Effects of corrosive ammo?

**melD** · November 18th, 2008, 01:04 AM

I was a bad boy and after a rather strange course of events I was not able to clean my Mosin after it's last use.
How much damage and how quickly does the damage occur from using corrosive ammo? And what kind of damage should I be looking for. I would assume rust in the barrel or on the bolt.
And the most important question, would the damage be repairable?

mel

**oldgun** · November 18th, 2008, 01:51 AM

The salts that were deposited by what I can only assume is surplus ammo will attract moisture to anything the residue from shooting got on. This would mean the bore, chamber, bolt, etc.

If it hasn't been a long time and you don't store the gun in a damp root celler the worst could possibly be some light surface rust which will come off with a little gun oil and elbow grease. Remember, these guns were made for, and often used, in wartime conditions by peasants. So it has probably already seen its share of corrosive ammunition and a lack of maintenance and it didn't fall to pieces then.

Irreversable damage is pitting. Surface rust can be easily cleaned off. Just use a rag and gun oil if it is needed. Don't use any abrasives.

**justsayno** · November 18th, 2008, 07:33 AM

somebody meantioned windex??On another post.. True? I dunnno...

**imashooter2** · November 18th, 2008, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by justsayno

somebody meantioned windex??On another post.. True? I dunnno...

The ammonia and water in the Windex kills the corrosive salts. I've read where WWI soldiers would piss down their barrels when no other "solvent" was at hand.

**Xringshooter** · November 18th, 2008, 09:21 AM

If it's only been a little while since it was shot you should be ok if you get it cleaned now. If you can't get to it for a while you could do several things. One would be the rinse with windex or even boiling water (that's how you clean black powder arms). You just to get something to rinse out the barrel as good as possible until you can get in there and do a proper scrubbing and oiling.

**oldgun** · November 18th, 2008, 10:48 AM

I've never tried it myself, but regarding the windex, I know of some shooters that will bring windex and WD40 with them to the range. After a day of shooting the corrosive stuff or black powder they'll swab the bore with windex and then run a patch sprayed with WD40 down the bore as well as wiping down any other metal parts exposed to the residue. Then, when they get around to a proper cleaning at home, its the usual solvent and oil treatment.

**wizzegun** · November 18th, 2008, 06:36 PM

Corrosive just encourages rust so thats what you would be looking for. Its also responsible for the pitting or darkness you see in used barrels. Hopefully you didn't wait a week to clean it.

Myself, after I get home from the range, I run 3 patches of Windex (generic wally world brand) down the bore then clean with bore cleaner. I have never had a problem. The water dissolves the slats and the ammonia evaporates the water. I shoot with a guy who cleans his bore at the range but I think thats a little anal.