Cleaning up after using corrosive ammo

[RH07]

There is no way to really clean a barrel after shooting corrosive ammo. You can use all the methods listed to reduce the corrosion but its still active. Short of using a chrome barrel, and that only on a bolt action rifle, corrosive ammo is a problem.

[Calif-Steve]

The US Army fought WWI and WWII with corrosive ammo. They cleaned 3 days in a row and kept their rifles in great condition. Use hot soapy water and then Hoppe's No 9 . Do that routine 3 days in a row (I do) and you will have a clean barrel. Not rocket science at all.

[Emri]

Emri,
I'm tired of preaching to the crowd. A good flush of hot water does the trick and other additives may help the final cleaning out of copper fouling but the hot water does the job on corrosive primers. Thanks for the reinforcement!

Hey Emri,

Did you make the funnel? If ya' did and could make more I'd like one. Cost prohibitive? A blued or parked rig would be cool. Maybe you could post instructions on how to make one? I'm handy and love a project.

I use hot water and a little soap, then the usual routine with Hoppe's. I have read a few times lately that Hoppe's alone is good, no hot water. In your opinion is that true?

Death to corrosion,

Lancebear

After looking at a posting about corrosive primers a couple weeks ago I remembered recently seeing this auction and posting the same pic there. The funnel is part of an accessory kit that came with a cased British sporting rifle.

Pattern14, look about 4/5 down the auction page. The cleaning instructions are posted inside the case!

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/di...8962&oh=216543

Lancebear, no, Hoppes alone is no good. The older bore formulas were water based and would work, but you had to repeat until all salts were removed. Hot water porued down the bore should be enough to get it all first time.

A funnel like shown shouldn't be hard to make. Steel parts that would blue or parkerize wouldn't be practical. Hard to work and will rust to boot. Make one if you are handy with a fired brass cartridge case, a length of copper tubing, and a funnel. Drill out the primer pocket to the OD of the tubing, bend the tubing to clear the reciever, add an inexpensive tin funnel from the local hardware store. Glue or solder the 3 parts together and you are done. If you want, you can have it plated for looks, but that would be cost prohibitive and not necessary for function. I would almost guarantee that is how the one pictured was made, but they probably used a copper funnel and soldered the parts together.

HTH,

Emri

[Emri]

There is no way to really clean a barrel after shooting corrosive ammo. You can use all the methods listed to reduce the corrosion but its still active. Short of using a chrome barrel, and that only on a bolt action rifle, corrosive ammo is a problem.

Corrosive priming mixtures that contain salt only need hot water to disolve and flush the salts from the bore. No residual effect after flushing.

The very early priming mixtures that contained mercury are as you stated. The mercury attacked the steel and created microscopic fissures that led to corrosion and early barrel failure. With the mercury primers, yes, there was a constant problem because you couldn't get all the mercury out. That is why they ditched mercuric primers early in the period of smokeless powder development. It rendered brass useless for reloading. During the black powder days it was never noticed, because they routinely cleaned with water to disolve the black powder residue and the black powder seemed to keep the mercury from attacking the steel of the barrel. With smokeless powder that protection was gone.

FWIW,

Emri

[Lancebear]

After looking at a posting about corrosive primers a couple weeks ago I remembered recently seeing this auction and posting the same pic there. The funnel is part of an accessory kit that came with a cased British sporting rifle.

Pattern14, look about 4/5 down the auction page. The cleaning instructions are posted inside the case!

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/di...8962&oh=216543

Lancebear, no, Hoppes alone is no good. The older bore formulas were water based and would work, but you had to repeat until all salts were removed. Hot water porued down the bore should be enough to get it all first time.

A funnel like shown shouldn't be hard to make. Steel parts that would blue or parkerize wouldn't be practical. Hard to work and will rust to boot. Make one if you are handy with a fired brass cartridge case, a length of copper tubing, and a funnel. Drill out the primer pocket to the OD of the tubing, bend the tubing to clear the reciever, add an inexpensive tin funnel from the local hardware store. Glue or solder the 3 parts together and you are done. If you want, you can have it plated for looks, but that would be cost prohibitive and not necessary for function. I would almost guarantee that is how the one pictured was made, but they probably used a copper funnel and soldered the parts together.

HTH,

Emri

I could do it, ACE would have everything I would need cept' the cartridge. Might have that.

LB

[ShellShock]

I boil some water and use an old metal funnel that I picket up at a flea market (has a flexible neck) that I use to clean the bore. I put a cleaning patch just below the crown to give the water a bit of resistance. After letting the water sit in the barrel for 30 seconds or so, I pull the patch with a pair of needlenose pliers and repeat the process twice more.

As far as ammonia goes, I've got an old boresnake that I soak in ammonia before use. Again, I let it stay in the barrel for a bit before pulling it through.

So, here is the process (as I do it):

Boil, Boil, Ammonia, Boil, Boil, Oil

[emmagee1917]

..full of the old GI bore cleaner in the gun box with patches and a rod. I soak the bbl down , wipe the muzzle and chamber area / bolt face and gas system if practical. When I get home I clean as normal till everything is clean. Then I re-wipe down with the GI stuff again , clean it off with brake cleaner , let it evaporate out , then oil. Never had a rust problem , but I do live in a dry desert.
Chris

[Randy A]

Ok, that brings up another question, what should a guy do with old brass that had these primers? I've got large quantities of brass as old as FA 20, and a bunch of FA 1929 NM. I had thought of reloading it but have to ask if that is a good idea or not? That would be a bit of a bummer, the 29 NM is kinda neat, got stars all over it, you know "bling".

[jmoore]

1920's brass is apt to be brittle, so you may get a fail number of case neck splits, but if they've been properly stored, the primers may very well still be fine. That's one advantage the old primers had over the "non-corrosive" type- they last quite a bit longer! Its a primary reason they stayed in military service even after the "non-corrosive" primers were generally available.

[RBruce]

I think the question was about fired brass ("had the primers").