Sks non vs corrosive

DsrtRat

DsrtRat

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Can someone explain to me the difference between corrosive and non corrosive Chinese ammo? Here is why I need to ask: I recently purchased 1400 rounds from Lever Arms as non corrosive. I shot exactly 60 rounds of it, let the gun sit for 5 days. After 5 days I went to clean the gun only to find rust everywhere. Not a little rusty, a lot! The majority of it was concentrated around the action, barrel end and magazine. I called Lever Arms and asked if I had accidentally been sold corrosive. I was informed by the fellow on the phone that their stuff is strictly non and that not cleaning the gun for 5 days was the cause of my rust.

If this is indeed the case, why would I pay extra for non if it is that effective at rusting metal? Is the difference between non and corrosive just how much and how fast the rust develops?
 
I've shot both through mine and the non-corrosive hardly left anything behind compared to the corrosive. If I leave my SKS for any length of time after shooting corrosive I get little rust peaks all through my gun. It cleans up easy enough but definately a difference. I too believe that you have 1400 rounds corrosive from your description.
 
That's what I thought. When I called the guy I was polite and calm and he got pissy with me right quick. I remember when I first got the stuff, I tried tracing the headstamp and I believe it was listed as corrosive.

That just makes me angry. Could have bought corrosive locally for less. Shame on me for being suckered in but shame on them for passing that crap off as non. I will be passing the word to my local sks shooters.
 
"...difference between corrosive and non corrosive..." Corrosive has salts in the priming compound that gets into the microscopic 'holes' etc in the steel. Attracts moisture and causes rust. Relax, it's not teminal.
"...concentrated around the..." That'd be where most of the smoke etc is. The rust will come off without a lot of fuss with 0000 steel wool and light oil(any oil will do. You don't need a ton of it.) After you've gotten the rust off, clean as per normal and lightly oil. Next time you go shooting, all you need to do is flush the rifle's bore, action and gas system with plain hot water and clean as per normal.
"...informed by the fellow on the phone..." He's paid minimum wage, gets no training and very likely was told it was non-corrosive.
 
there is no way shooting non corrosive ammo would have caused you to have rust in your barrel after 5 days, unless there was already rust in there.
I've only shot non corrosive ammo in my cz858 and I only clean the barrel once a year (or after 1300 to 1500 rounds) and there is definitely no rust in there.

I only use MFS in 7.62x39, that's verified and true non corrosive ammo.

Surplus ammo is 90% corrosive.
Leverarms well they treat everyone like jerkoffs and aholes, welcome to the bunch.
 
I fired a couple hundred rounds of that Lever stuff a few weeks ago. Then let my 858 sit for a couple of weeks. (bad, tres bad)
Finally pulled it out and the barrel had a nice layer of rust and some spotting on the muzzle. It cleaned up perfectly well and the internals are all spotless but that Lever ammo is 100% somewhat corrosive and they should not be selling it as "non."
Sounds to me like you got something else though, given the way you describe the condition of your rifle.
I won't be buying from Lever again. But that MFS is pricey at half a buck a round...
 
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Regardless of ammunition, you still need to clean your rifle. WHatever residue, soot, or particles left behind will attract moisture and rust. Even a quick blast of WD40 will give you extra time to get into a proper cleaning, whether you're out in the field or get home late at night.

The bottom line is all guns need to be cleaned. Even if you don't fire it while out hunting, you've wiped off the oil layer that protects it.

If you think that non-corrosive ammo allows you to skip cleaning, your ignorance will buy you a rusty gun.
 
DsrtRat said:
Can someone explain to me the difference between corrosive and non corrosive Chinese ammo? Here is why I need to ask: I recently purchased 1400 rounds from Lever Arms as non corrosive. I shot exactly 60 rounds of it, let the gun sit for 5 days. After 5 days I went to clean the gun only to find rust everywhere. Not a little rusty, a lot! The majority of it was concentrated around the action, barrel end and magazine. I called Lever Arms and asked if I had accidentally been sold corrosive. I was informed by the fellow on the phone that their stuff is strictly non and that not cleaning the gun for 5 days was the cause of my rust.

If this is indeed the case, why would I pay extra for non if it is that effective at rusting metal? Is the difference between non and corrosive just how much and how fast the rust develops?
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I got suckered into the lever arms "non corrosive" when i first got my sks. I shot probably 400-500 round of it without cleaning, no rust, no issues. Then randomly everything starts to rust and since then it's gone into the corrosive pile. it seems they may or may not have been testing out non corrosive primers back in 1972 when this lot came from, but gave up half way and mixed it in with the old corrosive stuff, so it's a crap shoot wether or not your 5 rounds you have loaded are going to rust your gun or not.
 
Try to find the norinco red box or silver box stuff Canada ammo use to sell. That stuff was made in the mid 90's and is definately NON-corrosive.
 
dand883 said:
I got suckered into the lever arms "non corrosive" when i first got my sks. I shot probably 400-500 round of it without cleaning, no rust, no issues. Then randomly everything starts to rust and since then it's gone into the corrosive pile. it seems they may or may not have been testing out non corrosive primers back in 1972 when this lot came from, but gave up half way and mixed it in with the old corrosive stuff, so it's a crap shoot wether or not your 5 rounds you have loaded are going to rust your gun or not.
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Crap shoot is exactly the right expression, because you're shooting crap ammo! lol
 
Well I dunno about all you clean nannies out there, but this is a Russian rifle, as in tough as a mutha fukha run over it with a tank in 6 feet of snow in a bielorussian swamp during a bombing raid. It's designed purposely to allow it to be used while extremely dirty and with an owner who's negligent with it's care. That's the whole russian mantra since world war 2.

I'm not saying don't ever clean your rifle, I'm saying it absolutely doesn't need to be cleaned often. As long as your don't use corrosive ammo.
 
I take very good care of my guns and with every other gun in my safe, if I don't have time to clean it right after using it, I will, get to it in a few days. With every gun I own except my muzzleloader ( which I clean right away) this never results in any rust. I paid to have that crap shipped across the country because I thought I was getting what they claimed they were selling. If I wanted corrosive, I could have bought it anywhere. These A-holes know it is corrosive and continue to sell it as non. That store is just owned by a bottom sucker!
 
mikethebike said:
Well I dunno about all you clean nannies out there, but this is a Russian rifle, as in tough as a mutha fukha run over it with a tank in 6 feet of snow in a bielorussian swamp during a bombing raid. It's designed purposely to allow it to be used while extremely dirty and with an owner who's negligent with it's care. That's the whole russian mantra since world war 2.

I'm not saying don't ever clean your rifle, I'm saying it absolutely doesn't need to be cleaned often. As long as your don't use corrosive ammo.
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However Soviet Army regulations written for those negligent soldiers, sergeants and officers say that SKS must be cleaned as soon as possible after shooting, then again after 2 days and after that it should be cleaned once a week even if it's not used.
 
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