Running Corrosive 308 Surplus - Run Though Good Gun and Clean or Through Beater Gun

thegazelle

thegazelle

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I am sure this has been discussed with varying permutations and nuances, but I thought I'd thought I'd ask my question directly to the community

I recently came into a number of rounds of surplus .308. In looking further based on the the headstamp (it says 308W on the top, and has two complete circles on each side and two numbers on the bottom - in this case 79). So in doing some preliminary research, this seems to be Sellier and Bellot (CZ) .308 Win rounds, berdan primed from 1979 - the case looks like brass, but my eyes are terrible). Based on the research, these rounds are corrosive.

At first I was going to run this through my nice deer rifle, and clean it. Ideally, I'd like to run this through a "beater" 308 - like some cheapo one - and I know many people have a beater gun for this purpose. I decided to purchase a cheaper 308 rifle today (ultimately I bought a Savage Axis 2), not just to shoot these rounds, but also to shoot my cheaper Norinco 7.62x51 rounds.

I am wondering if there were any other guns that may have been more suitable to do this than the Axis (it was between that and the Ruger American) - I'm not sure if a 308 rifle can be had cheaper than either an Axis or American - or if there is a milsurp gun that may be suitable here, both function wise and price wise. Curious as to what others have done when shooting off their corrosive 308 rounds...

Thanks.
 
I would run it through pretty much anything but a high-end precision rifle or collector's item. It's just a matter of cleaning afterwards. Corrosive is hardly the big deal many make it out to be.
 
B said:
I would run it through pretty much anything but a high-end precision rifle or collector's item. It's just a matter of cleaning afterwards. Corrosive is hardly the big deal many make it out to be.
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I appreciate the feedback. Reason why I really ask about this is the cost of the rifle...for my SKS, if I were to run corrosive through it, I have a beater SKS I can use and I just run a kettle of hot water through the whole thing and then run patches through and oil. If I miss something or forget to clean it all together, the orange stuff comes and I then clean it but not a big deal, since it's a cheap beater.

I was thinking of running it through my deer rifle or precision but just didn't want to take a chance. I have bought rifles that were not cleaned properly (ie. SKS) and there was all sorts of rust/pitting and such in the gas tube and piston rod and some in the action - I would just hate to have that happen to the more expensive rifles. One could argue I shouldn't be running cheap rounds through a nice rifle to begin with, and of course, they would have a point...
 
Give the rifle a normal cleaning. Last swab have a dose of Fluid Film on it. Hang a tag “Clean before shooting “. I shoot lots of corrosive ammo and have done this method for thirty years, never had rust.
 
If you run this ammo through your "nice deer rifle", be careful and watch out for signs of excessive pressure. As an example, for plinking purposes, I recently ran some Hirtenberger surplus ammo through one of my "nice hunting rifle" at the range, in this case a Sako L579 in .308 caliber. The bolt was very hard to lift, which is not a good sign; that Sako rifle must have a rather tight chamber. Although the Hirtenberger is definitively not "junk" surplus ammo or corrosive, I now use it only in other rifles that handle it better.

I wish that I could still use my "military assault style" semi-auto rifle, which is what I bought the Hirtenberger ammo for... I can still use it in my AIA No. 4 MK4 Enfield, but it's going to take a lot more time to go through it. Damn Liberals!
 
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cheb said:
If you run this ammo through your "nice deer rifle", be careful and watch out for signs of excessive pressure. As an example, for plinking purposes, I recently ran some Hirtenberger surplus ammo through one of my "nice hunting rifle" at the range, in this case a Sako L579 in .308 caliber. The bolt was very hard to lift, which is not a good sign; that Sako rifle must have a rather tight chamber. Although the Hirtenberger is definitively not "junk" surplus ammo or corrosive, I now use it only in other rifles that handle it better.

I wish that I could still use my "military assault style" semi-auto rifle, which is what I bought the Hirtenberger ammo for... I can still use it in my AIA No. 4 MK4 Enfield, but it's going to take a lot more time to go through it. Damn Liberals!
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Thank you for that information - I had no idea, and definitely it is the right decision to get the Savage, so I don't ruin my other rifles (not that I would want the Savage damaged either).

Yeah would be nice if there were some black sporting rifles that still ran 308 in a semi auto fashion, aside from the way too expensive Tavor 7. I had my eyes on the BCL102 at one point, and well, we all know what happened with that.

What is interesting from the posts is that it is possible depending on what surplus is run, that it may not be corrosive. Unfortunately unless I do the nail test (can't do it in my residence due to it being suberbia and nosy neighbours all around) or run it at my range and let it sit and hope for the best, that there's not many other ways to confirm the rounds are corrosive. I do know that being berdan primed, it is almost a certainty it is corrosive but would be nice if there was an online compendium which says such and such headstamp is corrosive and such and such headstamp is not. I do know the prevailing consensus is to treat all surplus rounds as corrosive.

Thanks for the feedback regarding your experience with Hirtenberger and for the cautionary tale.
 
Hirtenberger surplus is HOT. Not Corrosive.

I have never seen or heard of any Selior&Bellot ammo that was ''corrosive'' Berdan primed, yes, but not corrosive. Even the Chinese surplus, copper wash stuff wasn't corrosive.

I'm not saying it isn't corrosive though and you've done your research, so clean accordingly.

If you only have a couple of hundred rounds, pull the bullets and salvage the powder, then toss the primed cases. Weight the whole lot of powder, and divide that by the number of bullets to get the average load data. Reload accordingly in brass cases you already have on hand or can scrounge at the range.

Corrosive ammo shouldn't do any more damage to your bore than non corrosive if you clean it properly within a few hours after use.

No, Windex isn't a great cleaner and all a coat of CLR does is inhibit the rusting process for a few days. If you insist on using that ammo, insist on cleaning the barrel properly.
 
How much of this ammo did you end up with? I’m not one to say don’t buy a new rifle but if it was just a small amount I’d probably just shoot it out of what I already own and clean accordingly, if it’s a big amount I might look for something new to run it through.

If you do it right setting off a couple primers in your house shouldn’t be loud, honestly the neighbors probably won’t even know what they’re hearing. I’ve don’t it in my garage with the door down when we lived in the city and nobody said boo. A nail test would tell you for sure, drive out to a quiet area of town one evening and set them off there. Only takes a couple seconds to do.
 
Butcherbill said:
How much of this ammo did you end up with? I’m not one to say don’t buy a new rifle but if it was just a small amount I’d probably just shoot it out of what I already own and clean accordingly, if it’s a big amount I might look for something new to run it through.

If you do it right setting off a couple primers in your house shouldn’t be loud, honestly the neighbors probably won’t even know what they’re hearing. I’ve don’t it in my garage with the door down when we lived in the city and nobody said boo. A nail test would tell you for sure, drive out to a quiet area of town one evening and set them off there. Only takes a couple seconds to do.
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You make a very good point and one in which I should have perhaps considered. But I am old and absent minded and didn't consider the fact that I am spending a lot just to alleviate perhaps a concern that should be a lot smaller than I considered. Reminds me years ago with me buying old hardware (and spending a lot for it) just to support a certain piece of obsolete software I was running. Someone a lot more wiser than me (which is pretty much anyone) noticed, "why don't you just upgrade and get used to newer software rather than pay a premium for obsolete hardware JUST to run that obsolete software". By then I was well into the sunk cost fallacy syndrome.
 
As bearhunter mentioned, it is unlikely that it is corrosive. However, I wouldnt be concerned about running it through any bolt action rifle as they are easy to clean/flush with hot water, just in case. With a simple cleaning regimen, there is no risk to the rifle. (dont forget the bolt face...)
 
Thanks folks...appreciate the suggestions. With my SKS, because of the nice wood on it, I didn't want to pour the kettle down the barrel even with a funnel as I am clumsy and my gross and fine motor skills are lacking. I usually just separate it from the stock and run the water through everything and the gas tube piston separate, but I don't run corrosive on my 7.62x39 at all now. I have bought SKSes from people where the piston rod is completely seized in the gas tube due to corrosion. Even then I was able to (eventually) clean it up.

I figure with 308 surplus and the Axis II, it's between plastic stock and metal barrel and such and so there is a wider berth for accidental splash-age with the kettle full of hot water.
 
I have a crate of this ammo that I got from CanadaAmmo, it was sold as corrosive. Also quite sure it is steel case.

Always cleaned after use, never noticed any issues. Still have most of it as I prefer to shoot my stash of South African and Hirt.
 
thegazelle said:
Thanks folks...appreciate the suggestions. With my SKS, because of the nice wood on it, I didn't want to pour the kettle down the barrel even with a funnel as I am clumsy and my gross and fine motor skills are lacking. I usually just separate it from the stock and run the water through everything and the gas tube piston separate, but I don't run corrosive on my 7.62x39 at all now. I have bought SKSes from people where the piston rod is completely seized in the gas tube due to corrosion. Even then I was able to (eventually) clean it up.

I figure with 308 surplus and the Axis II, it's between plastic stock and metal barrel and such and so there is a wider berth for accidental splash-age with the kettle full of hot water.
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BTW - It doesnt have to be boiling hot water. The only reason it is suggested is to allow the barrel to dry itself. Rig up a squeeze bottle with a piece of vinyl hose, remove bolt, squirt water into the breech with the barrel pointing downward. Follow with a patch to dry, then a patch with oil or Hoppes, as preferred.
 
thegazelle - how is the Norinco 7.62x51 quality-wise? Would you trust it through a "budget precision" like a Bergera HMR or Tikka T3X? Or should it be reserved for the beater rifles only?

I would rather just go for PMC Bronze but can't find it in stock anywhere at the moment...
 
mv2 said:
thegazelle - how is the Norinco 7.62x51 quality-wise? Would you trust it through a "budget precision" like a Bergera HMR or Tikka T3X? Or should it be reserved for the beater rifles only?

I would rather just go for PMC Bronze but can't find it in stock anywhere at the moment...
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Hi there, the Norinco 7.62x51 / .308 is indeed newer production and non-corrosive. I shoot it through my decent .308 rifles without problems. Accuracy is surprisingly decent, but my frame of comparison is narrow, as the other ammo I have run through it is Barnaul.

PMC Bronze - I got tons of it, but I am not crazy about running through it just for plinking on entry-mid level deer rifles. The Norinco really does fit the bill. My range/club bought a spam can of it from a LGS and have been selling some to range members in smaller quantities. I quite like the Norinco - it is reliable and accurate - I have run a lot of it through my Franchi 308.

The corrosive stuff I was talking about in this thread originally was S&B .308 berdan primed (shone flashlight through it and it had two holes) - it's too bad because it appears to be brass, not steel - I ran that only in my "beater" Axis II, which I have grown to like.
 
thegazelle said:
Hi there, the Norinco 7.62x51 / .308 is indeed newer production and non-corrosive. I shoot it through my decent .308 rifles without problems. Accuracy is surprisingly decent, but my frame of comparison is narrow, as the other ammo I have run through it is Barnaul.

PMC Bronze - I got tons of it, but I am not crazy about running through it just for plinking on entry-mid level deer rifles. The Norinco really does fit the bill. My range/club bought a spam can of it from a LGS and have been selling some to range members in smaller quantities. I quite like the Norinco - it is reliable and accurate - I have run a lot of it through my Franchi 308.

The corrosive stuff I was talking about in this thread originally was S&B .308 berdan primed (shone flashlight through it and it had two holes) - it's too bad because it appears to be brass, not steel - I ran that only in my "beater" Axis II, which I have grown to like.
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thegazelle - thanks for sharing your Norinco 7.62x51 experience, it has me considering this option more. Some of the spam cans I've seen for sale have an older production date like 1996, so I wasn't sure how their quality would hold up.
 
mv2 said:
thegazelle - thanks for sharing your Norinco 7.62x51 experience, it has me considering this option more. Some of the spam cans I've seen for sale have an older production date like 1996, so I wasn't sure how their quality would hold up.
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That sounds about right. The spam cans my club bought were from Tenda and are circa 1990s. I have run them through my beater and good rifles and I have no complaints except for the fact that it is steel and I can't keep the cases (well, I can, but there will be no use for them as they are not reloadable).
 
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