Cleaning after firing corosive ammo

[jumpingjupiter]

There seems to be alot of check mil surplus 7.62x39 ammo floating around right now. Is there any particular sovent or cleaning technique required after firing to neutralize the corosive chemicals? Or is it just clean after every session?

 

[brotherjack]

Bascally, you can just clean as normal, but use water or a water-based solvent of some kind to start. Finish off with something oil-based. There are a dozen (or more) effective ways to do this, but personally, I do it like this:

1. Disassemble SKS.
2. Grab wife's electric tea-kettle -- bring water to a boil.
3. Douse bore, gas ports, bolt, etc liberally with boiling water.
4. Wait a couple minutes; boiling water evaporates fast on hot metal.
5. Clean rifle per normal gun cleaning procedures (Hoppes #9, brush, patch, etc).
6. Douse bolt, op-rods, springs, hard to reach places, etc with BreakFree CLP (Clean/Lube/Protect).
7. Reassemble rifle.
8. Store rifle barrel-down in the safe so any excess CLP can drain out the barrel.


It takes me about an extra 2 or 3 minutes tops to do the boiling water thing (the only part of the whole routine that's different than how I would normally clean a semi-auto), and I have seen no problems at all with rust on any of my rifles which I've fired corrosive mil-surp through.

YMMV.

 

[alexD92]

Depends on how meticulous you are. If I shoot corrosive ammo in my guns I give them the same cleaning as my other firearms. Except I substitute regular solvent with one that is foam and is water based.

- disassemble
- apply solvent
- wait for solvent to do its stuff
- run a brush a few times
- run patches until it comes out clean.
- reassemble

I also scrub most of the parts, piston, gas port. receiver. Reapply grease.

I do this after each shooting session. Haven't seen a spot of rust in my barrel due to this practice.

 

[personal_aviator]

I've herd that using windex will work also. Clean as normal than run some windex through it then oil or what not at the end. Something about the amonia in windex that kills the corrosion. Some of the more experienced people here may know if that actually works or not.

 

[john777]

Do you guys find it impossible to get your SKS clean even after 50rds of Czech surplus? I guess not. Good for you! I scrub and patch with hoppes 9 and CLP for 15 mins and it still comes out black. I just give up.

I cleaned mine forever when I bought it... hundreds of patches and hours of cleaning on top of soaking in kerosene and hoppes. Patches then finally just come out gray.

I'll just be one of the bad guys and not be as thorough as you guys. The barrel, although looks shiny could be better but it still shoots straight. If it goes kaput, i'll just buy another one. Hehe...

 

[MosinNagantM44]

I just throw everything i can take apart and throw it in a pot of boiling water.

 

[Satain]

Mod's please move to AMMO fourm

Hot water on anything with carbon residue. Try brake cleaner to remove the carbon build up. Then re-oil and assemble were needed.

 

[jumpingjupiter]

Cool. Thanks for all the advice guys.

 

[alexD92]

Do you guys find it impossible to get your SKS clean even after 50rds of Czech surplus? I guess not. Good for you! I scrub and patch with hoppes 9 and CLP for 15 mins and it still comes out black. I just give up.

I cleaned mine forever when I bought it... hundreds of patches and hours of cleaning on top of soaking in kerosene and hoppes. Patches then finally just come out gray.

I'll just be one of the bad guys and not be as thorough as you guys. The barrel, although looks shiny could be better but it still shoots straight. If it goes kaput, i'll just buy another one. Hehe...

Do you run your patches from the chamber and out or from the end of the barrel? You might be pushing all the carbon and residues in your chamber and thats where you get your patches all dirty.

 

[francisco]

Bascally, you can just clean as normal, but use water or a water-based solvent of some kind to start. Finish off with something oil-based. There are a dozen (or more) effective ways to do this, but personally, I do it like this:

1. Disassemble SKS.
2. Grab wife's electric tea-kettle -- bring water to a boil.
3. Douse bore, gas ports, bolt, etc liberally with boiling water.
4. Wait a couple minutes; boiling water evaporates fast on hot metal.
5. Clean rifle per normal gun cleaning procedures (Hoppes #9, brush, patch, etc).
6. Douse bolt, op-rods, springs, hard to reach places, etc with BreakFree CLP (Clean/Lube/Protect).
7. Reassemble rifle.
8. Store rifle barrel-down in the safe so any excess CLP can drain out the barrel.


It takes me about an extra 2 or 3 minutes tops to do the boiling water thing (the only part of the whole routine that's different than how I would normally clean a semi-auto), and I have seen no problems at all with rust on any of my rifles which I've fired corrosive mil-surp through.

YMMV.

Well crafted - should be a stickie. Boiling water always works to remove salts (followed by evaporation). Other solutions to remove salts mentioned by others also work - ie. first swipe bore and impacted metal parts with water based cleaner such as windex/simple green. Brake cleaner (outdoors) great for getting into bolt and difficult areas.