Using Ballistol to clean corrosive ammo?

GunXpatriot · December 17, 2011, 12:39 AM

I'm planning on buying Mosin Nagant 91/30 in a few days and was wondering if Ballistol would work for cleaning corrosive ammo.

Anyone have experience with using it?

eastbank · December 17, 2011, 04:16 AM

i use hot water to clean up after useing corr. ammo, the old stinky G.I. bore cleaner was good. the important thing is to wash the corr. salts from the bore,oil will not do it. after getting rid of the salts you can oil the bore to prevent rust. eastbank.

Tempest 455 · December 17, 2011, 08:50 AM

The water does not need to be boiling FYI. I just use Windex before cleaning oil. The Chlorate salt is not oil soluble, rather water soluble. You just need something w/ water as the primary constituent.

Jim Watson · December 17, 2011, 09:30 AM

Ballistol's use in corrosive primer (or black powder) cleaning is based on the fact that it is an emulsifiable oil. If you make up "Moose Milk" of 1:7 Ballistol in water (I have heard everything from 1:10 to 1:1. It is not a critical mix.) the water will dissolve the potassium chloride residue and the oil film will protect the steel until you can dry it and get down a coat of pure oil.

Jeff F · December 17, 2011, 11:37 AM

Quote:

The water does not need to be boiling FYI.

No it does not have to be boiling or even hot, you could use cold water.
But by using hot or boiling water you heat up your barrel and it helps to evaporate the water faster.

tahunua001 · December 17, 2011, 12:52 PM

I dont know about cleaning the ammo itself but cleaning up afterwords. I own an AK47 and my brother owns both an AK and an AR chambered in 7.62x39 and we shoot corrosive ammo in all three. we use ballistol in all three. we run hot water through and clean, my brother uses remoil or WD40 and I just use CLP, we both finish up by coating with ballistol.

wnycollector · December 17, 2011, 01:57 PM

I'm a 20+ year user of windex here, but a buddy of mine uses ballistol on his surplus rifles. Both of us have zero corrosion after thousands of rounds. I think you would be fine with either.

Buzzcook · December 17, 2011, 02:26 PM

Stick the barrel of the gun in a bucket of warm soapy water. Stick the cleaning rod down the breech with a bronze brush and go to town.

the only sarge · December 17, 2011, 02:46 PM

Yes. Ballistol works great for cleaning a firearm after shooting corrosive ammo.
I mix about 50-50.
Been using it this way for 40+ years and I shoot a bunch of corrosive ammo. Never had any rust/corrosion issues ....ever.

warbirdlover · December 17, 2011, 04:51 PM

In the cleaning (barrel break in) instructions for the Howa 1500 it recommends Windex. First I'd heard of it.

rr2241tx · December 19, 2011, 02:21 PM

Moose Milk (1 part emulsifiable oil such as Ballistol + 1-10 parts water) works great to dissolve the salts. Follow with emusifiable oil patches until all the water is removed. Murphy's Oil Soap also works in water solution, in fact, anything that is a good surfactant will improve the efficiency of water actually making contact with the soluble salts which is why Windex became the darling of some corrosive ammo shooters, low surface tension not the tiny bit of ammonia actually removing any copper. I use 1:10 Ballistol Moose Milk followed by 100% Ballistol when shooting corrosive surplus ammo and black powder. I use the Moose Milk as wiping solution between black powder shots. Whether it is any better for that use than spit or tap water I really can't say.

ohen cepel · December 19, 2011, 02:57 PM

I've been using cheap window cleaner (with ammonia in it) for the times I shoot corrosive ammo. Spray it down the barrel and all over the bolt, neutralizes/washes away the salts, then clean as normal.

I think any of the other idea will also work well though, your call. Biggest thing is to clean it after you shoot corrosive ammo.

boostedtt91 · December 19, 2011, 04:12 PM

just go buy a cheap generic brand of windex w/ ammonia in it and clean your bore and wipe off bolt with it and it will counteract all the bad things corrosive ammo will do. Thats all i have ever used for my AR and Mosin when shooting corrosive ammo and never had a problem. Just run a oiled patch through the bore after your done cleaning

December 17, 2011, 12:39 AM	#1
GunXpatriot Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2011 Location: New York Posts: 393	Using Ballistol to clean corrosive ammo? I'm planning on buying Mosin Nagant 91/30 in a few days and was wondering if Ballistol would work for cleaning corrosive ammo. Anyone have experience with using it?

December 17, 2011, 12:52 PM	#6
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	I dont know about cleaning the ammo itself but cleaning up afterwords. I own an AK47 and my brother owns both an AK and an AR chambered in 7.62x39 and we shoot corrosive ammo in all three. we use ballistol in all three. we run hot water through and clean, my brother uses remoil or WD40 and I just use CLP, we both finish up by coating with ballistol. __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

December 19, 2011, 02:21 PM	#11
rr2241tx Senior Member Join Date: August 2, 2007 Location: The Great State of Taxes Posts: 267	Moose Milk (1 part emulsifiable oil such as Ballistol + 1-10 parts water) works great to dissolve the salts. Follow with emusifiable oil patches until all the water is removed. Murphy's Oil Soap also works in water solution, in fact, anything that is a good surfactant will improve the efficiency of water actually making contact with the soluble salts which is why Windex became the darling of some corrosive ammo shooters, low surface tension not the tiny bit of ammonia actually removing any copper. I use 1:10 Ballistol Moose Milk followed by 100% Ballistol when shooting corrosive surplus ammo and black powder. I use the Moose Milk as wiping solution between black powder shots. Whether it is any better for that use than spit or tap water I really can't say. __________________ rr2241tx

December 19, 2011, 02:57 PM	#12
ohen cepel Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 1999 Location: Where they send me Posts: 1,013	I've been using cheap window cleaner (with ammonia in it) for the times I shoot corrosive ammo. Spray it down the barrel and all over the bolt, neutralizes/washes away the salts, then clean as normal. I think any of the other idea will also work well though, your call. Biggest thing is to clean it after you shoot corrosive ammo. __________________ He who dares wins. NRA Life Benefactor Member

December 17, 2011, 04:16 AM	#2
eastbank Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2008 Location: pa. Posts: 2,450	i use hot water to clean up after useing corr. ammo, the old stinky G.I. bore cleaner was good. the important thing is to wash the corr. salts from the bore,oil will not do it. after getting rid of the salts you can oil the bore to prevent rust. eastbank.

December 17, 2011, 08:50 AM	#3
Tempest 455 Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2011 Location: TN Posts: 118	The water does not need to be boiling FYI. I just use Windex before cleaning oil. The Chlorate salt is not oil soluble, rather water soluble. You just need something w/ water as the primary constituent.

December 17, 2011, 09:30 AM	#4
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,542	Ballistol's use in corrosive primer (or black powder) cleaning is based on the fact that it is an emulsifiable oil. If you make up "Moose Milk" of 1:7 Ballistol in water (I have heard everything from 1:10 to 1:1. It is not a critical mix.) the water will dissolve the potassium chloride residue and the oil film will protect the steel until you can dry it and get down a coat of pure oil.

December 17, 2011, 01:57 PM	#7
wnycollector Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 2007 Posts: 1,996	I'm a 20+ year user of windex here, but a buddy of mine uses ballistol on his surplus rifles. Both of us have zero corrosion after thousands of rounds. I think you would be fine with either.

December 17, 2011, 02:26 PM	#8
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	Stick the barrel of the gun in a bucket of warm soapy water. Stick the cleaning rod down the breech with a bronze brush and go to town.

December 17, 2011, 02:46 PM	#9
the only sarge Member Join Date: December 4, 2011 Location: South Texas/Grand Cayman Posts: 17	Yes. Ballistol works great for cleaning a firearm after shooting corrosive ammo. I mix about 50-50. Been using it this way for 40+ years and I shoot a bunch of corrosive ammo. Never had any rust/corrosion issues ....ever.

December 17, 2011, 04:51 PM	#10
warbirdlover Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2009 Location: central Wisconsin Posts: 2,324	In the cleaning (barrel break in) instructions for the Howa 1500 it recommends Windex. First I'd heard of it.

December 19, 2011, 04:12 PM	#13
boostedtt91 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2011 Location: Danville, Pa Posts: 520	just go buy a cheap generic brand of windex w/ ammonia in it and clean your bore and wipe off bolt with it and it will counteract all the bad things corrosive ammo will do. Thats all i have ever used for my AR and Mosin when shooting corrosive ammo and never had a problem. Just run a oiled patch through the bore after your done cleaning