What is corrosive ammo?

prproulx

prproulx

I ask too many questions
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I did a search but couldn't read fifty pages of unrelated info so I'm asking here. And yes by the end of the week I hope to have a Chinese SKS on it's way. I'm not even a rifle guy although I've had some AR's.
There is a mystique with these rifles I cannot resist!
 
prproulx said:
I did a search but couldn't read fifty pages of unrelated info so I'm asking here. And yes by the end of the week I hope to have a Chinese SKS on it's way. I'm not even a rifle guy although I've had some AR's.
There is a mystique with these rifles I cannot resist!
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Something in the primers that makes 'em dat way.
 
prproulx said:
I did a search but couldn't read fifty pages of unrelated info so I'm asking here. And yes by the end of the week I hope to have a Chinese SKS on it's way. I'm not even a rifle guy although I've had some AR's.
There is a mystique with these rifles I cannot resist!
Click to expand...

The primer in corrosive ammo contain potassium chlorate wich when fired, coat the inside of barrel and gas system with salts. Thoses salt will corrode the barrel if not cleaned well. But dont believe the legends that if you dont clean your rifle the same day, the rifle will turn in dust. rifle can wait fews day and if rust form, will be only surface rust and with good cleaning, will wipe away. Since the sks have chromed barrel, its more easy to clean since the chrome is corrosion resistant but if not cleaned, will eventually corrode but at slower rate but since gas tube are not chromed,cleaning soon as possible is always better. Use the search function, many thread here about cleaning after corrosive ammo use.
Jocelyn
 
Surplus ammo produced before the year of about 1980 has primers that contain salts. This to firearms means rust. So... in english , corrosive ammunition can cause rust in your firearm.


Is this a problem? no, unless you are a lazy sack of turd and dont know how to properly clean a firearm. Cleaning a firearm which fired corrosive ammo takes one additional step further than you would a regular firearm without using corrosive ammo. When you get home from shooting corrosive ammo, simply rinse gun parts that had contact with corrosive ammo with hot water. Blast it with wd-40 then clean and swab as you would normally clean any firearm.

Peasants who could not read, write, or add took care of these same surplus guns as we shoot today. There is no excuse for us not to do it properly. These guns were made to fire corrosive ammo.


I went shooting today with 3 guns that shot corrosive ammo. I opened the bolts and gas pistons and will clean them tomorrow when I've had less drinks. all is well.
 
I've heard windex also works well for cleaning after corrosive ammo, I think its the ammonia that does the job, but you have to make sure you dry it well or else you will have rust from the windex
 
svt1940 said:
Since the sks have chromed barrel, its more easy to clean since the chrome is corrosion resistant but if not cleaned,
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Not all are chromed. The earlier ones are not chromed, I believe they started chroming them in 51(not positive though)). I know the 1950 I had was not chromed.

Also remember that the gas tube is not chromed either and will rust easily. Of course the amount and speed of rusting depends on humidity levels.
 
heavyBullet said:
Not all are chromed. The earlier ones are not chromed, I believe they started chroming them in 51(not positive though)). I know the 1950 I had was not chromed.

Also remember that the gas tube is not chromed either and will rust easily. Of course the amount and speed of rusting depends on humidity levels.
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True but i was reffering mainly to the chinese sks since that,s the one the OP will get.
Jocelyn
 
BWANA said:
So why was salt added to the primer/powder ? Did they want the guns to rust up if left behind ?
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If i understood correctly, potassium chlorate was needed in priming compound to extend the storage life so the primer would fire reliably even if ammo has many many many years old. In the 1920's new mixture without chlorate have been done but still, military ammo with corrosive priming were made until recently.
Jocelyn
 
Potassium chlorate was in the primer mix when the very first primer caps were invented and used in black powder firearms.

The amount of time between the time you shoot and then clean after using corrosive, depends on a few factors. The main one being the environment that the rifle is stored in.

Mine are stored in an environment that's less than ideal. If I don't clean right away, I do have problems by the next day.

OP, play it by ear after you get your SKS. I've learned here on CGN, that there are no cut and dried answers when it comes to cleaning after shooting the corrosive. Some here don't have the problems others do. Some get by cleaning with Hoppes #9. Others, like myself, have to pour boiled water down the bore to wash out the salts completely, and then run oiled patches until clean.

Either way, you'll get it figured out. By the way, love mine, and it goes through ammo like a fat kid through smarties. :D
 
I always do the hot water method first then solvent then finish with CLP or Hoppe's Oil and I never had a problem....lately I have been purchasing non-Corrosive Ammo but plan to clean the same way maybe minus the hot water.
 
it's not SALT, it's SALTS- byproducts of burning potassium chlorate not sodium chloride- whenever you make a change to a chemical, there's a residue left behind- this is called a salt- ie a BYPRODUCT
 
svt1940 said:
The primer in corrosive ammo contain potassium chlorate wich when fired, coat the inside of barrel and gas system with salts. Thoses salt will corrode the barrel if not cleaned well. But dont believe the legends that if you dont clean your rifle the same day, the rifle will turn in dust. rifle can wait fews day and if rust form, will be only surface rust and with good cleaning, will wipe away. Since the sks have chromed barrel, its more easy to clean since the chrome is corrosion resistant but if not cleaned, will eventually corrode but at slower rate but since gas tube are not chromed,cleaning soon as possible is always better. Use the search function, many thread here about cleaning after corrosive ammo use.
Jocelyn
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Cleaning straight away is the best. If I have time I do it right at the range, or at minimum put some cleaner (gunzilla is best) in it during the ride home.

Also, I havent tried this personally, but I have heard of lads who use surplus ammo squirting a bunch of windex down the barrel and firing 1 or 2 rounds down. The amonia neutralizes the corrosiveness apparently....
 
klink1983 said:
Cleaning straight away is the best. If I have time I do it right at the range, or at minimum put some cleaner (gunzilla is best) in it during the ride home.

Also, I havent tried this personally, but I have heard of lads who use surplus ammo squirting a bunch of windex down the barrel and firing 1 or 2 rounds down. The amonia neutralizes the corrosiveness apparently....
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I agree, sooner the cleaning better will be. Since i dont live in a humid climate, my rifles cant wait fews days but i'm never to busy to not clean the same day. As for the Windex trick and firing 2 rounds, i cant see how that would work. Also amonia have no effect in salts, water will flush salts. The reason to use windex is because the water content in. Personnally, i have excellent results flushing with a some boiling water before the usual cleaning. Everybody seems to have a favorite way to do the cleaning and that's good.:)
Jocelyn
 
svt1940 said:
The primer in corrosive ammo contain potassium chlorate wich when fired, coat the inside of barrel and gas system with salts. Thoses salt will corrode the barrel if not cleaned well. But dont believe the legends that if you dont clean your rifle the same day, the rifle will turn in dust. rifle can wait fews day and if rust form, will be only surface rust and with good cleaning, will wipe away. Since the sks have chromed barrel, its more easy to clean since the chrome is corrosion resistant but if not cleaned, will eventually corrode but at slower rate but since gas tube are not chromed,cleaning soon as possible is always better. Use the search function, many thread here about cleaning after corrosive ammo use.
Jocelyn
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I don't know about that, clean your rifle (boiling water, Windex, etc) immediately after firing corrosive ammo. I was lazy one time and left my '54 Tula until the following day after shooting surplus Czech ammo, and was shocked to see rust already on the gas piston and inside the gas tube, as well as on parts of the bolt assembly. It was only minor surface rust, but it scared the sh*% of me. Better to take the few extra minutes and be tactful.
 
After firing, strip the major systems, boil a ketle of water and pour it through the barrel, over the gas piston system and even into the metal bit s of the action. The water essentially neutralizes the acids of the salts. The heat of the water dries it up fairly fast too.

Now go through your regular cleaning. Oil the h%$@ out of everything.
I just found gunzilla for my 858, and I am definietley ordering a barrel of that stuff!

I used to just use regular oils after firing without the water treatment. Days later I would have stuff growing in my barrels because the salts weren't neutralized and have to go tbhrough the whole cleaninig process again. I am so grateful for electric tea kettles.
 
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