Corrosive Ammo, should I worry?

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tkoett

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I'm almost betting this has probably been covered but for piece of mind I'll throw it out there.
I purchased a SKS rifle from a guy last week,(used) The price was right and he tossed in a 3/4 full crate of ammo with the gun. He stated the ammo was corrosive and if fired the sks needs to be cleaned regularily.He also said he ALWAYS cleaned it out after use and kept all the nessesary parts clean and oiled. I checked it out and gave it a good visual inspection. I didn't find much for rust anywhere. I'm no expert with this gun and have just recently learned about corrosive ammo and what it can do if your not carefull. I guess what I'm asking is, is it ok to continue shooting my crate of surplus corosive ammo? or should I stay clear and buy non corrosive. Also, if I shoot this sketchy ammo what is the most effective way to keep my sks in good working order?

I'm just asking because there are so many conflicting stories and reviews about corrosive ammo. Any advise would be very helpfull.
 
Just learn to properly clean your guns!!!
Then you can shoot any ammo you happen to get. Cleaning is not rocket science, although looking at some threads here you would think so.
 
The surplus ammo on a surplus rifle should be fine, clean it when you can and the best you can when you are done. The SKS can be found for in & around $200 every day of the week so if you really bugger one up it's not like a replacement can't be found. The 900 rounds of ammo you got with the purchase is nearly the cost of the rifle.

Most versions of them have a Chrome lined barrel because of corrosive primers. The gas system is the part I've found that needs more attention during cleaning.

They were built for use on a battlefield, they can withstand a lot of use and abuse. As stated by the above poster clean your gun when you are done.

Here is a good youtube link on stripping and cleaning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7bu8TG8ZbE


Find the cheapest ammo you can and blast away. Happy Shootin'
 
WD-40 is your best friend. Spray that SKS barrel, action, etc if you aren't gonna clean it right away. I've been doing that forever sometimes as my only care between shootings and mine are not rusted or damaged at all.
 
Hmmm, with my experience in hand I'd be reluctant to not wrap up a corrosive-ammo shooting session without a cleaning. I did that to one of my Enfields a while back; I wouldn't wish that bore on my worst enemy! ...well, actually, I guess I would...:dancingbanana:

I guess that's the balance of cheap ammo; increased time spent cleaning. Part of that 'time=money' equation, IMO. (Reminds me, helped a guy hammer a rusty case out of his VZ at the range the other day...)

(a less charitable part of me wants to say 'don't be lazy; clean your gun.'. What a dyck!)
 
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Corrosive ammo is not a big deal. It will cost you half of what you would pay for non corrosive and you just need to clean your gun and oil it after each range session. Many different ways to clean, but just pour some hot water down the barrel and any part that comes in contact with gasses. Let it dry and then clean with Hoppes, or whatever snake oil you use. Keep the gun oiled and you will have no problems. The frequent cleaning will help you become familiar with your gun.

Enjoy.
 
I see you are in Abbotsford. I'm not far away, I can swing by and take it all off your hands if you are still concerned about it.
Glad to help.;)
 
saskcop said:
Ganderite, that was an excellent read. I will continue to use hot soapy water to clean my CZ858, followed by my regular cleaning routine.
Click to expand...

+1 to have the link or this thread become a sticky. The question seems to follow the purchase of an SKS of the thought of any surplus ammo purchase.
 
I honestly shot my 858 a ton of times before actually ever cleaning it. Being a noob, I never knew what corrosive meant as far as ammunition went. I was fortunate to live in a dry climate and nothing happened to my particular rifle despite my shoddy caretaking for the first while of owning a military type rifle. Now, cleaning and maintaining is half the fun for sure. And makes it easier to spot problems before they become serious. This philosophy is also carried over from my experience in the oilpatch where we had a "wash units EVERYDAY" policy. Reasoning was that when you clean something it is one of the only times you will look at every square inch of it even if just briefly and problems are easy to catch before they escalate. Just my two cents, but thought I'd share anyways!
Happy shooting!
 
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