MAS36 and prvi partizan

ppsh38/41

ppsh38/41

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I took my MAS 36 to the range about 3 months ago and shot 20 rds of prvi partizan (at $2 a pop I ration them). On the box is written "Mercury free, corrosion and erosion resistant." I took this to mean non-corrosive. So I didn't clean it right away and cleaned my CZ858 and SVT40 instead and left the MAS36 for 3mths. Well, I looked at it today to get ready for some Boxing Day plinking and my barrel is pitted. I am so fricking mad!!!!!!! So as a warning to others, make sure you clean your barrel after using prvi partizan. I feel like an idiot, I always clean my rifles after a day at the range and now I have a pitted barrel, I can't tell you how sad and disappointed I am. Has this happened to anyone else?
 
Sorry to hear about the pitting, I guess this serves as a reminder to everyone to clean your firearm whether your firing surplus ball ammo or modern stuff.
 
I get in the habit of squirting some WD40 in the barrel after a trip to the range if I am not going to clean right away. It might not have helped but you never know.

My condolences on your barrel.
 
ppsh38/41 said:
Trigger locked and not stored in a case...I would think it would be worse in a case due to trapped moisture...right?
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Ah, hem....the trigger locking is what did the damage. I never trigger lock and have never had the pitting problem.....:p

And correct, generally storing in a case is bad for trapping moisture inside.

Also, note this: most gun solvents will not remove the water soluble salts left behind by corrosive ammo. Best thing to do is run a brush through a couple of times with lots of plain warm (or hot) water, then dry and use regular solvent.

Long time ago a friend shot old surplus ammo through an expensive new handgun. He cleaned the barrel the usual way and even oiled the bore at the end. Months later, there was thick, brown rust sludge in the barrel. The salt was still there, pitting the bore under the oil coat.
 
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liberal-hater said:
Ah, hem....the trigger locking is what did the damage. I never trigger lock and have never had the pitting problem.....:p
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You lost me. How does trigger locking the trigger cause pitting to form in the barrel ?

I trigger lock my rifles and have had some of them in carrying cases and had no pitting issues, though I do clean them extensively.
 
he is joking about the trigger lock....everything else is correct ..i did the same thing years ago with a mint Longbranch .303 expensive lesson
 
Nabs said:
You lost me. How does trigger locking the trigger cause pitting to form in the barrel ?

I trigger lock my rifles and have had some of them in carrying cases and had no pitting issues, though I do clean them extensively.
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I was only joking about the stupid, government mandated practice of trigger locking....of course it has nothing to do with bore rust.

Storing in a carrying case may be ok, IF the gun is oiled and the case is kept in a VERY dry area. Otherwise, not a good idea.
 
liberal-hater said:
I was only joking about the stupid, government mandated practice of trigger locking....
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Of course you don't "have" to use a trigger lock on a non-restricted firearm.... Why not just avoid the trigger lock altogether and remove the bolt or store the firearm in a secure container or room? Two perfectly legal alternatives. Then there is no need to worry about the dreaded trigger lock induced corrosion... :D
 
Take a cleaning rod in your gun case and run a patch with your favorite cleaning material through the bore before going home from the range. It starts the cleaning process.
 
ppsh38/41 said:
I took my MAS 36 to the range about 3 months ago and shot 20 rds of prvi partizan (at $2 a pop I ration them). On the box is written "Mercury free, corrosion and erosion resistant." I took this to mean non-corrosive. So I didn't clean it right away and cleaned my CZ858 and SVT40 instead and left the MAS36 for 3mths. Well, I looked at it today to get ready for some Boxing Day plinking and my barrel is pitted. I am so fricking mad!!!!!!! So as a warning to others, make sure you clean your barrel after using prvi partizan. I feel like an idiot, I always clean my rifles after a day at the range and now I have a pitted barrel, I can't tell you how sad and disappointed I am. Has this happened to anyone else?
Click to expand...

Take a good penetrating oil(like liquidwrench or permatex) drive severals wet patchs down the bore and let it soak a couples of days. After give it a good clean up with a bore brush, may improve the situation.
 
Is there any other way to eliminate corrosive salts? I thought Hoppe's No.9 Nitro Solvent was supposed to do that? Any other cheap, easy to find products? I would prefer not to run water (or, in any event, urine) down my bore.
 
I know you're not dumb... It's hard to say stuff like this without coming across as an ass. Either way, just my opinion.

Is there any other way to eliminate corrosive salts?

Don't shoot it, or learn to love cleaning your rifle. Seriously. I'm not being sarcastic. There is a certain amount of responsibility involved in firearm ownership, even more so with milsurps. This is not a toy, not an airsoft or pellet gun. After you shoot it YOU HAVE TO CLEAN IT.

If the manufacturer does not CLEARLY identify the primer/propellant charge as non corrosive then it's corrosive. x4 if it's ammunition for a Military Surplus rifle or pistol.

It takes less than two minutes to prevent the kind of damage described in the OP. 120 seconds. And costs nothing. A swab soaked in @#%&ing near ANYTHING you might find at the range. WD40. Hoppes. 3-in-1. Motor oil. It won't remove salts but it will coat the bore and prevent corrosion until you can clean the rifle properly. Salts need to mix with water in the air to cause rust - they can't do this if they're coated in oil.

The salts need to be neutralized/washed out. This is BEST accomplished with hot water. Period. Then oil it before you put it away.

LOL Drachenblut nobody expects you to pee in your rifle. In fact I would advise against it. Especially when it's cold outside :eek:
 
*Chuckles* Ah, thank you for the informatio Deltasilver. I had an ancestor who served in the "British Foreign Legion" in the early 1800's and well, it is noted in a journal page of his *ahem* "There is no one better tool availiable to the British Soldier than his own urine, for it is the scourge of a badly powdered bore". I have heard of contemporary black powder shooters using urine in situations where they are far-removed from civilisation.
I will take your removal of corrosive salts to heart, sadly I do not have the funds to set up reloading supplies for each and every caliber I own and also pay for my University education. However, hot water down the bore sounds like a plan. I love cleaning my rifles, and have a great respect for these pieces of history I own. Thank you for your advice. One question though... WHY would ANYONE want to use a corrosive salt in thier primers? Surely commercial ammo back when was not corrosivly primed? I am confused and can only guess it would be due to some kind of cost savings?
 
Lol. Mine were Artillery types on one side and RAF on the other. I would have liked so see a fitter pi**ing in the bisiness ends of a Hurricane's guns.

There's no acid involved, only salts that promote corrosion when they interact with moisture (water) in the air. When you shoot the rifle you remove any lubrication from the bore and leave minute traces of primer/propellant behind. The chemical reaction is no different than the one that eats the fenders out of your car every winter when road crews salt the streets.

Water will flush salts out, oil will seal the steel from oxidation. Corrosive residue or no, any impliment made of steel that is not oiled/coated/sealed and then exposed to air will rust. Salts and moist air just speed the process up.
 
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