What Types Of Surplus Ammo Are Corrosive

[johnny blaze]

I have seen a few threads on this forum about rust problems from using corrosive ammunition in firearms.
The threads usually refer to surplus ammo as the problem.
I was wondering if anyone has any info on pistol or rifle ammo that may be corrosive.
I have shot russian 7.62 x 39, and also some surplus 223 ammo.
I have also used 45 acp and 9mm surplus ammo.
What do I need to look for in surplus ammo as far as it being corrosive to identify it?

 

[DontBurnMyFlag]

I usually order my stuff offline or out of magazines. They usually tell you if it is corrosive or not. If you are at a gun show and you see a big ole box of .303 British...you best assume its corrosive. Some companies remake the older stuff like 6.5 Carcano and .303 British, but its expensive.

Large ammuntion quanties of 7.62x54, 30.06, 8mm, and even some 7.62x39 can be corrosive if they are the old military surplus stuff. I just stay away from em. I can never tell at a gun show, and Ill be damned if the dealer was honest with you.

Good luck, maybe someone else will have more information.

 

[mp510]

Generally, it is a good idea to treat all Communist Bloc surplus ammo as if it was corrosive, because much of it is.

Also, the Korean .30-06 on Garand clips was corrosive as was some of the other Korean .30-06 was as well.

 

[Cacique500]

Agreed on the com-bloc surplus being almost all corrosive.

It's not a huge deal to clean - most people use windex (or even water) to remove the primer salts and then follow a normal cleaning schedule. The only trick is when a gas system is involved (like on an AK or SKS)...you have to remember to hit the gas system with windex and flush the salts out of there too.

I shoot a ton of 7.62x54R in my M39's and I've never had a problem with corrosion. I put some windex soaked patches down the barrel while it's still hot, clean the bolt head, and rub a few patches around the inside of the receiver. When I get home, normal cleaning regimine and you're all set.

With the cost of surplus generally being much cheaper than modern, non-corrosive it's worth the extra few minutes of cleaning. For really detailed info on corrosive ammo and cleaning take a look at www.gunboards.com.

 

[johnny blaze]

Thanks everyone for the replies, they were very helpful.