How Long Do You Spend Cleaning Corrosive Ammo?

I spend 60 seconds extra cleaning for corrosive ammo.

I dump water down the barrel, blow it out with compressed air, then blast with wd40, then blast with air again. Now clean as normal.
 
I use boiling water too.
As soon as I get home
Poured through the gas tube and barrel
Then solvent patches through both.
Then wipe the inside of the action with a solvent rag.
Done

The main difference with corrosive is that I almost never clean my other guns that haven’t used corrosive ammunition.
With the exception of .22s those foul a lot and quickly.
 
Klondiker said:
Can't you clean everything using the same solvents as you would normally?

I ask because I've shot corrosive for years in a handful of rifles and while I am may be a little more diligent with everything like the gas systems, I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary
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A couple of the old formulations of bore cleaners were capable of dissolving salt, but most available today can't.
A friend years back didn't know that and cleaned a beautiful very valuable gun with modern bore cleaner, then oiled the bore.
Two weeks later he looked at it. Lots of oily rust under the oil coat he had applied because the salt was still there.

Water is cheap and plentiful, and salt is very soluble in water. Clean with water to remove the salt. Dry, and then clean normally with any any bore cleaner desired.
 
diananike said:
I use boiling water too.
As soon as I get home
Poured through the gas tube and barrel
Then solvent patches through both.
Then wipe the inside of the action with a solvent rag.
Done

The main difference with corrosive is that I almost never clean my other guns that haven’t used corrosive ammunition.
With the exception of .22s those foul a lot and quickly.
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Cleaning guns that don't shoot corrosive... Like that ever happens! 😁
 
I just picked up a sks with a bunch of corrosive ammo for a good deal. Put a cleaning kit together for it only. Buddy at the gun shop gave me a bottle of “sweet’s 7.62” solvent and a 30cal bore snake. Said to use that. It’s super stinky definitely use in well ventilated area. Hopefully it works. Haha. After using it once seems to be ok….
 
Lord, we need a sticky.

I sincerely wish I had a dollar for every time I've seen this question. I get it though: popular caliber and rifle for newbies.

I've used nothing but CLP and I've been fine. Stop worrying. Please put the piss bottles, kettles, and windex away.
 
Had the old Mosin out yesterday. No gas system like other rifles means I turn on the kettle when I start unloading the truck and by the time everything is inside the house, I pour 1/2 a kettle of boiling water down the bore and she's done
 
Covefrog said:
I just picked up a sks with a bunch of corrosive ammo for a good deal. Put a cleaning kit together for it only. Buddy at the gun shop gave me a bottle of “sweet’s 7.62” solvent and a 30cal bore snake. Said to use that. It’s super stinky definitely use in well ventilated area. Hopefully it works. Haha. After using it once seems to be ok….
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Weeellll, where to start ? Have you read the 20 other posts ? The majority go with HOT WATER to clean the 'corrosive Primer deposits' that are left. m NOTE 'Cockedandlocked's post re oil w/o cleaning corrosive first. The 'Sweets' might be OK, I've never used it so I don't know if it'll neutralize the corrosive salts, but 'diluting' the salts isn't enough. And "buddy at the gun shop" shouldn't have sold you the snake . . . they're next to useless 'cause they 'carry filth and debris' until you thoroughly wash them. You need a cleaning rod and a large caliber brass brush - I use .338 'cause it works 'faster' than .30 cal.
As I said earlier, I run hot tap water (ca 200*F) from the water heater thru the barrel and the gas tube, then clean normally after. MilSurp is very 'dirty' and will need lots of solvents and patches (where the Sweets can come in) to get all the Carbon.
And get a borescope - Amazon has Teslongs for ca $100 or so. Then you'll SEE and Know how well you're cleaning. I was badly surprised when I got mine - I always thought I was cleaning OK until I saw the 'real thing' in the bore.
PS - Also as I said, Windex mostly doesn't have ammonia any more - 'nanny State' doesn't want you to drink ammonia ;-P
 
Read a bit about WWI British army - was ALL corrosive primers then - a 45 gallon barrel of boiling water over a fire - pour like a quart or so with a dipper through the barrel - bayonet on the end, stuck into the ground. Every singe day that rifle got fired - even once. I have no clue what Chinese, Vietnamese or Russians did with their corrosive primers - just guessing that whatever they did kind of worked. Set up similar in your shop - funnel with extension into the chamber, a tea kettle to boil water - it works!!! Good enough to deal with the corrosive salts - heat would evaporate the moisture - then clean normally - oil, etc. Or read Internet story how some Windex or similar might get the same thing done???
 
Covefrog said:
I just picked up a sks with a bunch of corrosive ammo for a good deal. Put a cleaning kit together for it only. Buddy at the gun shop gave me a bottle of “sweet’s 7.62” solvent and a 30cal bore snake. Said to use that. It’s super stinky definitely use in well ventilated area. Hopefully it works. Haha. After using it once seems to be ok….
Click to expand...

The Sweet's is truly heavy in ammonia, which is great for clearing copper fouling, but that's about it. Boiling water is stupid cheap, and the smart way to go.
Bore snakes are great for destroying your crown. If your bore is already pooched, then it shouldn't matter. If you're gonna snake, at least rinse the grit out often.
 
I cleaned my SKS once a year with boiling water and Deep Creep (or similar) shooting Czech BXN 85. Only rust I ever saw was on the end of the gas tube, which was dry, after oiling it never had any more. I live in a semi-arid area so that may have more of an effect than the ammo.
 
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