Cleaning after Corrosive Ammo

1340

1340

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I've been reading up on cleaning after shooting corrosive ammo.
As I understand it, the barrel, gastube and piston get the hot water rinse, then a regular cleaning.
The rest of the parts just get a normal cleaning.
Do I have that right?
Thanks.
 
Thats what Ive been doing, Also try to do the rinse and clean the same day as I was out shooting. Some believe a couple of shots of windex is needed at the range but I disagree, corrosion doest form instantly, it takes time, the salts in corrosive ammo will not start corroding that day, or even the next, (ignore cleaning for a month or 2 and you will see some surface rust which is fairly easy to clean off). Theres a video on youtube of a rifle that shot 2000 rounds corrosive through it and then let sit for a month. Seemed a quick clean with clr took the surface rust off.

1340 said:
I've been reading up on cleaning after shooting corrosive ammo.
As I understand it, the barrel, gastube and piston get the hot water rinse, then a regular cleaning.
The rest of the parts just get a normal cleaning.
Do I have that right?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
 
Shaharov said:
Thats what Ive been doing, Also try to do the rinse and clean the same day as I was out shooting. Some believe a couple of shots of windex is needed at the range but I disagree, corrosion doest form instantly, it takes time, the salts in corrosive ammo will not start corroding that day, or even the next, (ignore cleaning for a month or 2 and you will see some surface rust which is fairly easy to clean off). Theres a video on youtube of a rifle that shot 2000 rounds corrosive through it and then let sit for a month. Seemed a quick clean with clr took the surface rust off.
Click to expand...

Yeah they let it sit a month, but they never mentioned what time of year... I had my SKS out a few weeks back, cold day, cloudy/damp (imagine that) ... Got home, and had some people coming over so I just threw it in the safe to deal with the next morning.... Had light rust within that time... The humidity plays a large role, as does taking a gun from the cold outside air, to a warm house... Condensation will form...

Best to clean ASAP, but yeah, for the most part, waiting a day or two (even longer in the summer) is not the end of the world... The light rust I found came off easily...

YMMV
 
I knew when I posted somebody woud probably give me a hard time.
I've read the stickie, and did a search. There is alot of info out there.
I just wanted to be sure I had it right.
Thanks to those who where helpful.
 
1340 said:
I knew when I posted somebody woud probably give me a hard time.
I've read the stickie, and did a search. There is alot of info out there.
I just wanted to be sure I had it right.
Thanks to those who where helpful.
Click to expand...

I wasn't trying to give you a hard time thus the smiley face. Your initial post didn't not specify that you checked the sticky etc.

Sorry if you felt that way as it wasn't my intent.
 
You should mention that these are your own experiences. They differ from others.

Shaharov said:
Thats what Ive been doing, Also try to do the rinse and clean the same day as I was out shooting. Some believe a couple of shots of windex is needed at the range but I disagree, corrosion doest form instantly, it takes time, the salts in corrosive ammo will not start corroding that day, or even the next, (ignore cleaning for a month or 2 and you will see some surface rust which is fairly easy to clean off). Theres a video on youtube of a rifle that shot 2000 rounds corrosive through it and then let sit for a month. Seemed a quick clean with clr took the surface rust off.
Click to expand...
 
Sorry for jumping the gun.
I read lot of posts with everyone having their own opinion.
Things got murkier the more I read.
 
Last edited:
I use Hoppe's #9 to clean both my SKS and vz58 and skip the hot water. Perfectly clean and shiny with no rust over a couple of years so far. A number of the milsurp guys have stated that Hoppe's was formulated to deal with the corrosive salts and my experience certainly agrees with that.


Mark
 
mmattockx said:
I use Hoppe's #9 to clean both my SKS and vz58 and skip the hot water. Perfectly clean and shiny with no rust over a couple of years so far. A number of the milsurp guys have stated that Hoppe's was formulated to deal with the corrosive salts and my experience certainly agrees with that.


Mark
Click to expand...

Possibly true, Mark, but other fellas from the prairies have used clp, or nothing, and seen no corrosion. It's dry there, west and east coast, not at all, ontario and Quebec, not so much. My brother bought a CZ from a nice guy in PEI. He had fired the gun twice, and cleaned thouroughly, but with no water. That rifle is at Heron getting a custom stainless barrel, because there was no improving the fuzzies on the factory one afterwards.
 
Thats because the simple truth is its salt and steel. Not a complicated biological assault organism attacking the unobtanium in our rifles. Salt and steel. Wash the salt, which is water soluble, off the steel or cover it in a layer of oil to seal out moisture and oxygen and you have stopped rust dead in its tracks. Salt dissolves in water, faster in hot water and the hot water heats the steel so that the remaining water evaporates off the surface leaving clean steel behind. Its grade 2 chemistry. You can skip the water if you want and just clean with whatever solvent you prefer and cover it with a coat of oil. The salt still remains on the steel but the oil prevents any rust from forming. So to summarize: wash the salts off with hot water, then oil to prevent atmospheric moisture from slowly forming rust or clean with regular solvent and oil, again to prevent corrosion.

1340 said:
Sorry for jumping the gun.
I read lot of posts with everyone having their own opinion, that
things got murkier the more I read.
Click to expand...
 
I have a Stupid question.. Just a matter of curiosity. Would the cleaners for black powder work? I have been washing out my cz with hot water just the same as my old black powder muzzle loaders and will continue to do so. But there are a lot of products on the market for cleaning the back powder residue "real black powder not pyrodex is VERY corrosive" Not telling anybody to change what they are doing just curious.
 
I have watched lots of tests done on corrosive primer residue and the only real thing needed is hot water, no windex, no alcohol, just plain hot water, then a normal cleaning routine. I have done that for years in all my milsurps and there is never an issue.
 
Hey 1340, good number BTW.
Just keep it going. You're in the right track.
I never used hot water in the old days, just older Hoppes#9, but then they changed the formula.
Now I use hot water first, then regular cleaning. Don't know if the new Hoppes#9 would neutralize the salts or not, so I sleep better using the hot water and don't look back.
 
Rdrash said:
I have a Stupid question.. Just a matter of curiosity. Would the cleaners for black powder work? I have been washing out my cz with hot water just the same as my old black powder muzzle loaders and will continue to do so. But there are a lot of products on the market for cleaning the back powder residue "real black powder not pyrodex is VERY corrosive" Not telling anybody to change what they are doing just curious.
Click to expand...

I've used CVA's Barrel Blaster and TC 17 and they both worked. But using them was more work and costly then a kettle of boiling water. With the cleaners, you have to scrub and wipe before routine cleaning. With a kettle, just pour and let dry (then routine clean).
 
I pour hot water down the barrel and gas tube and over the reciever. Then i take a pail of warm soapy water and soak the parts for 5 minutes then i scrub a bit blow the. With compressed air and continue with regular cleaning it can take me up to an hour and a half because i used the soft brisle brush that came with the rifle a copper one is a must. Also i do bot soak the gas tube i simply hold it under the sink for a minute plugging the side holes. My gun is 100% rust free. The gun was only 150$ not sure why i clean it so well lol
 
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