Sudden Hemorrhage takes can of WW-2 Bore Cleaner

[Griff Murphey]

The saga of cleaning up my toolshed continued with the unearthing of my 1944 M-1 manual. Just behind it was my quart can of WW2 bore cleaner. I noticed a small trickle down the side of the can. As I picked it up, a faint odor of creosote and ammonia came to my nostrils. The next day I returned to continue my labors... the can had leaked about 4-5 oz. and stunk up that tool shed really well. "Oh, SHED!" I thought. Ok, it took care of the mildew smell. Anyway I transferred as much as I could to bottles. I think I will keep the can, although it is no longer usable. I guess whatever is in that bore cleaner (ammonia?) finally ate though the can after 65~ years. Moving it that little bit must have opened up the floodgate. Thank goodness it did not get my manual!

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[John Kepler]

One of the major constituents in old US GI Corrosive Bore Cleaner is water. It contains an emulsifier to keep the water suspended in the mineral-spirit base. If the can freezes or the emulsifier (in this case, a stearate-based detergent) simply breaks-down with time, the water separates out of the emulsion, and combined with ammonium hydroxide....eats-up the can! The can corroded because the Bore Cleaner broke down.

"Better things for better living through chemistry!"