Corrosive ammo cleaning

[John Kepler]

Hoppe's had to be reformulated in the 1980's (at least one component (nitrobenzene) of the original formula was a suspected carcinogen), making it a far less effective solvent. That, and the near disappearance of corrosive primers in anything but older mil-surp ammo meant that the newer formulation, while still having SOME capability to remove chlorate residue (namely a little water!), wasn't designed to do it! Time marches on and lawyers never sleep!

"What's the difference between a dead skunk and a dead lawyer in the middle of a road? The vultures don't gag on the skunk!"

[Calif-Steve]

I believe Hoppes's No.9 also used whale oil. This has likewise been banned for many years. I recall when I was in high school (1963) we used Hoppe's No9 to clean our .22 rifles. The whole place smelled so bad you could not believe it. I think it was the whale oil we were smelling. I still like and use hot, soapy water and finish with Ed's Red when shooting corrosive ammo.

[steve61]

Calif-Steve, just how much corrosive ammo do you still shoot? And where do you find it?
Steve

[M1Tommy]

On this subject....I saw a really effective alternative for clearing corrosive salts at Camp Perry today care of Sgt. Toby Tomlinson and the Army MTU! Hydrogen peroxide! The cheap OTC stuff you can buy at Wally World or Family Dollar for pocket change! The water will solubilize the salts while the decomp of the peroxide provides a foaming/scrubbing action to dig the salts out of the "nooks and crannies". Just a wet patch of it is enough, then a dry patch.

Another application for the peroxide....cancelling the potential corrosive effects of high-ammonia cleaners like Sweets. The effect is the same as with chlorate residue, except in this case, the peroxide is neutralizing any residual ammonia that can be TOUGH on stainless steel barrels.

This is a very good idea for effective bore-cleaning, with solid chemistry backing it up...and I never thought of it or heard of it in over 45 years of shooting!

I never thought of that but it makes sense.
(wow aren't these fun?)

Tommy

[Calif-Steve]

All of the milsurp East European is corrosive. All 7.62x54R is corrosive. All 8mm is corrosive and some of the 7.62x39 is corrosive. Most 7.62mm pistol ammo is corrosive. All US WWII is corrosive, except .30 cal Carbine. There are piles of corrosive ammo out there. Just clean it right and you are OK.

[John Kepler]

I think it was the whale oil we were smelling.

Nope! Nitrobenzene....smells sorta like fishy bananas!

[M1Tommy]

Nope! Nitrobenzene....smells sorta like fishy bananas!

I'd confirm that. Most compounds with benzene are bad ju-ju, and it has been removed from most all 'common household' items, e.g. Hoppes#9 and CLP.

Benzene also gives gasoline that sweet smell, but you can tell it is different nowdays from the ethanol content ( to ethanol, IMO).

Tommy

[joem]

I add ammonia to Windex and after the last shot is fired I clean the bore while it's still hot with the stuff. Then oil.

[Gun Surfer]

I hate to stir this up again, but in reading through it, seems like a bunch folks are recommending cleaning the barrels of high quality rifles with water.

Under the theory that nothing attracts water like water itself, I prefer not to put water in the barrels of expensive firearms. In fact, I will not even clean my BP guns with pure water, or most water based cleaners. With many water based BP cleaners, I could litrerally see rust forming on the barrels just a few minutes after starting and before I even had time to dry the stuff. For BP shooting I found my way to Dixie Gun Works Black Solve, a blue concentrate where one cheap bottle of it makes 32oz. I use that, filling the barrel of a muzzle loader with it, brushing and swabbing vigorously, then take the nipple off, and rinse, swab till clean. Works fast, works great, cheap, and in my experience, Black Solve mixture does not attract rust or tend to rust quickly at all. Once the gun is dry, then coated with a protectant or Bore Butter, never get any rust, something I could not say with other BP bore cleaners. YMMV, but this Black Solve is the best stuff I have found.

As to the expensive cartridge rifles, for most regular cleaning after moderate shooting, relatively inexpensive Hoppes No 9 works just fine, and yes, it does prevent corrosive priming compound from causing rust. Occasionally I break out the Butch's Bore Shine for more detailed cleaning for copper, and once in a blue moon use the Sweets 7.62 Solvent, which you don't leave in the bore more than 15 min. Yes, all this is more expensive than tap water, but still pretty cheap, and very effective. I prefer to save my money in other ways. Again, YMM may really really vary, this is just my experience.

[AKA Hugh Uno]

and should help, but I use WATER or WINDEX (also 95% water), but I NEVER have been hard up enough to shoot ANY corrosive ammo in any M1.

Mausers and SMLE's, plenty, and even used pee pee once when I didn't have anything else handly.\\\