7.62 Ammo, Corrosive, Partially Corrosive and NON?

[dc dalton]

I've been looking around at 7.62 x 54 ammo for my M44 and I keep seeing these terms:

Corrosive

Partially Corrosive

Non Corrosive

I saw somewhere this related to primers, can anyone explain this, the dos and dont's and the best ammo for the rifle

[JayBell]

corrosive/partially corrosive means the same thing, like pregnant and a little bit pregnant.

Corrosive ammo uses a type of priming that leaves a film of anhydrous salts in the bore after firing.

these salts attract moisture, and combine with the salts to rapidly rust or corrode the bore.

simple fix is SWIFT cleaning with soap and water, or windex after shooting.
If its going to be some time, at least run a well oiled patch down the bore.

I myself shoot plenty of corrosive ammo, just clean well afterwards, I run a CLP coated boresnake thru the barrel before i bag the gun, until I can get home and really clean it.

I think all the x54r i have is corrosive.
If you can find the copper washed case chinese stuff, its flashtastic!

consider all comblock ammo to be corrosive, even if they claim its not.

also, remember your m44 is meant to be shot with the bayonet extended, otherwise you will get groups to the left of where you expect

[wizzegun]

I love when I see "slightly corrosive" ammo. It either is or is not. I think the word "corrosive" just scares people but technically the ammo is not corrosive like an acid would be. It's referring to the chemical reaction of the primers forming a compound similar to table salt. Salt attracts water and encourages the bore to pit and rust. There are as many techniques to the extra cleaning step for corrosive ammo as there is just cleaning the bore. I simply run three patches soaked with window cleaner to dissolve the salt before I clean with regular bore cleaner. I have been doing this for years with no probs. Some people run hot water down the bore and other variations.

As far as what ammo is best, these rifles can be picky depending on the actual bore diameter. The actual bore diameters can range from .310 up to .314. Remember these are battle rifles. At their peak, the Russians were building 11,000 Mosins a day! So quality was not job one. hehe These rifles were designed to hit a 1'x2' square( a torso). I would pick up different country ammos, even heavy and light balls, and see what your Mosin likes best. This is all part of the fun. Before you know it, you have a whole Combloc ammo collection.

[dc dalton]

Well I'm a clean nut anyways, the minute I get home from the range everything gets a good cleaning .... must be from my army days, My DI was a fanatic about cleaning weapons the minute we got back to barracks!

Will have to look around at the different ammos and see what she likes (when she arrives that is)

[brian]

try to stick with the light ball stuff.....not that heavy ball is bad, but your shoulder will thank you.
and then there the choise between brass and steel cases, depending on nation of origin.
Oh and ''sticky bolt'', hope you don't meet him.....

[Pector55]

try to stick with the light ball stuff.....not that heavy ball is bad, but your shoulder will thank you.

Ah C'mon, "go heavy or go home" When I shoot my M44, I love feeling the kick. It just blows my mind that these things were handed to teens who had to shoot them all day long.

I shoot the Bulgarian heavy ball yellow tip. 250rds for $40. The other thing that blows my mind is how the packs of rounds are all wrapped in paper and appear to be hand tied.

http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/B...ellow_Tip.html

[Garpman]

Well I'm a clean nut anyways, the minute I get home from the range everything gets a good cleaning .... must be from my army days, My DI was a fanatic about cleaning weapons the minute we got back to barracks!

Will have to look around at the different ammos and see what she likes (when she arrives that is)

Just remember that cleaning after firing corrosive ammo isn't the same as just cleaning regularly.

[Willie D]

I had some chinese 7.62 that I suppose was "partially corrosive". That is to say, it took longer to corrode and the corrosion was milder than with corrosive yugo ammo. The Yugo stuff got some nasty pitting in just 12 hrs.

Flush out the barrel, bolt and gas tube (if applicable) with hot water, then clean regularly (or oil with something if you can't do a full cleaning immediately). I no longer use corrosive ammo in auto loaders, it's just too much of a hastle.

[britisharmy]

Depending on the year of manufacture, it may be filled with Cordite, that is the corrosive propellant that was used before we had nitrocellulose.

[PA Rifleman]

I'm with JayBell on this one.

...
Corrosive ammo uses a type of priming that leaves a film of anhydrous salts in the bore after firing. ...I think all the x54r i have is corrosive.

consider all comblock ammo to be corrosive, even if they claim its not.

Military 54R is almost certainly corrosive, due to the sodium perchlorate or potassium chloride content in their primers, as I recall. Non-corrosive primers are usually lead styphnate, which is limited to commercial ammunition and some later western military ammunition. This *might* be the case with Wolf, Norma, S&B, Privi Partisan, Winchester, at all.

Jay's right, if it's military loaded 54R, it's almost certainly corrosive. You can check this by pulling a bullet, dumping the powder and discharging the primer (only) with the primer blast* directed at a bare steel plate. If you see a spot of corrosion forming in this same spot a few days or weeks later, it's very likely your gun will behave the same way.

* With adequate hearing and eye protection, 'natch.