Badger
06-05-2009, 03:04 PM
It seems like corrosive primers will forever be a problem; much Chinese and Eastern European ammo is labeled "corrosive" or "mildly corrosive." Those primers have a long shelf life and are still used. U. S. military ammo was corrosive in WWI and WWII (except for M1 Carbine ammo) and by 1955, GI ammo was non-corrosive.
My neighbor inheirited his grandfather's M1903A3 rifle and several bandoleers of "Den 42" Ball ammo, one of which he fired off in his backyard last week. He noticed the bore looked "dark" and brought it by for my evaluation yesterday. When I opened the bolt lots of small reddish "dust" fell out. I removed the bolt and saw the bore looked like the tailpipe of my truck!
I asked the lad how he cleaned the bore and he advised he did not own a cleaning rod. I showed him how to use hot, soapy water, brush and patches to remove the corrosive residue followed by dry patches and an oil patch.
I routinely shoot corrosive ammo in bolt guns and water clean the bores, per the Old Army Manual, and never had a problem. Unfortunately, far too many bores have been ruined through neglect after firing corrosive ammo. I could tell about a matching 1917 Luger, but that is another story.
Badger
My neighbor inheirited his grandfather's M1903A3 rifle and several bandoleers of "Den 42" Ball ammo, one of which he fired off in his backyard last week. He noticed the bore looked "dark" and brought it by for my evaluation yesterday. When I opened the bolt lots of small reddish "dust" fell out. I removed the bolt and saw the bore looked like the tailpipe of my truck!
I asked the lad how he cleaned the bore and he advised he did not own a cleaning rod. I showed him how to use hot, soapy water, brush and patches to remove the corrosive residue followed by dry patches and an oil patch.
I routinely shoot corrosive ammo in bolt guns and water clean the bores, per the Old Army Manual, and never had a problem. Unfortunately, far too many bores have been ruined through neglect after firing corrosive ammo. I could tell about a matching 1917 Luger, but that is another story.
Badger