Corrosive ammo cleaning procedure

[denfoote]

I bought some surplus Bulgarian 7.62X25 ammo for my CZ52 yesterday and am about to head to the range here in a little bit. The ammo is advertised as being corrosive!!
I just want to review the post shoot cleaning procedure for the weapon.

• 1) Field strip the gun.
  2) Remove the grips.
  3) clean the corrosive residue off the entire gun with HOT water and detergent.
  4) Let dry.
  5) Clean as normal using solvent and patches.
  6) Lube the gun.
  7) Reassemble.

Anything I have left out??
How long do I have before the gunk starts rusting my gun?? I plan to do this as soon as I get home!!

Thanks for any advise!!

P.S. I need some quick responses!!!

 

[azrael]

Only thing I do different that what you posted is...I take a small bottle of WD-40 to squirt the chamber and bolt...or breeechface...that way when I get home I KNOW that I can get it all out...

your way may differ..mine has never let me down

 

[P95Carry]

denfoote ... doubt you'll go far wrong with your approach. But concentrate on bore and chamber/breech areas.

Priority for all to remember is that first stage clean must be water based .. dissolution of the corrosive residues .. chlorates, nitrates perhaps too. Then a good drying followed by ''conventional'' cleaning sequence.

I am of the optinion that early stage ''flash rusting'' in a bore prior to cleaning (and that'd be in a non-chromed bore anyways) .. is not too much to be concerned about ... it can and does occur when humidity high .. but is almost a molecular ''film'' and is hardly damaging .. tho still better avoided.

I have mentioned this before ... and it was originally Cornbread2 who posted it ages ago. I keep a mix of ''Panther Piss''! ... also known as other things too ... it is a BP solvent cleaner but equally useful for post-corrosive shoot clean up.

3 pts Rubbing alcohol (iso propyl)
3 pts std 3% peroxide
2 pts Murphy's Oil Soap. (or is that ''furniture'' soap ... always forget .. you know the stuff anyways!)

Mix in these proportions and store away from light.

I have found it good also for an intermediate shoot when BP shooting .. swab and dry the bore and it quickly frees things up for a load more shots .. just eats fouling.

I don't even think hot water or cleaner necessary ... except it does heat the metal and make drying easier after that stage.

Just my own 2c that's all

 

[HSMITH]

You all missed something important: You MUST clean two days in a row!!!! The first cleaning is immediately after firing and the second the day after. Put a gun away 'sparkling clean' and come back to find it rusted dang near shut and you will take it to heart.

 

[P95Carry]

Smack on my wrist!! Indeed H ... how did I forget that! yep ... the ''next day eyeball'' ..... it is so easy to get caught out if missed .... and then bad things can happen!

Buddy of mine shot his Enfield with some old milsurp ... cleaned it thoroughly (he thought!) .. and left it then for over two months ........ and then found .. oh dear ... bore was a mess.

Glad you added that H ....

 

[Mike Irwin]

I've never "cleaned two days in a row," whether after firing a modern gun with corrosive ammo or a black powder firearm.

I simply clean the living hell out of the gun the first time, using LOTS of fresh hot water.

I've never had a problem, even after firing several hundred rounds in a day.

 

[azrael]

Chris,

3 pts Rubbing alcohol (iso propyl)?
3 pts std 3% peroxide?
2 pts Murphy's Oil Soap.?

Is that 3 pints?? can ya break it down a little bit for me???

glue has affected my ability to measure anything without a measuring cup

 

[P95Carry]

Mike ..... agreed ... IF you are scupulous .. as we would try to be, then all should be well ... however ... some people who are newer to cleaning post-corrosive may not quite get it all done 1st time ... just a chance.

I wouldn't say necessary .... clean second day .. but I would advise folks to eyeball and check .. in case.

~~~~~~~

Dave .. ''pts'' may be taken as pints or parts ... this really is just a ratio of formulation. I mixed a gallon and then stored the working batch in a used peroxide bottle ... the bulk remaining I put in a well rinsed anti-freeze jug ... the yellow type.

The alcohol ... just std ''rubbing'' .. 50% iso propyl ...The Murphy's .. I think it is ''oil soap'' but could be ''furniture soap'' .. I always forget but there's only one Murphy's that fits the bill and is easy to find.

Steady on that glue now ....

 

[HSMITH]

Mike, knock on some wood. I hope it doesn't happen to you, but it can and probably will sooner or later. The insurance policy is two cleanings.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Well, 20 years, about 20 pounds of black powder, and maybe 8,000 to 10,000 rounds of corrosive ammo through a variety of guns, and not a single rust problem caused by not cleaning the second day.

Be thorough the first time around.

Then again, I went 25 years before I double charged a case and blew it sky high (last Monday), so I'll get back to you in 5 years.

 

[SMLE]

How long do I have before the gunk starts rusting my gun??

The "gunk" is nothing more that salt. It is not corrosive by itself and could be left on the gun for a very long time IF you could keep the gun in a completly dry environment. But that's not really possible, so you have to clean. Use BOILING hot water. This will open up the pores of the steel and allow more of the residue to be disolved. Also the hotter the metal, the quicker it will dry. I live ina desert, I can leave a gun for a week if I have to, although I never do so voluntarily. I lived in Missouri for a couple of years and prompt cleaning was of much greater importance. If you live in a humid area, or use swamp coolers, the two day inspection is a good idea.