Crap! Corrosive ammo in M1 Garand, now what?

[D.B. Cooper]

So...crap.

I've completely tore down my M1 rifle, cleaning and lubricating, because I had to replace the stock, so might as well go the full monty.

Got the gas tube off and the cylinder plug and, oh look, light green stuff. Corrosion. Small in area and mild/light in thickness. (Apparently, I got some corrosive ammo and I fired about 50 rounds through it last year-more on that later.)

I've washed the gas cylinder, cylinder lock screw, and gas plug in hot, soapy water (as hot as I can stand to touch), and then I washed the whole thing in Windex (thought the ammonia would help). Looks I got the bulk of it, but I still have traces of green corrosion in the gas plug (Garand Gear type plug-has the cavity), and on the alignment splines that fit the tube onto the barrel inline with the gas port. Rest of the the gas tube looks good.

Question 1.) What else can I use or do to neutralize this green corrosion and remove it from the tube and related parts?

Question 2.) What, if anything, should I do with the gas port hole in the barrel? It looks clean/clear with no blockages, and I can see light coming through to inside the bore, but now I'm concerned about the corrosion.

 

[Jackal]

Corrosive ammo wouldve rusted stuff, not been green.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I get green in my M1 Carbine and AK from the reaction of cleaners like Hoppes #9 to copper fouling in the barrel.

Corrosive primers should give you reddish brown rust.

But since a lot of military surplus corrosive primed .30-06 is still out there, a thorough clean of an M1 Garand is always a good standard procedure. Hot water removes the corrosive salts.

 

[eastbank]

i don,t shoot any corrosive ammo out of any of my semi-auto firearms. i know you can, but i choose not to as i don,t want to tare down the gas systems every time i fire them, and maybe causing excessive wear on parts that are getting harder to find and expensive. eastbank.

 

[edwardware]

. . . light green stuff. Corrosion. . . traces of green corrosion in the gas plug.

As others have said, it sounds like verdigris, oxidized copper fouling. If so, it won't harm the steel in any measurable way. Remove with a copper solvent, time, and a little judicious scrubbing (don't go trying to scrub it off. . . let the solvent work).

Enjoy the Garand!

 

[Reloadron]

Corrosion as a result of corrosive ammunition is generally an orange to brownish rust with signs of pitted metal if severe enough. I agree with those who suggest the use of a good copper solvent, you should smell the amonia in a good strong solvent. The green should go away with a real good scrubbing. That done test fire the rifle and see what you get.

Ron

 

[sparrow75]

I was trained in the Military at Fort Dix,NJ as at the time , that was the weapon before the M-16,s appeared. I could wear a blindfold and tear the M1 down and put it back together with no hitches. I have nothing but praise for this weapon. I was a export shot with the Carbine and pulled all my service guard duty with it with loaded 15 round clips. Now to your question, as long as the port is clear and the weapon function,s ok I would leave it be. And as the members have said, it could be verdigris. How you gone on Google and just asked how to about neutralizing the green corrosion in the metal. You may also get input from Gun Smiths.

 

[GBExpat]

... Apparently, I got some corrosive ammo and I fired about 50 rounds through it last year-more on that later. ...

Unless you live in a very dry environment (like desert) you are very lucky that you (apparently) did not fire chlorate-primered in that M1 long ago and are just now cleaning it.

I add the following for those who may not know ...

Shooting such ammo is not really a big deal but for two things: you must properly clean it shortly afterwards (unless in a dry environment, as I mentioned) and using it in a self-loader increases the hassle because of all of the parts/pieces/surfaces that must be cleaned.

The culprit in the "corrosive" ammunition is the potassium chlorate (oxidizer) used in the primer compound. After it lends its extra oxygen atoms to the combustion process, what remains is potassium chloride (KCl). KCl (like sodium chloride, a.k.a., table salt, NaCl) , in the presence of water will rust the unprotected steel bits of your firearm.

The good news is that KCl is hygroscopic, which is why you should use a water-based cleaner to remove it. It readily goes into solution with water and, thus, can be easily removed.

If shooting "corrosive", save the Windex and stick with the water-based pre-cleaning regimen prior to performing your regular cleaning regimen.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I'm glad to learn that I did not properly understand the effects of corrosive ammo. I instantly blamed the ammo because it's old Korean manufacture ('74 '82, something like that) and I've only shot about 50 rounds of it, and I changed the gas plug about the same time I bought that ammo; the original GI plug had no green corrosion on it, but the new one did, so I tied the two together. However...I also installed the new gas plug with Permatex Silver anti-seize on the threads, and I wonder if that might have been the root cause.

In any event, I finally got it all out and got the rifle back together. This was the first time ever for me to disassemble the rifle, and I'm glad I did it. This was all part of installing a new stock and sling. I figured if I had to take it that far apart, I might as well go all the way. Removed some pretty dried up, crusty lubriplate. The only FARB thing I did was I used red Amsoil synthetic grease instead of lubriplate. Still need to install the original battle sight rear aperture, if/when I can find it in my house. (Currently has a NM aperture in it.)

 

[CapnMac]

Hmm, did you clean the rifle muzzle down?
Using a brush and pull-through and a reflex to clean from the breech can do this. The cleaning solvents drip through the gas port and you get drippings in the gas cylinder.
Simple cure is pull the gas plug and let the cylinder drip out as well.
Or, do what seems "wrong" and stand the rifle on its butt plate and rod (carefully) from the muzzle.
Mind, I really do not like using a boresnake on the Garand. Others don't mind. But, I'm probably more caught up in getting the feel of the cloth-covered jag.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I always clean with the rifle parallel to the ground/horizontal, and I always clean with a one-piece brass rod from muzzle to breech. However, a lot of cleaning fluid (I use Birchwood Casey Bore Scrubber) always rings out of the patch on the first time going into the bore, so perhaps that is how it is getting in the gas tube.

Interesting that, in the 10+ years I've owned the rifle, and the couple years I competed with it, I only found this minor amount of green corrosion, and I have always cleaned the gun this way. Hard to believe that a.) that is all the accumulation over the many years and b.) I've never seen this in the bore.

 

[eastbank]

i saw one of the worst bores in a SC O3A3 made springfield that was fired with early 50,s national match ammo(corrosive) and put away for several months with out cleaning it in FLA. i my self see no reason to fire corrosive primed ammo in any semi-auto firearm and as i reload for most of my firearms i shoot i can elimate corrosive primers. eastbank.

 

[Jim Watson]

I instantly blamed the ammo because it's old Korean manufacture

As I recall, there are two sorts of Korean .30-06. Decent quality corrosive and junk non-corrosive. What is the headstamp?

 

[zb338]

I ruined a perfectly good Springfield barrel through ignorance. I took it out back and fired
3 or 4 blanks through it. Never giving a thought that blanks could be corrosive. I put it in
the safe without cleaning it and a month or so later pulled it out of the safe and the bore
was rusty. Not green just rust. Fortunately a collector bought it for just about what I had
paid for it. It still was a barrel ruined because of stupidity. The lesson; a primer is a primer
it doesn't matter what it's seated in.

Zeke

 

[firedawg60]

I think most if not all the PS headstamped stuff is non-corrosive, but the KA marked is. KA73 is for sure.

 

[GBExpat]

The lesson; a primer is a primer it doesn't matter what it's seated in.

With blanks/salutes, chances are that it wasn't just the primer residue that was causing the rust in your bore. Often, such cartridges are loaded with rust-inducing mixtures.

 

[Sunray]

The light green stuff is likely copper oxide. Rusting steel is iron oxide and reddish brown.
Corrosive ammo really isn't a big deal. A nuisance, sure, but it's not going to dissolver your rifle. Field strip to include all the gas system parts and flushing 'em with plain hot tap water(really hot is better) then clean as per normal.

 

[ClaymoreAKM]

It's not rust. rinse the gun with hot water, and then oil. Problem solved, keep shooting.

 

[tark]

Like Brianinca has mentioned, the gas cylinders on M-1s are made from stainless steel, as well as the lock and plug. Always were, even the early gas trap models. M-1s are cleaned horizontal to the ground, and upside down, to keep any solvents or oil from dribbling into the gas cylinder, where they are not welcome! Don't oil anything the powder gases touch, completely opposite to an Ar's lubrication needs. Any green residue is copper based and not cause for alarm.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

It's green. It's copper, not steel, corrosion.

Clean the bejeebers out of it and carry on smartly.

 

[AK103K]

My buddy got two very nice Garands in trade off an old boy he did some work for. Both looked to be in real nice condition on the outside. I asked if he wanted to get rid of one, and I traded him an AR for it.

He said to take the one I wanted, and I did look at both pretty close. Both were "dirty", but I know how some dont see the need to clean their guns, and Ive bought dirty guns before, and for as nice as the gun looked on the outside and in the mag well, never gave corrosive a thought.

Got home and started to clean it. It appears the last time it was shot, it was with corrosive, and put away dirty, and who knows how long it had sat. The bore was a mess. Then I noticed the op rod. Somehow Id missed the corrosion on it.

I scrubbed the hell out of the bore with bronze and SS brushes and lots and lots of patches. The patches just kept coming out black and brown and the dry patches were coming out "fuzzy". Mmmm, not good. Took the gun to the range and the best it would do was 15" at 100 yards with some DCM issue GI Lake City.

Called my buddy and he said to give it back and take the other one. We ran some patches down that one while I was there, and it wasnt much better. Gave it a good cleaning too, and with the same basic result. It shot right around 12" at 100.

Got my AR back and he was going to see about getting them rebarreled, but I dont think he ever did.

A few years later I got a real nice M1 that had been rebarreled in .308 and set up as a "match" rifle. Apparently, it had suffered a similar fate at some point, as the op rod had the same type of pitting and in the same spot as those other M1's. The only thing that didnt match on this gun, was the barrel.

 

[ford8nr]

Except for 'real' match level shooting don't condem a rusty barrel as bad. I have a 1940's Mosin that probably saw more corrosive ammo in it's life without regular proper cleanings then most guns ever saw. Barrel is dark with some pitting. I could clean it for a week and not get a clean patch out of it. With iron sights I can hold a 4" 10 shot group at 100yds on a good day for me and my vision. Shoot 450-470/500 in 100yd vintage miiitary matches with it.

 

[eastbank]

i do not buy firearms with bad bores, unless i am going to have them rebarreled. does that mean they will shoot, NO . but it does remove one of the major causes of poor performance. i do understand that a bad bore may not be of much importance to a antique or historic firearm. to me lifes to short (getting shorter for me at 73) to mess with them. eastbank.

 

[GBExpat]

i do not buy firearms with bad bores, unless i am going to have them rebarreled. ...

Same here ... except I do my own barrel-swapping.

Ugly bore rifles can be surprisingly accurate, but I am not willing to roll the dice on one ... unless it is really cheap and/or proper replacement barrels are readily available and economical.

I have a $110 "dark-bore" K98k that I bought from SARCO several years ago with the intention of swapping out the barrel with an exc-bore TakeOff that I had in my kit.

The bore looked like something was living in there ... FUGLY!

Before I pull a barrel, I always test fire it ... so I cleaned it and gave it a try. It managed 3"-4" at 100, so I kept it as-is and ordered another dark-bore rifle.

That rifle got the replacement barrel.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

The bore on my rifle is in pretty good condition. No rust, no pits. It's not shiny, but it has good rifling. When I was handloading for it, it would shoot just under 1" groups, but that was years ago. I would like to check TE and ME some day, but I don't have the tools. (It's a 1956 S.A. barrel.) I'd hate to put an aftermarket barrel on it.

Anyway...I'm really relieved that the consensus here seems to be improper cleaning technique (i.e. user error) allowing bore cleaner and copper into the gas tube. What a beep-ing relief.

By the way, the Korean ammo I have is head stamped PS 82. I don't have lot numbers for it.