Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Hi!
I lent my AKS-74 to be used in a "found gun" stage of our IDPA match today and it got a good healthy dose of fouling.
Now I know the SOP for cleaning corrosive ammo fouling and I ran great quantities of boiling water through and over every part, swabbed barrel and gas tube, etc. with hot water patches, and so forth before beginning the normal Hoppes & lube routine.
I'm NOT asking for tips and tricks of how that should be done here at home after a day at the range.
I'd like to know, though, how Eastern bloc troops, the Russians, the Chinese, and others whose armies fire(d) corrosive ammo in the billions of rounds deal with it -- especially under extended field conditions.
I suppose that part of the answer might be that many weapons belonging to these troops just aren't maintained very well, and might be all but rusted shut. (Hey, it's a Kalashnikov...it will still work!
) However, I have to believe that there are many professional soldiers in those armies who would maintain their weapons in fine condition.
But I've seen how fast corrosive fouling starts to attack metal. A week in combat my not afford an opportunity to boil up a few gallons of water to dunk/douse one soldier's weapon -- let alone a squad's or a platoon's, etc. Further, it isn't just the bore that's vulnerable, but every nook and cranny that might catch corrosive salts, so a small bottle of bore cleaner (like those little ~1/4 cup bottles that come with the magazine pouches) really wouldn't last through one thorough cleaning, let alone regular cleaning of a front-line weapon in a combat zone.
So what's the story? Anyone know -- especially first hand or through having trained with or served along side of professional soldiers from these countries? Do they just have buckets of old-school Russki G.I. bore cleaner they carry with them? Do they actually do the hot-water thing?
Thanks!
-Sam
P.S. -- I imagine the very same question would apply to almost any infantry weapon fielded -- by anyone -- before at least the 1950s, and would have some of the greatest applicability to revolvers, Gatling guns, and other mechanical marvels which fired black powder through intricate, clockwork machinery.
P.P.S. -- I know the smartest of our own troops clean their M-16s & M-4s religiously as often and as soon as they get a chance. But it seems to me that it's a bit different to clean bolt lugs, etc. for reliability of a weapon firing modern non-corrosive ammo, vs. the naturally reliable AK system which would quickly become a reliable, functional ball of rust if the soldier isn't rigorous in his cleaning regimen.
I lent my AKS-74 to be used in a "found gun" stage of our IDPA match today and it got a good healthy dose of fouling.
Now I know the SOP for cleaning corrosive ammo fouling and I ran great quantities of boiling water through and over every part, swabbed barrel and gas tube, etc. with hot water patches, and so forth before beginning the normal Hoppes & lube routine.
I'm NOT asking for tips and tricks of how that should be done here at home after a day at the range.
I'd like to know, though, how Eastern bloc troops, the Russians, the Chinese, and others whose armies fire(d) corrosive ammo in the billions of rounds deal with it -- especially under extended field conditions.
I suppose that part of the answer might be that many weapons belonging to these troops just aren't maintained very well, and might be all but rusted shut. (Hey, it's a Kalashnikov...it will still work!
) However, I have to believe that there are many professional soldiers in those armies who would maintain their weapons in fine condition. But I've seen how fast corrosive fouling starts to attack metal. A week in combat my not afford an opportunity to boil up a few gallons of water to dunk/douse one soldier's weapon -- let alone a squad's or a platoon's, etc. Further, it isn't just the bore that's vulnerable, but every nook and cranny that might catch corrosive salts, so a small bottle of bore cleaner (like those little ~1/4 cup bottles that come with the magazine pouches) really wouldn't last through one thorough cleaning, let alone regular cleaning of a front-line weapon in a combat zone.
So what's the story? Anyone know -- especially first hand or through having trained with or served along side of professional soldiers from these countries? Do they just have buckets of old-school Russki G.I. bore cleaner they carry with them? Do they actually do the hot-water thing?
Thanks!
-Sam
P.S. -- I imagine the very same question would apply to almost any infantry weapon fielded -- by anyone -- before at least the 1950s, and would have some of the greatest applicability to revolvers, Gatling guns, and other mechanical marvels which fired black powder through intricate, clockwork machinery.
P.P.S. -- I know the smartest of our own troops clean their M-16s & M-4s religiously as often and as soon as they get a chance. But it seems to me that it's a bit different to clean bolt lugs, etc. for reliability of a weapon firing modern non-corrosive ammo, vs. the naturally reliable AK system which would quickly become a reliable, functional ball of rust if the soldier isn't rigorous in his cleaning regimen.
