Corrosive ammo/SKS cleaning at the range

ricohman said:
Ammonia will not dissolve corrosive salts. But the water works very well. Ammonia will break down copper fouling though.
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The salt that's in corrosive primers is potassium chloride. Its an acid. Ammonia is a base. Bases neutralize acids. That is why people use Windex with Ammonia. Potassium Chloride is highly soluble in H20. The only reason why people boil the water is so you don't have to worry about drying the barrel afterwards because the water will evaporate.
 
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Mumbles Marble Mouth said:
The salt that's in corrosive primers is potassium chloride. Its an acid. Ammonia is a base. Bases neutralize acids. That is why people use Windex with Ammonia. Potassium Chloride is highly soluble in H20. The only reason why people boil the water is so you don't have to worry about drying the barrel afterwards because the water will evaporate.
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Ammonia has little effect on corrosive salts. Windex with ammonia is alchohol based. Dump some salt in alcohol and see what happens. Sodium compounds are not acids, they are neutral as they are formed with one part base and one part acid. A good test would be to dump salt into whatever medium you are using for cleaning. If it dissolves then it will work. Water is the best for salts. The ammonia could dissolve copper fouling and perhaps make it easier to get at any corrosive trapped underneath, but thats just speculation.
Ammonia by itself is a weak base. Combined with acids it can form ammonium salts. Ammonia is a gas that becomes liquid under pressure. I can't remember what compounds are needed to enable it to remain as liquid without pressure but I think it is an alcohol base. And alcohol will not dissolve salts. Its been a few years since I last studied chemistry!
Hot water with soap will simply be the best method to dissolve and displace the salts. Then clean and oil.
 
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Mumbles Marble Mouth said:
It won't rust right away. In fact, its worse if you introduce moisture to the corrosive salts. Its either you clean it or you don't. No half assing or its just going to rust. I've left guns unclean for a few days after shooting corrosive though it. As long as you keep it dry, it shouldn't rust. It might stain the barrel but it won't rust and the stain will come out the next time you shoot it.

Sometimes I don't have time to clean my gun when I get home so I have cleaned the gun a few times at the range before coming home. All you need is Windex, patches, and oil. The SKS already has a cleaning kit so no need to pack one. If you want to minus the windex and oil, then get Balistol. I get mine from Czech Republic. I don't know where you get it here in Canada.
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Huh?

http://ballistol.ca/index.php?route=product/category&path=697


Anyways, my personnel choice is boiling up a pot of water and a splash of Simple Green, throwing the parts in, run boiling water down the barrel and over the receiver, let dry and wipe down, and lube.

You guys can argue back and fourth about who is the better internet scientist, but the fact of the matter is water is the best and most effective method for dealing with corrosive ammo, tried and true. I have seen Afghan's in the field simply dunk their AK's and other com-block arms in streams, give a little shake, wipe down, and that's it.

There is only one reason your firearm will rust/pit due to corrosive ammo; laziness.
 
ricohman said:
Ammonia has little effect on corrosive salts. Windex with ammonia is alchohol based. Dump some salt in alcohol and see what happens. Sodium compounds are not acids, they are neutral as they are formed with one part base and one part acid. A good test would be to dump salt into whatever medium you are using for cleaning. If it dissolves then it will work. Water is the best for salts. The ammonia could dissolve copper fouling and perhaps make it easier to get at any corrosive trapped underneath, but thats just speculation.
Ammonia by itself is a weak base. Combined with acids it can form ammonium salts. Ammonia is a gas that becomes liquid under pressure. I can't remember what compounds are needed to enable it to remain as liquid without pressure but I think it is an alcohol base. And alcohol will not dissolve salts. Its been a few years since I last studied chemistry!
Hot water with soap will simply be the best method to dissolve and displace the salts. Then clean and oil.
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Oh right right, Potassium Chloride has a Ph Level of 7 making it neutral neither a base or an acid. Yea, its been awhile since I studied chemistry. Potassium chloride is just really soluble in H20. More soluble than in anything else so using water would be the best method of devolving and getting rid of the salt. I've never used soapy water just really hot water.
 
Shin_Gunto said:
Huh?

http://ballistol.ca/index.php?route=product/category&path=697
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I get Ballistol when ever one of my Czech friends heads off to Czech Republic. They always pick me up a can. Never bothered to look for it in Canada because of that. I don't treat is as a corrosive salts cleaner just a multipurpose solvent/oil that turns into a thick sludge if it gets into contact with water. Good stuff although, I've been using ATF or 10w-30 more often lately.
 
Mumbles Marble Mouth said:
I get Ballistol when ever one of my Czech friends heads off to Czech Republic. They always pick me up a can. Never bothered to look for it in Canada because of that. I don't treat is as a corrosive salts cleaner just a multipurpose solvent/oil that turns into a thick sludge if it gets into contact with water. Good stuff although, I've been using ATF or 10w-30 more often lately.
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Funny, I jumped on this method recently (namely Mobil 1 Synthetic), and love it.

Have you tried 20W50?
 
Mumbles Marble Mouth said:
Oh right right, Potassium Chloride has a Ph Level of 7 making it neutral neither a base or an acid. Yea, its been awhile since I studied chemistry. Potassium chloride is just really soluble in H20. More soluble than in anything else so using water would be the best method of devolving and getting rid of the salt. I've never used soapy water just really hot water.
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Even if you used pure liquid ammonia on KCL, it has very low solubility. Considering that Windex doesn't even have ammonia in it according to its MSDS its a moot point anyway. KCL is very hygroscopic, so water is the best thing. All I'm saying is that ammonia does little, and Windex doesn't really have ammonia in it anyway. It the water in the Windex that is useful.
Water all the way. I have always kept my guns away from water but I guees if I want to shoot my SKS and Mosin with surplus ammo then they are going to get wet!
 
EL34/6L6 said:
Hmmm...well I use "glass cleaner" which contains ammonia. Not Windex. I also read that ammonia can dissolve small traces of metal, which the ionic salts in the primers supposedly contain. Then the water in the glass cleaner acts as a flush.
Regardless, using a combination of glass cleaner at the range along with a spray of bore cleaner leaves my SKS' bore and gas systems extremely clean and rust free.
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I plan on doing the same. I am going to use elcheapo Superstore glass cleaner. Then clean at home.
 
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