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So Just How Corrosive is 7n6 Ammo?


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Well, I have to admit to not being too familiar with shooting corrosive ammo. Since obtaining my Saiga 5.45 and Bulgy Build I haven't been too concerned about it, always cleaned them both thoroughly after a shooting session, but using standard solvents, brushes, patches and oil. However, I just bought a S&W MP15 upper in 5.45 and a card with the upper has me worried:

 

NOTICE

 

Use of ammunition manufactured with corrosive primers in this firearm will cause rust to develop on any exposed metal parts. In order to prevent such corrosion, the residue from corrosive primers must be completely removed from any exposed metal parts, including, but not limited to, the bore, barrel extension, gas tube, and bolt carrier, after each time ammunition with corrosive primers is used in this firearm. Conventional oil or solvent-based gun cleaners will NOT dissolve corrosive residue from corrosive primers. Residue from corrosive primers MUST be first dissolved with a suitable water-based cleaner. After the corrosive residue has been completely dissolved, any excess water-based cleaner should be removed from the firearm. Finally, lubricate the firearm as instructed in the owner's manual.

 

So, is this a major concern? The AR platform is a PITA to clean, especially because of the gas-impingment action. Any recommendations or advice on a "suitable water-based cleaner?"

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I recommend a 150° Fahrenheit dihydrogen monoxide wash throughout your entire stripped weapon after a range trip. Afterwards, you may clean as you normally do.

 

This process has been used successfully used for over a century with excellent results.

 

Where can I get some of that dihydrogen monoxide? :angel:

 

I do a double cleaning, first using glass cleaner with ammonia (it's mostly water anyway), then clean with normal gun cleaner.

 

Ammonia does no good. Glass cleaner is no more effective than dihydrogen monoxide.

Edited by bigj480
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I have been shooting corrosive ammo in one of my SKS' for two decades (and 5 other surplus rifles and pistols for a decade!) with no ill effects. While still at the range, I squirt the innards of my rifle liberally with a cobalt blue pre-mixed solution of di-hydrogen monoxide and ammonia and let the thing drain. Why the pre-mixed di-hydrogen monoxide/ammonia solution and not just plain warm di-hydrogen monoxide...its convenient, easy and cheap to use. By the time I get home, the rifle is relatively clean and I clean it as usual (hopes/clp).

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I was wondering this as well. I broke open my first can of 5.45 the other day and shot it out of my new saiga. I took it home and did the boiling soapy water down the barrel and parts. I was not too keen on getting it on the hammer spring or the internal parts for that matter. I scrubbed it with the boiling hot soapy water and rinsed with boiling clean water. Then I used no 9 all over it, mopped it up and applied a liberal amount of clp. I think I Am being paranoid about the corrosive ammo. I shot about 300 rounds out of it and it really caked up. Fun rifle out of the box, but when I racked one into the chamber, I had the instinct to grab for a pistol grip that was not there. That surplus stuff is really fun. You could see the small entrance and tumbled exit on an old steel 50 gal oil drum. Brutal!

 

next time I will be less obsessive compulsive with the rifle and just do my best. it's probably hard to destroy a saiga if you make any attempt to keep it clean.

 

nick

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Water. That's all you really need, and very hot water works best and evaporates much quicker. Adding anything else is really just fluff, as it's the water that dissolves the salts.

 

I add Ballistol to the water in a 1:10 mix just because I like the idea of having a little oil left in the bore. I'm not sure if it really helps, but it's the only cleaner that addresses corrosive ammo right on the label.

 

Pour it down the bore and gas tube and let it run out the muzzle, clean off the bolt and breech faces. Keep it out of the receiver or any other parts. Run a dry patch through and clean like normal as soon as you can afterwards. Enjoy shooting your extra-cheap ammo which is every bit as good as non-corrosive!

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I don't even use water anymore, just hoppes on a boresnake for the barrel and CLP on everything else.

 

2+ plus months now and a couple thousand rounds over 3 rifles, no rust to be seen.

 

 

 

 

 

Z

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After a good round of shooting a light Beer is always good, just pour it through-out dry and lube with WD40. Saiga's don't need good Beer any low cost or cheap stuff will work. (by no means "Billy Beer" as it will melt your gun like a Wicked Witch! I think its the addition of a LIBERAL amount of Peanut Oil) Then if you really have to piss, but that's a different story.

 

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Edited by Fluid Power
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I don't even use water anymore, just hoppes on a boresnake for the barrel and CLP on everything else.

 

2+ plus months now and a couple thousand rounds over 3 rifles, no rust to be seen.

 

Interesting. I didn't think CLP would neutralize the corrosive salts. But I did notice the other day that it's a better general purpose cleaner than some people credit it for.

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I cleaned the barrel ONLY (and firing pin area) after the last 150 rounds 3 weeks ago, but not the bolt assy. 009.gif

 

Noticed my bolt was sticking and wouldn't slide back AT ALL without a small tap with a screwdriver handle.

 

Black crud/dust particles were all over the place inside the receiver..

Needless to say I cleaned it ALL up with Rem clean and re-hoppes 9'd it..027.gif

 

Also did some MilTec on it also on the slide part or the action just to be sure.. 022.gif

 

Also tore apart my other (7.62x39) and polished the FCG abit on that also (good rainy day projects IMHO)

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I don't even use water anymore, just hoppes on a boresnake for the barrel and CLP on everything else.

 

2+ plus months now and a couple thousand rounds over 3 rifles, no rust to be seen.

 

Interesting. I didn't think CLP would neutralize the corrosive salts. But I did notice the other day that it's a better general purpose cleaner than some people credit it for.

 

 

CLP doesn't neutralize the salts but they do seem to get wiped away when cleaning with it. The conclusion I've come to is that the amount of salt deposited must be very low and is relatively easy to clean up, contrary to popular misconception about how 'acidic' corrosive is.

 

I started a long time ago with all the normal jazz...windex, amonia, hot soapy water etc, and over the years have come to the conclusion that its all pretty much unnecessary hype...my cleaning regimen is becoming almost identical to how I clean for non corrosive and I've effectively lost all concern for how dangerous corrosive might be. I'm a practical shooter however and am used to getting rust in the 74 brake, gas tube and in the gas block even before I get home from the range, so rust is generally a part of shooting corrosive...at least here in Houston for me with the humidity. The difference I'm seeing is that it doesn't seem to matter how you clean the existing rust off...once it's off it's off and doesn't appear to keep working away at the rifle if it's not cleaned properly for corrosive.

 

 

 

 

I'm not totally convinced yet to skip the water forever, but in the past 2 months I've been watching the 3 rifles daily and am not seeing any rust build up.

 

 

 

 

 

Z

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alright, quick poll... has anyone here even SEEN a rifle that has been affected by corrosive ammo?

 

I have shot about 5k rounds through three different rifles and it might take me anywhere from a few hours to a week or more after coming back from the range to clean the guns and have not seen any signs of corrosion at all.. I don't doubt that it can happen, I think it's just a little over-hyped that it's gonna crust up on your way home from shooting..

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alright, quick poll... has anyone here even SEEN a rifle that has been affected by corrosive ammo?

 

I have shot about 5k rounds through three different rifles and it might take me anywhere from a few hours to a week or more after coming back from the range to clean the guns and have not seen any signs of corrosion at all.. I don't doubt that it can happen, I think it's just a little over-hyped that it's gonna crust up on your way home from shooting..

 

Depends on how much corrosive shit is in the ammunition, how corrosion-resistant your weapon is, humidity, etc. If your ammo has a mildly corrosive primer and most parts of your gun are chrome-lined or stainless steel, you might not need to clean your weapon immediately. If somebody made your ammunition out of a big pile of salt and mercury, and you're firing a Yugoslavian AK or something else similarly corrosion-friendly, it might rust on the way home.

 

I've left a Mosin-Nagant to sit for about 6 hours after shooting Bulgarian light ball, and while cleaning was a total pain in the ass (probably went through forty patches), there wasn't any rust. I failed to clean a CZ-52 immediately after firing 50's manufacture Czech ammo (the fun stuff on 8-round strippers), and three hours later there was a fuzzy brown layer on the bolt face.

 

There's no reason to risk corrosion. Even when I fire modern non-corrosives I'll give my guns at least a quick swab with some solvent followed by oil.

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I shot corrosive russian mil surplus for the first time this weekend while fooling around at turkey hunting camp. After reading this post and other articles on the topic, I decided to go with using windex to rinse the thing off after shooting. After shooting about 100 rounds, I sprayed the living snot out of the barrel, receiver, yada, yada, yada. I figured this would be enough until I could give it a proper cleaning on Monday. Fast forward to monday night....Rust everywhere! I got it all off and properly cleaned. So there, I can tell you that just spraying down with windex is not sufficient. In Windexs' defense I did not wipe all the parts off after rinsing. I fell for the thought that the water in the windex would "inactivate the salts on contact." Not so, if you spray salt with water you get salt water....still highly corrosive. Should have cleaned the gun properly right away....

Edited by winstonLT
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I shot corrosive russian mil surplus for the first time this weekend while fooling around at turkey hunting camp. After reading this post and other articles on the topic, I decided to go with using windex to rinse the thing off after shooting. After shooting about 100 rounds, I sprayed the living snot out of the barrel, receiver, yada, yada, yada. I figured this would be enough until I could give it a proper cleaning on Monday. Fast forward to monday night....Rust everywhere! I got it all off and properly cleaned. So there, I can tell you that just spraying down with windex is not sufficient. In Windexs' defense I did not wipe all the parts off after rinsing. I fell for the thought that the water in the windex would "inactivate the salts on contact." Not so, if you spray salt with water you get salt water....still highly corrosive. Should have cleaned the gun properly right away....

 

After spraying Windex or water into the weapon, it obviously needs to be thoroughly wiped/swiped with patches until completely dry. Leaving any kind of moisture on the weapon is just asking for trouble.

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After spraying Windex or water into the weapon, it obviously needs to be thoroughly wiped/swiped with patches until completely dry. Leaving any kind of moisture on the weapon is just asking for trouble.

. . . this is why boiling water (or as close to it as you desire) is so nice for cleaning . .

 

It evaporates quite nicely.

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I shot corrosive russian mil surplus for the first time this weekend while fooling around at turkey hunting camp. After reading this post and other articles on the topic, I decided to go with using windex to rinse the thing off after shooting. After shooting about 100 rounds, I sprayed the living snot out of the barrel, receiver, yada, yada, yada. I figured this would be enough until I could give it a proper cleaning on Monday. Fast forward to monday night....Rust everywhere! I got it all off and properly cleaned. So there, I can tell you that just spraying down with windex is not sufficient. In Windexs' defense I did not wipe all the parts off after rinsing. I fell for the thought that the water in the windex would "inactivate the salts on contact." Not so, if you spray salt with water you get salt water....still highly corrosive. Should have cleaned the gun properly right away....

 

I've seen rust in the gas tube and gas block, and in the flash hider. I don't worry about a few hours, though I do like to pull a bore snake with Hoppe's #9 through the barrel before I leave the range. The rest can wait a bit.

 

As for Windex, it's a waste of time in my view. Using lots of boiling water. Not only does it neutralize the salts, it flushes them right out. Afterward, wipe dry any parts that are still wet, and apply some Break Free or Rem Oil.

Edited by Jim Digriz
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