia in them

 

[Firehand]

There's a cleaner/lube called Ballistol I've been using. I take a small bottle(single-size booze bottles are good) and mix one part Ballistol to 8-10 parts water- can't remember the proportion offhand, it's on the Ballistol can- and shake.

After I'm done shooting I run a couple of damp patches through the bore, then a couple of dry, then an oily one. That flushes out the salts while the barrel is still warm, and if something happens and I can't do a regular cleaning at home that day, it'll be safe till tomorrow.

On autoloaders, this mix is really good for wetting piece of cloth and wiping down the various parts to clean the traces off(outside of a pistol's barrel, inside of the slide, etc.), then use your favorite CLP to wipe down and lube.

As mentioned, a good bore cleaner with ammonia does a fine job of cleaning it out, too. I've used Sweet's 7.62 on bolt rifles and an SKS used with corrosive-primed ammo and never a spot of rust. I changed to the Ballistol for the parts other than the barrel in part because it saves that expensive bore cleaner for the bore.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I shoot windex down the barrel while at the range and the barrel is still warm, then clean as normal.

 

[_N4Z_]

Spray soapy water or Windex down the bore at the range when done shooting for the day. Follow with a couple patches.

Clean as normal when I get home.

 

[50 Shooter]

Be sure that you're using the right Windex, not all of the cleaners made by Windex have ammonia in it and that's what you want. The ammonia will dissolve the corrosive salts from the primers.

I like to use the hottest water that I can stand, that way it evaporates faster. Be sure to put a light coat of oil on your firearm after cleaning.

 

[Limeyfellow]

The hot water is the ticket. Its a procedure thats been used for just as long as people had firearms and works really well with corrosive primer salt down the barrel and the bolt head and any other place the corrosive salts would land. The hotter it is the better and I tend to use insulated gloves not to burn myself since the metal to no surprise really heats up quickly. Get a funnel to help better pour it down the barrel.

If you are at the range though you might want to try the ammonia based windex first if you can't get to really hot water to run through the barrel after shooting and you need to get home. They will wash out the salts, costs a little more money but works well enough.

If all else fails urine will do the trick too.

 

[texgunner]

If all else fails urine will do the trick too.

Taking a whiz down the barrel, there's a sight.

Thanks for the replies,I'll put them to good use. If anybody is interested The Sportsman's Guide has 8x57 and 7.62x54r surplus in 900 round crates for less than $100. It's Yugoslavian and Bulgarian manufacture.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/browse/browseammo.aspx?c=96&b=MILITARY/SURPLUS

Tex

 

[byf43]

Be sure that you're using the right Windex, not all of the cleaners made by Windex have ammonia in it and that's what you want. The ammonia will dissolve the corrosive salts from the primers.

I like to use the hottest water that I can stand, that way it evaporates faster. Be sure to put a light coat of oil on your firearm after cleaning.

+1 on the Windex w/ ammonia!!!! Not all Windex products have it.

An old black powder shooter taught me a trick 'bout cleaning corrosive stuff out of barrels.

Take your rifle to the bathroom, along with your ammonia and cleaning rod and patches. (Some windshield washer solvents have ammonia in them, too!)
Pour some ammonia into the toilet bowl slowly, so as to not cause the bowl to empty.
Put the muzzle end of the barrel into the toilet bowl.
Put a patch onto the cleaning rod and insert down the barrel.
Draw the patch back toward the breech, drawing the ammonia up the barrel.
Push back downward a couple of times, in a pumping style.
Push the cleaning rod out of the muzzle and lift muzzle out of bowl.
Remove patch and drop in bowl.
Flush.

Repeat with clean patch(es) and clean water, rinsing bore.
Drop patch into bowl and flush.

Leave the bathroom before your wife/significant other catches you, to avoid having to clean the entire bathroom!.
Clean barrel in traditional manner.

Thanks for reading.

 

[peabody304]

I have a question along this line. I've read and decided to adopt the "Windex with amonia" approach to cleaning after a trip to the range w/ surplus ammo. But...

What should I do (or what's the minimum I can get away with) if I go to the range at lunch with my MG 91/30 (we have an indoor range very close to work and my wife and I will sometimes meet there for "lunch") and have to go back to work?

Is it enough to spray Windex and run a few patches and then clean when I get home? Or do I need to clean more throughly? Or should I stick to shooting my K31 w/GP11?

TIA
-peabody

 

[Limeyfellow]

Spray it all down the barrel and run a few patches through to make sure it disolved and washed out the salts and then patch dry. Shouldn't take too long to do. Give the bolt head and anywhere else the primer gas comes into contact with a quick wipedown and then you should be fine until you clean it. Its not really even a 5 minute chore to make sure you got rid of the gunk.

 

[Red Label]

Be careful of the patch flushing!

I like all these comments. I have never shot corrosive ammo just because I didn't want to deal with the cleanup. It really doesnt sound that bad and I sure wouldn't mind saving money on ammo.

One thing though I need to help byf43. I hope you have city sewer service. I have personal experience with septic system failure because of feminine products being flushed. Oh sure the boxes say they are biodegradable but they are not. Same goes with patches. It won't be such a good idea after the $4000 septic repair. Just a friendly heads up.

 

[byf43]

One thing though I need to help byf43. I hope you have city sewer service. I have personal experience with septic system failure because of feminine products being flushed. Oh sure the boxes say they are biodegradable but they are not. Same goes with patches. It won't be such a good idea after the $4000 septic repair. Just a friendly heads up.

I never even thought of that.
Yes, I have city water/sewer, so, I've never given it a thought.

The guys here with septic don't want to flush the patches.
(Put them in your wife's/S.O.'s make-up kit!) I'm just kiddin'!

 

[atomchaser]

I shoot surplus Commie ammo in my M-39 and K-98. I take a small bottle of diluted Parson's Ammonia based cleaner and a disposal lab pipette to the range along with my Otis cleaning kit. The Otis kit is very compact. As soon as I finish shooting the gun (barrel still hot), I squirt some done the barrel from the breech end while rotating the gun. I squirt some across the bolt face as well. I follow it up with a couple dry patches and one oily patch. I clean as usual when I get home. I live in humid Central Florida and I have had no problems with rusting at all. Takes only about an extra 5 minutes over what shooting non corrosive would take.

 

[Sunray]

The CF used regular 10w-30 motor oil for eons with no fuss. Hot water is a lot cheaper though. No dumping ANY solvents down the drain. City sewers or not. You're dumping them into your drinking water.