Mosin Nagant Cleaning

[morel]

I have a Mosin Nagant 91/30 and hav shot a variety of ammo through it. Mostly corrosive milsurp ammo but also some copper jacketed, lead tipped hunting ammo. I have cleaned the rifle with hoppes #9 following range sessions with corrosive ammo (~20 rounds or so). I have generally used patches soaked in solvent for cleaning with either the supplied cleaning rod (cleaning from the muzzel) as well as a newer single piece rod cleaning from the chamber. I also run a 30 cal nylon bore brush occasionally. I shot about 20 rounds of milsurp ammo a couple of weeks ago and cleaned the rifle tonight. I soaked a bore brush in hoppes #9 and proceeded to run fleecy cotton patches through the bore (the patches were from an old fleece sheet). I was getting the normal black-grey gunk, and some greenish gunk (copper fouling?). For most patches, I got a great deal of the black gunk-grey gunk. I ran about 25-30 patches with solvent (both hoppes #9 and outers nitro) through the bore and they are still coming out filthy.

Is this likely from not cleaning the bore sufficiently from previous range sessions and just loosening the gunk with a really soaked bore brush or could this be really dirty ammo?

Thanks for the info,
Morel

 

[Dyspnea]

Try wipe-out, it's foaming cleaner works awesome. I can't believe the garbage that oozes out.

 

[Magellann]

It could be very dirty ammo, Ive noticed that sometimes after 5-10 shots the gun looks filthy inside after using certain ammo. Other ammo you can shoot a lot more rounds and it doesn't look so bad.

 

[Dark Alley Dan]

x2 on the Wipe Out. It's feckin' Miracle in a Can.

I've treated a Nagant we have with it a number of times. The stuff I get out looks like the nastiest blueberry koolaid you've ever seen.

 

[Cdn303]

While it may not work well on copper deposits, they way to go is to make yourself a batch of Ed's Red. It will cost about $20 to make a gallon, and a gallon should last at least 5 years.

http://www.frfrogspad.com/homemade.htm

Also, if I were you, when shooting milsurp ammo, I'd be cleaning the rifle that day.

 

[Magellann]

Is Wipe out available at most gun shops? Ive never heard of it before, but would be willing to try a can.

 

[Dyspnea]

I wouldn't say most shops, but some. I think only one store carries it out of 7 by me.

 

[bigedp51]

Milsurp barrels become frosted and pitted from shooting corrosive ammunition, this in turn strips the copper from the bullet and it becomes embedded in the bore, think of a old black top road with pot holes................

Below a new custom made hand lapped barrel.

Below a new Savage barrel after fire lapping to smooth up the button rifling.

Below a "badly" frosted and pitted milsurp barrel caused by corrosive ammunition. A frosted bore looks like it has been sand blasted and these small pits turn into LARGE pits and craters in your bore if not cleaned properly.

Below a 1943 No.4 Enfield with a "slightly" frosted bore after firing over 50 rounds and one application of foam bore cleaner.

NOTE, what do you think happens when you use a copper bore brush in the pitted bore above?
It eats your bore brush and puts more copper into the bore and gives you a false copper reading.
Foam bore cleaner was invented by the Finnish military to clean field pieces and small arms to eliminate bore scrubbing and damaging the bores. Spare the rod and spoil your bore.

One more note, on gas operated rifles like an AK, SKS, M1 or AR15 you will even get the blue color out of the gas system which makes me think microscopic copper particles become "airborne".

Milfoam - The Complete Gun Barrel Cleaning System
http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/artillery/milfoam

 

[morel]

Thanks for the advice guys. I have been using a nylon bore brush to avoid additional problems with copper buildup. My understanding was that the ammonia used to neutralize the salts in the barrel and remove metal fouling would just eat up a copper brush anyway.

 

[bigedp51]

Thanks for the advice guys. I have been using a nylon bore brush to avoid additional problems with copper buildup. My understanding was that the ammonia used to neutralize the salts in the barrel and remove metal fouling would just eat up a copper brush anyway.

The ammonia removes the copper a liquid removes the salts that must be flushed or washed from the barrel. The British would pour at least two pints of boiling water down the bores of their Enfield rifles to remove the corrosive salts and the carbon. The copper would be removed after being inspected by an armourer during one of the quarterly inspections. The armourers were the ones who mixed up the copper cleaning solvent used.

NOTE: The "new" environmentally friendly Windex no longer contains ammonia for you Windex bore flushers.

 

[Skylark 4]

Give all mine a good scubbing with #9 as soon as I get home. Once the patches are comeing out near clean, I give a very wet swabbing with a bore mop with Hopps Copper Solvent. A small (3"X3")piece of plastic with a tight fitting O ring and seal up the Muzzel. Replace the bolt and let it sit overnight. After haveing several hours to work,the layer apon layer of stripped off jacket will be removed by the next few wet patches. Did this with my newly aquired Steyr M95 before I ever fired a shot threw it. After getting it good and clean, the first patch in the morning removed a ton of dark blueberry pudding looking crud. Its rifling went from fair to nice and crisp. May have to try that Wipe Out. It would be interesting to give the bore a shot of it before leaving the range. It may make final clean up at home quicker.

Ken

 

[Skylark 4]

On another note. The slotted Jag that comes with cleaning kits, take that piece off crap and throw it as far as you can. Get a propper Parker Hale Jag for each calliber you own. Wrapping the Patch around the PH jag uses 100% of the patch as appossed to the 40% or so of the slotted ones. Whoever thought up that one should be pitol whipped with a #4 MK1.

Ken