You guys must have missed my article in the NFA-CFJ.
Here is the text:
NFA CFJ The Ammonia Myth Dean Roxby
Word count 1666
There is a long-standing myth that a certain cleaning product can instantly protect your rifle from the damage caused by corrosive ammunition. Let’s take a closer look at this belief.
First, we need to understand exactly what happens when corrosive ammo is used. The issue starts with the priming compound used during manufacture of the primer. There are several chemicals that can, or have been used for the primer compound. Many years ago, during the black powder era, Mercury Fulminate was the main priming compound used. However, after the switch to modern smokeless powders, Mercury Fulminate was found to be unsuitable. The US Army discontinued its use as far back as 1898. Most modern day western ammo is loaded with NON-corrosive primers made with lead styphnate (lead 2,4,6-trinitroresorcinate, C6HN3O8Pb ). Recently, there has been a move to non-toxic lead-free chemicals, due to concerns of inhaling lead pollutants from the fired lead styphnate.
However, the chemical compound that causes the average shooter the greatest concern is Potassium Chlorate, or KClO3. (One Potassium atom, one Chlorine atom, and three Oxygen atoms forming the compound or molecule.) KClO3 is the chemical of choice for Eastern Bloc countries, partially because it functions well at very cold temperatures. Thus, the many millions of rounds of cheap surplus ComBloc ammo that we currently enjoy present an issue. That issue, of course, is how to deal with the corrosive salts left within the barrel after firing. Upon firing, the Potassium ChlorATE molecule chemically transforms into Potassium ChlorIDE, or KCl. (As it rapidly decomposes, it also releases its Oxygen atoms, serving as a source of oxygen for other chemicals within the priming mixture.) As the KClO3 contained within the primer changes to KCl, it is carried down the barrel along with the burning propellant. Naturally, some portion is left on the bare steel of the bore, as well as throughout the gas system if you are using a semi auto. KCl is very similar to ordinary table salt, Sodium Chloride, or NaCl. As with table salt, KCl absorbs moisture and promotes rusting. Imagine what might happen if you sprinkled extremely fine table salt down your bore, then left it in a humid environment for a while.
So much for the chemistry lesson, how to deal with the problem? There seems to be all manner of ideas and opinions offered online. By far the most prevalent is that Windex magically takes care of everything. While Windex is a fine product for its intended purpose (Cleaning windows…), it was never intended to be a barrel cleaning product. The wisdom is that the ammonia destroys the corrosive salts. Where this myth first originated is unknown, but it has gained a lot of traction. Unfortunately, there are several flaws with it.
Firstly, in spite of the trade name Ammonia-D, it contains very little actual ammonia.
(Technically, ammonia is a gas at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. When it is dissolved in water it is called ammonium hydroxide.) Because of its pungent smell, the cleaning product has been reformulated to contain very little ammonia. I tried to find out from SC Johnson, the parent company what the percentage is, but that is proprietary information. However, their website does state “Household ammonia has a strong odour; by using ammonium hydroxide in combination with other ingredients, we can achieve the same cleaning results while using much less ammonia.”
Secondly, Potassium Chloride is almost completely insoluble in ammonia. One Kg of ordinary tap water at 25*C will dissolve 360 grams of KCl. Compare that to liquid ammonia only being able to dissolve 0.4 grams of KCl. That is 900 times LESS effective than warm tap water.
Thirdly, the ammonia in Windex is used as a “surfactant”. A surfactant helps to break down grease and oils on the surface of the item being cleaned. Removing greasy fingerprints from glass is what Windex does best. However, this same degreasing action will leave your bore as bare metal, prone to rusting. Yes, a light coat of oil afterwards will protect against this. However, the supposed advantage of the Ammonia Myth is that it is so simple. One squirt and you are done.
Fourth, if you did locate some really concentrated ammonium hydroxide, leaving it in your barrel would likely damage the steel you are trying to protect. There are several bore cleaners that DO use ammonia, but they are specifically designed for copper fouling removal. The ammonia (in strong concentrations) does remove copper build up. However, these products generally warn against leaving it in the barrel more than 15 minutes. Over an extended period, it can attack the steel. More importantly, it creates an alkali (opposite of acidic) environment that promotes rusting on its own, separate from the bare metal issue noted above.
Finally, those that advise “Just spray Windex down the barrel” seldom mention the gas system. I recently saw a fine looking Czech VZ 52/57 that absolutely would not cycle due to a frozen up gas system. Apparently, my friend loaned his rifle to his friend, who then rusted the gas system solid. We were unable to free it that day, or since. I don’t know if it will ever be salvageable.
What do I suggest to remove the salts? Boiling hot water, nothing more. A kettle full of boiling water will take care of all the salt deposits perfectly. I have a dedicated electric kettle just for that purpose, for which I paid $3 at a garage sale several years ago. You will need some sort of funnel to direct the water into the chamber. I use a plastic one meant for car oil changes that came from a dollar store. The great thing about boiling water is that it heats the steel enough that there is no residual water remaining afterwards. Remember to apply a light coat of bore cleaner or oil afterwards, as the bore will be bare following the boiling water.
If you are cleaning a semi-auto firearm with a gas system, be sure to clean that as well. I pour the water from breech end through the barrel and out, and into a plastic pail, so I place the internal parts such as the piston and gas cylinder in the pail as well. After the first kettle of water is through the bore, I pour it out and run a second kettle through it again. My thinking is that the water in the pail has a tiny bit of KCl salt in it, so the internal parts get a second rinse of pure clean water.
During WWII, the US military used corrosive ammo, so they created a chemical to combat the salts. Packaged in small olive drab tins, this Rifle Bore Cleaner is still available, although the supply is drying up after 70 years. Be forewarned, it stinks like hell! I used to use this evil stuff, but I now just use the kettle method.
Incidentally, the US military created Rifle Bore Cleaner because they too used corrosive priming at that time. The change over to non-corrosive occurred around the early to mid 1950’s (The various arsenals did not change over all at once.) Oddly enough, the ammo for the M1 Carbine never used corrosive priming. However, the 30-06 Springfield ammo for the M1 Rifle certainly did.
There is a simple test to determine if your ammo is corrosive or not. A cynic may say if it comes from “over there somewhere”, it is corrosive. While this is probably not far from the truth, it is not completely accurate. A more definitive method is called the Nail Test. This involves popping a primer over top a bare steel nail, then observing the results. You MUST use bare (Not galvanized or otherwise coated.) mild steel nails. You can sandpaper the shaft of the nail to give more surface area if you wish. Hammer several nails into a block of wood, leaving enough of the nail exposed to place a cartridge case over. Remove the bullet from a live round, discard the powder, and place the live primed empty case over the nail. With a hammer and centre punch, pop the primer, thereby covering the nail with primer soot. Then set the test aside for several days in a humid environment, perhaps the bathroom. Besides the suspect ammo sample, it is a very good idea to have some controls to compare to. A known corrosive round will serve as a positive control, while a known non-corrosive round acts as a negative control. You may also want to leave one nail untouched also. The idea is that if the corrosive control does not rust, either your nail is plated or stainless steel, or your room is not humid enough. If your negative control or untouched nail does rust, then perhaps your bathroom is too humid! The expected result is that the known corrosive positive control should rust, the non-corrosive negative control as well as the unfired control should NOT be rusted, and the mystery round may or may not be.
As you will be detonating live primers during this method, safety is a MUST. First and foremost is eye protection. It does not take much to damage your vision permanently. Protect yourself! A full face shield over top of glasses is the way to go. Ear protection is not mandatory, but recommended. And leather gloves will defend your hands from stray bits of primer, should one pop free of the case.
And another word about safety. I once spilled boiling hot water out of the breech and onto my foot. Unfortunately, I was only wearing socks, no shoes. I scalded myself badly, so now I always wear proper footwear while pouring a kettle of HOT water through the barrel.
Reference:
Hatchers Notebook by Major General Julian S. Hatcher, US Army (Ret)
Pages 346-350
International Forensic Science and Investigation Series
Chemical Analysis of Firearms, Ammunition, and Gunshot Residue
By James Smyth Wallace
Pages 43-56
Corrosive Primer Redux .pdf by M. E. Podany
Here is the text:
NFA CFJ The Ammonia Myth Dean Roxby
Word count 1666
There is a long-standing myth that a certain cleaning product can instantly protect your rifle from the damage caused by corrosive ammunition. Let’s take a closer look at this belief.
First, we need to understand exactly what happens when corrosive ammo is used. The issue starts with the priming compound used during manufacture of the primer. There are several chemicals that can, or have been used for the primer compound. Many years ago, during the black powder era, Mercury Fulminate was the main priming compound used. However, after the switch to modern smokeless powders, Mercury Fulminate was found to be unsuitable. The US Army discontinued its use as far back as 1898. Most modern day western ammo is loaded with NON-corrosive primers made with lead styphnate (lead 2,4,6-trinitroresorcinate, C6HN3O8Pb ). Recently, there has been a move to non-toxic lead-free chemicals, due to concerns of inhaling lead pollutants from the fired lead styphnate.
However, the chemical compound that causes the average shooter the greatest concern is Potassium Chlorate, or KClO3. (One Potassium atom, one Chlorine atom, and three Oxygen atoms forming the compound or molecule.) KClO3 is the chemical of choice for Eastern Bloc countries, partially because it functions well at very cold temperatures. Thus, the many millions of rounds of cheap surplus ComBloc ammo that we currently enjoy present an issue. That issue, of course, is how to deal with the corrosive salts left within the barrel after firing. Upon firing, the Potassium ChlorATE molecule chemically transforms into Potassium ChlorIDE, or KCl. (As it rapidly decomposes, it also releases its Oxygen atoms, serving as a source of oxygen for other chemicals within the priming mixture.) As the KClO3 contained within the primer changes to KCl, it is carried down the barrel along with the burning propellant. Naturally, some portion is left on the bare steel of the bore, as well as throughout the gas system if you are using a semi auto. KCl is very similar to ordinary table salt, Sodium Chloride, or NaCl. As with table salt, KCl absorbs moisture and promotes rusting. Imagine what might happen if you sprinkled extremely fine table salt down your bore, then left it in a humid environment for a while.
So much for the chemistry lesson, how to deal with the problem? There seems to be all manner of ideas and opinions offered online. By far the most prevalent is that Windex magically takes care of everything. While Windex is a fine product for its intended purpose (Cleaning windows…), it was never intended to be a barrel cleaning product. The wisdom is that the ammonia destroys the corrosive salts. Where this myth first originated is unknown, but it has gained a lot of traction. Unfortunately, there are several flaws with it.
Firstly, in spite of the trade name Ammonia-D, it contains very little actual ammonia.
(Technically, ammonia is a gas at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. When it is dissolved in water it is called ammonium hydroxide.) Because of its pungent smell, the cleaning product has been reformulated to contain very little ammonia. I tried to find out from SC Johnson, the parent company what the percentage is, but that is proprietary information. However, their website does state “Household ammonia has a strong odour; by using ammonium hydroxide in combination with other ingredients, we can achieve the same cleaning results while using much less ammonia.”
Secondly, Potassium Chloride is almost completely insoluble in ammonia. One Kg of ordinary tap water at 25*C will dissolve 360 grams of KCl. Compare that to liquid ammonia only being able to dissolve 0.4 grams of KCl. That is 900 times LESS effective than warm tap water.
Thirdly, the ammonia in Windex is used as a “surfactant”. A surfactant helps to break down grease and oils on the surface of the item being cleaned. Removing greasy fingerprints from glass is what Windex does best. However, this same degreasing action will leave your bore as bare metal, prone to rusting. Yes, a light coat of oil afterwards will protect against this. However, the supposed advantage of the Ammonia Myth is that it is so simple. One squirt and you are done.
Fourth, if you did locate some really concentrated ammonium hydroxide, leaving it in your barrel would likely damage the steel you are trying to protect. There are several bore cleaners that DO use ammonia, but they are specifically designed for copper fouling removal. The ammonia (in strong concentrations) does remove copper build up. However, these products generally warn against leaving it in the barrel more than 15 minutes. Over an extended period, it can attack the steel. More importantly, it creates an alkali (opposite of acidic) environment that promotes rusting on its own, separate from the bare metal issue noted above.
Finally, those that advise “Just spray Windex down the barrel” seldom mention the gas system. I recently saw a fine looking Czech VZ 52/57 that absolutely would not cycle due to a frozen up gas system. Apparently, my friend loaned his rifle to his friend, who then rusted the gas system solid. We were unable to free it that day, or since. I don’t know if it will ever be salvageable.
What do I suggest to remove the salts? Boiling hot water, nothing more. A kettle full of boiling water will take care of all the salt deposits perfectly. I have a dedicated electric kettle just for that purpose, for which I paid $3 at a garage sale several years ago. You will need some sort of funnel to direct the water into the chamber. I use a plastic one meant for car oil changes that came from a dollar store. The great thing about boiling water is that it heats the steel enough that there is no residual water remaining afterwards. Remember to apply a light coat of bore cleaner or oil afterwards, as the bore will be bare following the boiling water.
If you are cleaning a semi-auto firearm with a gas system, be sure to clean that as well. I pour the water from breech end through the barrel and out, and into a plastic pail, so I place the internal parts such as the piston and gas cylinder in the pail as well. After the first kettle of water is through the bore, I pour it out and run a second kettle through it again. My thinking is that the water in the pail has a tiny bit of KCl salt in it, so the internal parts get a second rinse of pure clean water.
During WWII, the US military used corrosive ammo, so they created a chemical to combat the salts. Packaged in small olive drab tins, this Rifle Bore Cleaner is still available, although the supply is drying up after 70 years. Be forewarned, it stinks like hell! I used to use this evil stuff, but I now just use the kettle method.
Incidentally, the US military created Rifle Bore Cleaner because they too used corrosive priming at that time. The change over to non-corrosive occurred around the early to mid 1950’s (The various arsenals did not change over all at once.) Oddly enough, the ammo for the M1 Carbine never used corrosive priming. However, the 30-06 Springfield ammo for the M1 Rifle certainly did.
There is a simple test to determine if your ammo is corrosive or not. A cynic may say if it comes from “over there somewhere”, it is corrosive. While this is probably not far from the truth, it is not completely accurate. A more definitive method is called the Nail Test. This involves popping a primer over top a bare steel nail, then observing the results. You MUST use bare (Not galvanized or otherwise coated.) mild steel nails. You can sandpaper the shaft of the nail to give more surface area if you wish. Hammer several nails into a block of wood, leaving enough of the nail exposed to place a cartridge case over. Remove the bullet from a live round, discard the powder, and place the live primed empty case over the nail. With a hammer and centre punch, pop the primer, thereby covering the nail with primer soot. Then set the test aside for several days in a humid environment, perhaps the bathroom. Besides the suspect ammo sample, it is a very good idea to have some controls to compare to. A known corrosive round will serve as a positive control, while a known non-corrosive round acts as a negative control. You may also want to leave one nail untouched also. The idea is that if the corrosive control does not rust, either your nail is plated or stainless steel, or your room is not humid enough. If your negative control or untouched nail does rust, then perhaps your bathroom is too humid! The expected result is that the known corrosive positive control should rust, the non-corrosive negative control as well as the unfired control should NOT be rusted, and the mystery round may or may not be.
As you will be detonating live primers during this method, safety is a MUST. First and foremost is eye protection. It does not take much to damage your vision permanently. Protect yourself! A full face shield over top of glasses is the way to go. Ear protection is not mandatory, but recommended. And leather gloves will defend your hands from stray bits of primer, should one pop free of the case.
And another word about safety. I once spilled boiling hot water out of the breech and onto my foot. Unfortunately, I was only wearing socks, no shoes. I scalded myself badly, so now I always wear proper footwear while pouring a kettle of HOT water through the barrel.
Reference:
Hatchers Notebook by Major General Julian S. Hatcher, US Army (Ret)
Pages 346-350
International Forensic Science and Investigation Series
Chemical Analysis of Firearms, Ammunition, and Gunshot Residue
By James Smyth Wallace
Pages 43-56
Corrosive Primer Redux .pdf by M. E. Podany
