Corrosive Ammo? Bargain or Bane

[JohnKSa]

If you can't clean the day you shoot then corrosive is not for you unless you live in an unusually arid environment.

 

[Shrinkmd]

How about M-Pro 7?

I have been doing some more searching, and it sounds like MPro7 is effective on the corrosive salts. I wonder if I would be ok spritzing the bore and bolt face, wherever I can reach with that cleaner, and then reclean later that night or next day, but at least have done a quick clean at the range.

Thoughts/experiences? That cheap surplus ammo sure sounds good, but I probably worry more about cleaning/protecting than I should...

 

[Cosmoline]

I shoot corrosive ammo all the time in my Mosins. I just keep a bottle of M-Pro spray cleaner in my range bag and give the bore a squirt as it cools down, along with the bolt face and chamber. That cures the problem. I clean later, and haven't had a spec of rust since I started using the M-pro.

 

[Cosmoline]

Besides for pouring hot water down the bore, do you just dunk the whole bolt in water, or do you need to dissemble the bolt first? When I get home from the range I usually have family responsibilities, so I end up cleaning a little later once the kiddies are asleep. I may stock up on the surplus, but for now I don't always get to clean the day I shoot. Funny how family factors into decisions you'd never imagine at first, eh?

That's way more work than you need to do. I don't break down and clean the bolt unless a primer busted.

M-Pro cleaner and then a layer of CLP will do the trick nicely. I've tried all kinds of cleaners and those are the best. They cost $$$ but they're absolutely worth it and you don't need to use very much.

 

[dasmi]

I only shoot surplus when I can find it, irregardless or corrosivness, and my bores are no more darkened than when I took possession of the gun

+1

 

[Shane333]

If you can't clean the day you shoot then corrosive is not for you unless you live in an unusually arid environment.

One of the reasons I like living in Utah. I run a quick patch or two soaked in ammonia down the barrel, then a couple dry patches. When I get the chance, within the next two or three days, I take the wood off the rifle and flush the barrel out with boiling water (followed by a few more dry patches).

Not a big deal, really.

 

[KrankyKraut]

It takes a few good squirts of Windex down the hot barrel, a few swipes of the bolt face with a Windex-soaked patch and you're done. And you have just saved yourself some big $$. Never had a problem with my Mosin and Mausers. DO NOT BE AFRAID!

 

[Firehand]

I picked up a can of old GI bore cleaner at a show. When I'm shooting milsurp ammo I take a rod to the range with me. When I'm done shooting, I run a couple of patches wet with cleaner down the bore and back, then dry it. That's it.

After I get home I hit it with a couple of patches with Sweet's 7.62 solvent to clean out any copper fouling, dry and oil. Never any rust. You can use the 1 part ammonia/4 parts water mix as the range cleaner, too, works quite well.

I started out disassembling the bolt, but now I just wipe the face down with Sweet's, dry and oil. Every second or third range session I do disassemble and clean, just to be on the safe side.

 

[.45Guy]

I would vote, but there is no option for actually cleaning my rifle. I've never had a rifle rust, and I shoot quite a bit of cheap corrosively primed ammo.

 

[Average Joe]

as another poster said...Just water, thats all you need to clean corrosive ammo.

 

[Essex County]

I handload for all seven of my mil-surps. I am retired and have plenty of time. That being said, I see nothing wrong with shooting corrosive as long as you go to the effort of proper cleaning...........Essex

 

[444]

As has been mentioned in the countless other threads discussing this same issue: Your milsurp rifle was probably built at a time when ALL ammo was corrosive. If you bought the rifle in the cosmoline odds are that every round of ammo ever fired in it prior to you buying it: was corrosive. Now we act like we are taking some big chance by firing it by corrosive ammo.

I agree with those that say to clean with water: ammonia does absolutely nothing.

 

[Cpl Punishment]

IIRC the ammonia is for the copper deposits, not the corrosive salts.

 

[eastwood44mag]

I just refuse to shoot corrosive. I have a habit of shooting, locking up the guns before going out to dinner, and forgetting to clean them for a couple days. Corrosive would not be my friend.

 

[JohnKSa]

...ammonia does absolutely nothing.

Your point is taken, however what most people call "ammonia" is actually a very weak ammonia solution--water with a little bit of ammonia in it. And as pointed out, the ammonia is helpful in removing copper fouling.