briney11
Member
Went down to the safe and my nagant has rust around the muzzle and down the inside of the barrel. How do I get this cleaned up? What kind of cleaner should I use?
Rusty nagant barrel
- Thread starter briney11
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MikeJackmin
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- Feb 24, 2005
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Ouch.
Probably a result of using corrosive ammunition. Most surplus nagant ammo (and even some of the commercial stuff) leaves salt behind after it is fired, and it will cause rust if not thoroughly cleaned out the same day.
The good news is that your rifle probably has a chrome lined bore and the damage might not be too bad. Get a bronze or steel bore brush and clean it as you normally would, but scrub it with the brush, follow with a wet patch, and repeat until all the traces of rust are gone. (Be sure not to reverse the direction of the brush while it is still in the barrel, push it all the way through, then all the way back). Be sure to clean out the chamber, too, you can get a brush for a 20ga shotgun and rotate it around in there.
She might still shoot fine when you are done, even if there is some visible pitting. Chances are it will be OK if it hasn't gotten too bad.
Probably a result of using corrosive ammunition. Most surplus nagant ammo (and even some of the commercial stuff) leaves salt behind after it is fired, and it will cause rust if not thoroughly cleaned out the same day.
The good news is that your rifle probably has a chrome lined bore and the damage might not be too bad. Get a bronze or steel bore brush and clean it as you normally would, but scrub it with the brush, follow with a wet patch, and repeat until all the traces of rust are gone. (Be sure not to reverse the direction of the brush while it is still in the barrel, push it all the way through, then all the way back). Be sure to clean out the chamber, too, you can get a brush for a 20ga shotgun and rotate it around in there.
She might still shoot fine when you are done, even if there is some visible pitting. Chances are it will be OK if it hasn't gotten too bad.
tark
Member
I have never seen a Mosin-Nagant with a chrome lined bore. If you saw visible, brown rust then it most certainly was not a chrome bore. Clean it well with any good bore solvent and a wire brush followed by patches until they come out clean. Always leave the bore DRY. Don't squirt oil down there because the day will come when you forget to remove it before firing the gun.
If your 7.62X54 ammo isn't SPECIFICALLY marked "non corrosive" then it probably isn't. I don't trust any of it, I treat it all as if it were corrosive.
If your 7.62X54 ammo isn't SPECIFICALLY marked "non corrosive" then it probably isn't. I don't trust any of it, I treat it all as if it were corrosive.
GBExpat
Member
To clean that bore, as suggested, use your regular bore cleaner along with a phosphor-bronze bore brush plus patches & jag. The last patch that gets run thru my bores is dampened with Eezox ... I do not leave my bores dry.
I do keep a long one-piece rod in the rack that sports a patch-holder & clean patch ... I run this thru any clean rifle bore that I remove from the gunsafe just prior to walking with it outside.
If you are shooting ammo that has "corrosive" primers (or suspect that you may be) after shooting pre-clean your rifle with water or something water-based.
Chlorate ("corrosive") primers use potassium chlorate as an oxidizer which leaves behind a tiny bit of potassium chloride (akin to table salt). Potassium chloride is quite hygroscopic so that it is readily pulled into water solution for easy removal.
I do keep a long one-piece rod in the rack that sports a patch-holder & clean patch ... I run this thru any clean rifle bore that I remove from the gunsafe just prior to walking with it outside.
If you are shooting ammo that has "corrosive" primers (or suspect that you may be) after shooting pre-clean your rifle with water or something water-based.
Chlorate ("corrosive") primers use potassium chlorate as an oxidizer which leaves behind a tiny bit of potassium chloride (akin to table salt). Potassium chloride is quite hygroscopic so that it is readily pulled into water solution for easy removal.
BCRider
Member
For the outside rust a little 000 or 0000 steel wool and oil will scrub it off and leave the slight bit of rust you can't get off a black colour that matches in decently well.
And yeah, I'm thinking that you didn't clean it after the last time out shooting. If so then you're likely going to find that the whole length of the bore is a bit rusty.
All the books and online guides for cleaning always end with an oiled patch and a last dry patch to mop away any excess oil. Oil is rather tenacious stuff and a little goes a LOOOOONG way and even a very light film of the stuff will resist corrosion well. So I've always simply ran a patch with a few drops of oil then a final dry patch to blot away any excess. That's how they get put away and I don't need a last patch before being shot for the next time out.
And yeah, I'm thinking that you didn't clean it after the last time out shooting. If so then you're likely going to find that the whole length of the bore is a bit rusty.
All the books and online guides for cleaning always end with an oiled patch and a last dry patch to mop away any excess oil. Oil is rather tenacious stuff and a little goes a LOOOOONG way and even a very light film of the stuff will resist corrosion well. So I've always simply ran a patch with a few drops of oil then a final dry patch to blot away any excess. That's how they get put away and I don't need a last patch before being shot for the next time out.
briney11
Member
Cleaned the snot out of it and the barrel looks pretty good considering. It took a solid hour and a half of brush and then solvent then patches. Then ran the brush through with solvent a whole bunch and then patches until they were clean and dry. We ended with an oiled patch followed by a dry patch. And yes, I neglected her. I feel awful because my son payed for half of it and my mistake taught him what not to do the hard way. But at the same time, we got to spend 2 hours together cleaning guns. We decided to clean the 12ga just for fun.
briney11
Member
And thank you all for the advice.
Panzerschwein
member
Nagants are not chrome lined from what I know.
Follow the advise above, and next time you shoot corrosive ammo take a bottle of windex and spray it down the bore. This will wash the corrosive salts away. Then clean the bore like normal. My Nagant rifles have never rusted on me while cleaning this way.
Follow the advise above, and next time you shoot corrosive ammo take a bottle of windex and spray it down the bore. This will wash the corrosive salts away. Then clean the bore like normal. My Nagant rifles have never rusted on me while cleaning this way.
briney11
Member
Will do, thanks!
caribou
Member
Mosin Rifles and Nagant pistols have no chrome linings.
When useing corrosive ammo, the only extra step you need include to a regular cleaning is to first flush the bore and chamb4er with boiling hot water. The priming uses salts of sorts and this is spewed down the bore behind the main gunpowder charge. Remove this stuff by dissolving and youll have nothing in the bore attracting and holding water against your steel bore, as salts do.
It sounds opposite of what your trying to acheive (removeing and preventing rust), but if you use boiling hot water to dissolve and flush the corrosive salts outta the bore, the heat will conduct to and heat the barrel, a basic self drying the steel. The heated barrel will be water free as it drys itself in seconds........ Use a bronze brush and scrub it good, and rinse with boiling hot water, then use solvents/oils as with non corrosive priming to clean and protect the bare steel of the bore.
You need to remove the rust and prevent its reoccurance, and a good cleaning is in need. Clean yer guns after every use. Some one, prehaps many someones was once issued that rifle, shot it and kept it clean, and now you have it.
If you do your part, that rifle will someday serve someone else.
When useing corrosive ammo, the only extra step you need include to a regular cleaning is to first flush the bore and chamb4er with boiling hot water. The priming uses salts of sorts and this is spewed down the bore behind the main gunpowder charge. Remove this stuff by dissolving and youll have nothing in the bore attracting and holding water against your steel bore, as salts do.
It sounds opposite of what your trying to acheive (removeing and preventing rust), but if you use boiling hot water to dissolve and flush the corrosive salts outta the bore, the heat will conduct to and heat the barrel, a basic self drying the steel. The heated barrel will be water free as it drys itself in seconds........ Use a bronze brush and scrub it good, and rinse with boiling hot water, then use solvents/oils as with non corrosive priming to clean and protect the bare steel of the bore.
You need to remove the rust and prevent its reoccurance, and a good cleaning is in need. Clean yer guns after every use. Some one, prehaps many someones was once issued that rifle, shot it and kept it clean, and now you have it.
If you do your part, that rifle will someday serve someone else.
tark
Member
By the way, briney 11, I had the same experence you had with a very nice New England Westinghouse Nagant, It had a pristine bore, up to that point. Now it has a pitted bore, not terribly bad, but pitted nonetheless. It shoots as good as ever.
22250Rem
Member
Only place I ever shoot corrosive mil-surp is at the range. The gun gets wet patched with Shooters Choice or Hoppe's #9 and sits for 10 minutes or so while I do something else. Then I run a dry patch through it before I head for home. Upon arriving home that gun gets a thorough cleaning before any of the other guns do. Never had any problems with that method; and that includes shooting corrosive 7.62x54R, and back in the early 1990's I shot a lot of corrosive .303 British and 7x57. Still have those rifles; and no rust problems. So in my experience it pays to give 'em a quick cleaning as soon as you're done firing corrosive stuff, and a real good cleaning shortly after.
MilsurpShooter
Member
I've got an original issue 91/30 with PU Scope on it and given it's history and the fact it's one of my all time favorite guns I'm somewhat meticulous with cleaning it after a day of shooting corrosive.
Step one: Return from range, spray the bore and bolt face with Windex
Step Two: Clean bore as normal with Hoppes #9
Step three: break down bolt and clean
Step Three: ammendment A: If groups are opening up clean barrel with Outers foaming bore solvent (It has a copper fouling component to it)
Step 4: Return to safe.
That's it. Nothing major other then that and in the 5 years plus I've had it, no issues with rust other then one time I guess I forgot to clean the bolt face as closely as I should have
Step one: Return from range, spray the bore and bolt face with Windex
Step Two: Clean bore as normal with Hoppes #9
Step three: break down bolt and clean
Step Three: ammendment A: If groups are opening up clean barrel with Outers foaming bore solvent (It has a copper fouling component to it)
Step 4: Return to safe.
That's it. Nothing major other then that and in the 5 years plus I've had it, no issues with rust other then one time I guess I forgot to clean the bolt face as closely as I should have
GBExpat
Member
Which should be followed by removal of that Windex that you sprayed ... the water in which has pulled the salt into solution for easy removal.MilsurpShooter said:
mgkdrgn
Member
m6tlogistics
Member
Windex-not just for glass anymore!!
Seriously though-it works great for any mil-surp I have had so far...
Seriously though-it works great for any mil-surp I have had so far...
GBExpat
Member
When the Windex bottle is empty, refill it at the tap and add a few drops of something like Dawn dishwashing detergent ... then you are again ready to go shooting the old chlorate-primered milsurp ammo.
My method:
Run a brass bristled brush through a couple of times, then a nylon brush to remove the "removable" stuff.
Shoot 5 rounds, then clean with Hoppe's or Breakfree CLP.
Shoot 5 more rounds, then clean again.
Shoot 5 more rounds, then fill the bore with Windex, drain and then clean as usual.
Should be great after that.
It's worked for me a few times.
Run a brass bristled brush through a couple of times, then a nylon brush to remove the "removable" stuff.
Shoot 5 rounds, then clean with Hoppe's or Breakfree CLP.
Shoot 5 more rounds, then clean again.
Shoot 5 more rounds, then fill the bore with Windex, drain and then clean as usual.
Should be great after that.
It's worked for me a few times.
GBExpat
Member
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