AFTER SHOOTING CORROSIVE AMMO, IS TRYING TO CLEAN IT OUT OF YOUR GUN MORE HASSLE THAN ITS WORTH?

Question

AFTER SHOOTING CORROSIVE AMMO, IS TRYING TO CLEAN IT OUT OF YOUR GUN MORE HASSLE THAN ITS WORTH?

Answer 1

Corrosive ammo have primers with potassium Chlorate in their composition this forms a residue after firing that attracts moister and causes the barrel to rust.  The only way to remove it effectivly is with a water based cleaner. Hot soapy water, windex and a few bore cleaners Shooter's Choice Copper cleaner and the old G.I. Bore (Which smells horrible) will do this.  To clean a firearm ater shooting corrosive ammo run about 15-20 patches soaked in the cleaner through the barrel in one direction taking them off at the other end. You want to get the corrosive stuff out. Then dry the barrel with a few patches and clean with a regular bores cleaner like Hoppe's # 9.  If you can clean you guns soon after shooting them then there should be trouble with corrosive ammo, but remember the old warning from the days when there only was corrosive ammo:

"Don't let the sun set on a dirty gun"

Answer 2

it depends on what you mean by "it's worth"

If you mean it is too much of a hassle to use corrosive ammo, then if you only go out shooting a few times a year, I totally agree with you, splurge on commerical ammo and don't worry about it.  Leave the corrisive to the guys who shoot a ton and need to save every penny they can and hence buy the least expensive ammo they can.

if you mean it is too much hassle, so you don't really need to clean it...WRONG.   Corrosive ammo will ruin your gun. So unless you want to buy a new gun every few weeks, flush it out, using regular tap water works, but as said above, many people like windex

Answer 3

NO, not really if you want consistent accuracy.*

Answer 4

And I am one of those people who has wound up in hunt camp without proper bore cleaner, and had to get by using WD-40 to clean and lube the barrel, after one single shot removes all the oil! As I watch accuracy deteriorate to 4 inch groups at 100 yards from copper fouling, I then wish someone at least had some ammonia-based whatever to clean it out! (For those who missed it, there is no ammonia in WD-40, and the copper stays put!). Also, over the years, I have watched many 30-06 and 8mm fine weapons get sloppy rifling from someone using hoary old (cheap) war surplus ammo and not cleaning out the corrosive priming residue. Any time we miss a move and don't cover for it right away, we should start working on our list of excuses, as they will soon be needed! Regards, Larry.

Answer 5

Not a hassle at all

Just use Windex instead of Hoppes

Then lube it up

If I am not going to get home for awhile I use th Windex

When I do get he I use the same method as I do with black powder guns

But I am one of those people that Bell is talking about

I hate cleaning guns so I don't take the corrosive out much

Answer 6

Depends on whether you are one of those persons that clean their firearms every time after shooting them. If you are not one of those individuals then, you should NEVER use corrosive ammo because, it will corrode your firearm and make it in some cases inoperable and in every case less valuable.

Answer 7

I don't think so,If I came acrost a deal I could not pass up on some corrosive ammo,I would buy it and shoot it.Every time I shoot any of my guns I clean them really good,I don't mind it at all.Some times my brother will ask me to clean his because he hates doing it.I kind of enjoy cleaning guns.

Answer 8

If you have it , shoot it.

If you clean up afterwards it's fine.

The older primers left a corrosive residue which will only harm your gun if it is left dirty for any length of time.

There are bore cleaners for corrosive ammo.

Used to shoot surplus 30-06 corrosive , ball rounds ,,,no problem.