7.62x54R surplus ammo question
So, they say the stuff is corrosive. What does this mean? Yes, it can mess up the bore. It has to be cleaned after shooting. How soon after shooting though? Is it like do not pass go, do not collect $200 or can it wait a few hours?
After the range I've been going right home and cleaning the rifle, but it gets to be a pain.
Thanks!
Ed
Re: 7.62x54R surplus ammo question
Anything to dissolve the salts works. I use window cleaner.
Then clean as usual.
Re: 7.62x54R surplus ammo question
during winter when it is dry you can let the weapon stay uncleaned for a long time. i had a mauser M48 i forgot to clean for over a month and there was no rust or corrosion at all in my barrel, bolt and chamber. but during summer time you can't be lazy clean it within a hour after firing the humid weather during hot season will really ruin your Weapon.
Re: 7.62x54R surplus ammo question
this seems a little rediculous to me.
you're saying that the russians, using their mosins, had to clean their rifles after every gun fight?
Re: 7.62x54R surplus ammo question
It takes but a minute to do a cursory cleaning at the range. I keep a basic cleaning kit and a bottle of my homemade muzzleloader bore cleaner(nothing but alcohol and a little murphy's oil soap mixture) in my range bag. When done shooting for the day, I'll run a few soaked patches through the bore and on the bolt face, then will run a few dry patches and an oily patch through. Then I can take my time and perform a more throrough cleaning(which is my normal routine anyway) after dinner, etc. By running the patches through at the range, I do not have to clean the gun as soon as I get in the door.
Re: 7.62x54R surplus ammo question
Thanks for the info guys, and gals.
Re: 7.62x54R surplus ammo question
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jcabin
this seems a little rediculous to me.
you're saying that the russians, using their mosins, had to clean their rifles after every gun fight?
No, that honor was usually the duty of the guy behind them that picked up the rifled from the dead guy in front.
Re: 7.62x54R surplus ammo question
Well it sucks that non acidic ammo costs 3-4x the price of surplus.
And it's a real bitch breaking down my Mosin.
Re: 7.62x54R surplus ammo question
Its not as bad as you might think.. the barrel isn't gonna start melting right away.
Warm water and/or window cleaner with ammonia neutralizes it really easily.
All the older ammo from just about every country was corrosive. Corrosive primers were easier to detonate back then. And you definitely wanted your rifle to go bang when you pulled the trigger on the battlefield.
You dont need to break down your Mosin. Just open/remove the bolt and clean the barrel and chamber.
Re: 7.62x54R surplus ammo question
It's not as corrosive as the lade in Dante's Peak, but you want to get it out of there. I dump some windex down the barrel and run a bore shake through. That's been enough to keep it shiny.
And the Russians were too bust staying alive to clean their guns too often but it will eat away at the rifle and eventually ruin the rifling and such...