Corrosive ammo question ?

[ccc]

So I hear allot of talk about how bad corrosive ammo is to shoot in a weapon. Weren’t entire wars fought using corrosive ammo exclusively ? Wars where weapons were shot WAY MORE than any of our weapons ever will, and most of the time their weapons were not routinely cleaned or cared for. So why is it that now if you go to a range and shoot 30-50 rounds and come home and clean your weapon with the best products that it is still a concern ???

 

[Donttreadonme74]

I shoot corrosive ammo all the time out of my tokarev and mosin nagant. Never had a problem with either one, main thing is to clean your weapons and don't let them sit especially with humidity out here just my two sense.

 

[FrommerStop]

While at the range after shooting I will do a quick clean of the bore and oil it and do a more thorough cleaning when I get home.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

I don't shoot corrosive ammo out of ANY gas tube AR style weapon. And clean, clean, clean the day of shooting. I spray windex all over them too. Ymmv.

 

[FrommerStop]

I don't shoot corrosive ammo out of ANY gas tube AR style weapon. And clean, clean, clean the day of shooting. I spray windex all over them too. Ymmv.

Good point on the ARs.
I have never seen any corrosive 5.56 ammo, but some ARs will shoot 7.62x39 that in the case of the ancient steel core chinese and the yugo ammo are corrosive. In an AR since it poops where it eats, I would think that every receiver part of the gun needs to be cleaned. I would include the buffer tube.
What is the thinking of other members.
The Garand was intended to shoot corrosive ammo. Of course clean it well afterwards.

 

[stage20]

I shoot corrosive ammo all the time out of my tokarev and mosin nagant. Never had a problem with either one, main thing is to clean your weapons and don't let them sit especially with humidity out here just my two sense.

I've often wondered how you can tell if 7.62x54 is corrosive or not. I need to dig into it. Have a bunch of old ammo that's been stored properly, most of it loose it no name on the package.

 

[Donttreadonme74]

Berdan primers are corrosive and boxer primers are usually not and 7.62x54r mine have a red ring around primer

 

[FrommerStop]

Berdan primers are corrosive and boxer primers are usually not and 7.62x54r mine have a red ring around primer

Berdan primers are more often corrosive, but not always. At one time all US military primers that were boxer were corrosive. IIRC correctly, the 30 US carbine was to first to be loaded with non-corrosive. I have a few non-corrosive berdan primers and I would like to get more for reloading 7.62x54. Never were easy to find.

 

[FrommerStop]

I've often wondered how you can tell if 7.62x54 is corrosive or not. I need to dig into it. Have a bunch of old ammo that's been stored properly, most of it loose it no name on the package.

If it is military surplus most likely it is. If it is recent commercial most likely not.

 

[indy1919a4]

So I hear allot of talk about how bad corrosive ammo is to shoot in a weapon. Weren’t entire wars fought using corrosive ammo exclusively ? Wars where weapons were shot WAY MORE than any of our weapons ever will, and most of the time their weapons were not routinely cleaned or cared for. So why is it that now if you go to a range and shoot 30-50 rounds and come home and clean your weapon with the best products that it is still a concern ???

This is one of those really wonderful questions. How did guns survive with corrosive ammo.

Here is a good look back into the past to the world of the German Military.. Who lived on 8mm corrosive ammo

Here is a link to an English translated cleaning manual.. When you read how they cleaned the guns you can see how they worry about the effects of the corrosive primers. They just do not say it.. And they stress cleaning after each firing.. Plus just everyday cleaning.

Care of Weapons / der Erste Zug

Now here is something that eluded me for years how can they clean guns with oils and no water??? No one mentions water.. But it seems that the guns oils of this time are more water based and the oil has that cleaning agent built in it.

Frommerstop brings up the semi auto Garand for cleaning corrosive.. look at some of those cleaning youtubes for the SVT-40 those rascals are nightmares with little parts to clean and they used corrosive ammo. Makes you wonder.

 

[FrommerStop]

This is one of those really wonderful questions. How did guns survive with corrosive ammo.

Here is a good look back into the past to the world of the German Military.. Who lived on 8mm corrosive ammo

Here is a link to an English translated cleaning manual.. When you read how they cleaned the guns you can see how they worry about the effects of the corrosive primers. They just do not say it.. And they stress cleaning after each firing.. Plus just everyday cleaning.

Care of Weapons / der Erste Zug

Now here is something that eluded me for years how can they clean guns with oils and no water??? No one mentions water.. But it seems that the guns oils of this time are more water based and the oil has that cleaning agent built in it.

Frommerstop brings up the semi auto Garand for cleaning corrosive.. look at some of those cleaning youtubes for the SVT-40 those rascals are nightmares with little parts to clean and they used corrosive ammo. Makes you wonder.

Water is used as a cleaning agent corrosive salts since the water molecule is a charged molecule and can react with soluble salts like KCl that forms ions that react with water and dissolve. Some of the components of ballistol might still have some charge groups if they do dissolve KCl-potassium chloride is my guess.
The Garand had a stainless gas cylinder

The gas cylinder is made from stainless steel to withstand the corrosive effects of hot gas under high pressure. That unfortunately makes for a fairly large highly reflective part near the muzzle. Chemical treatment can darken the outer surface, but remember that the material is called stainless steel because it is difficult to change its color. The gas cylinder would become shiny over time. Men in the field would re-blacken their gas cylinders with smoke from a campfire, candle, or trusty Zippo lighter.

 

[Daezee]

I've often wondered how you can tell if 7.62x54 is corrosive or not. I need to dig into it. Have a bunch of old ammo that's been stored properly, most of it loose it no name on the package.

1) Pound 2 or more nails (Not stainless steel or chrome plated or nickel plated or zinc plated nails...you want nails that can rust) partially into a piece of wood. Space the nails about 3-4" part. Take sand paper or a file and file on the nail head such that it is plain, exposed steel.

2) Pull bullet and powder from the questionable case so it's a primed shell only. Also prepare a known non corrosive primed case.

3) With a clean bbl (remove any oil or preservative from the bore), stick the head of the nail into the muzzle end. Fire the non corrosive case FIRST so the blast from the primer coats the bare nail head. Now fire the questionable primed case over the next nail. If you fire the questionable primed case first, you've contaminated the bore and even the following non corrosive primed case could spread salts left to the control nail head.

4) Set the board with the nails in an area where there is natural moisture (not in a dehumidified room, but not like in a shower room either...there could be so much moisture there that even the non corrosive control nail could rust), such as in a garage or on your porch. See if the questionable primer causes rust before the non corrosive control. If corrosive, it should be obvious soon within 2-3 days. If it's really low humidity outside, it could take longer...need humidity greater than 50%.

5) Since only the bore was exposed to possible corrosive priming and there wasn't a lot of it, there is no need to clean the whole rifle, but do run a few wet-with-water patches through the bore, letting a few minutes between wet patches for them to dissolve any salt left. Follow with at least 2 dry patches to pick up the water with dissolved salts and dry the bore. Coat the bore with whatever rust preventive you normally use or do whatever you normally do to prevent rust. I have a moisture absorber in my safe that I recharge when the indicator turns pink from blue; in that case I don't bother with coating the bores, but do put rust preventative (I use Sheath) on the outside metal since I've touched it.

6) A piece of bare, rustable steel, can be used in place of the nails in a board, just space the shots a few inches apart, firing with the muzzle about an inch from the steel surface.

7) If you want, you can even put in a nail as a further control that has not had any primer shot at it. The ultimate control would be another nail shot with a known for sure corrosive primed case.

 

[indy1919a4]

Or just shoot the gun, do not clean out the barrel, come back the next day or less and if it is growing things its corrosive.. Then clean.