Rust in my Nagant!

J2. · August 23, 2009, 11:44 AM

What I thought was cleaned, was not. After shooting surplus ammo and then sitting for a few weeks. I discovered rust in the barrel. I have used dry brass brushes, brush with Ballistol. Swabs with the same and with brake cleaner. I can't seem to get the riffling grooves clean. I did a search and didn't find the aswer. Any help? Thank you.

James K · August 23, 2009, 06:12 PM

You can't "clean out" rust because it is an eating away of the steel in the barrel. The best you can do is to kill live rust with boiling water, then scrub the barrel good with the cleaner and oil it. If you do this IMMEDIATELY after firing corrosive primed ammunition, you can at least prevent more rust, but you can't get back the metal that was corroded away or make the barrel shiny again.

Jim

mp25ds4 · August 23, 2009, 07:25 PM

use hoppes no. 9 solvent (4$ at walmart) on a brass brush push and pull it throught the barrel about 10 times, then pull a solvent soaked patch through ( I use 12 guage patches) then pull a dry patch through, then spray a patch with rem. oil and pull it through. if the barrel still looks dirty in the grooves then it is pitted

J2. · August 23, 2009, 09:42 PM

Thanks for the input, I'll see what i can do with it.

mwar410 · August 24, 2009, 07:19 AM

ammonia will nuetralize the corrosive primer problem.

triggerman770 · August 24, 2009, 07:46 PM

all the solvents and the do this then do that and on and on will Not get the corrosive salts out of your rifle. only water will dissolve the salts left by the primers. so first clean it with soap and water, then use whatever you like for the powder and copper fouling. simply rundry patches after the soap and water patches then use your solvent for the rest.

J2. · August 24, 2009, 07:50 PM

all the solvents and the do this then do that and on and on will Not get the corrosive salts out of your rifle. only water will dissolve the salts left by the primers. so first clean it with soap and water, then use whatever you like for the powder and copper fouling. simply rundry patches after the soap and water patches then use your solvent for the rest.
This to me makes the most sense, kinda like after shooting my smoke pole!

James K · August 24, 2009, 08:51 PM

Ammonia is used in bore cleaning compounds to remove copper and nickel fouling, not to dissolve potassium chloride, which is what causes the corrosion. Super market ammonia is mostly water, which is why it does dissolve the salt, but the ammonia itself is not the key.

The compound used in primers for years was potassium chlorate; it was a very stable compound and was preferred by the military since it lasted for decades and was nearly immune to climate changes and temperature extremes. But when the primer is fired, the potassium chlorate gives up its oxygen and becomes potassium chloride salt, akin to ordinary table salt (sodium chloride) but even more aggressive.

Jim

August 23, 2009, 11:44 AM	#1
J2. Senior Member Join Date: June 12, 2008 Location: The Real America Posts: 149	Rust in my Nagant! What I thought was cleaned, was not. After shooting surplus ammo and then sitting for a few weeks. I discovered rust in the barrel. I have used dry brass brushes, brush with Ballistol. Swabs with the same and with brake cleaner. I can't seem to get the riffling grooves clean. I did a search and didn't find the aswer. Any help? Thank you. __________________ "Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not."

August 23, 2009, 07:25 PM	#3
mp25ds4 Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2009 Posts: 392	use hoppes no. 9 solvent (4$ at walmart) on a brass brush push and pull it throught the barrel about 10 times, then pull a solvent soaked patch through ( I use 12 guage patches) then pull a dry patch through, then spray a patch with rem. oil and pull it through. if the barrel still looks dirty in the grooves then it is pitted __________________ Liberal Newscaster Katie Couric, while interviewing a Marine sniper, asked: 'What do you feel.....when you shoot a Terrorist?' The Marine shrugged and replied, "A Slight Recoil."

August 23, 2009, 09:42 PM	#4
J2. Senior Member Join Date: June 12, 2008 Location: The Real America Posts: 149	Thanks for the input, I'll see what i can do with it. __________________ "Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not."

August 24, 2009, 07:46 PM	#6
triggerman770 Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2009 Location: Metro Atlanta Area Posts: 125	corrosive primers all the solvents and the do this then do that and on and on will Not get the corrosive salts out of your rifle. only water will dissolve the salts left by the primers. so first clean it with soap and water, then use whatever you like for the powder and copper fouling. simply rundry patches after the soap and water patches then use your solvent for the rest. __________________ Small Arms Restoration, Inc. smallarmsrestoration.net Proud member of Georgia Carry.org www.georgiacarry.org

August 24, 2009, 07:50 PM	#7
J2. Senior Member Join Date: June 12, 2008 Location: The Real America Posts: 149	all the solvents and the do this then do that and on and on will Not get the corrosive salts out of your rifle. only water will dissolve the salts left by the primers. so first clean it with soap and water, then use whatever you like for the powder and copper fouling. simply rundry patches after the soap and water patches then use your solvent for the rest. This to me makes the most sense, kinda like after shooting my smoke pole! __________________ "Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not."

August 23, 2009, 06:12 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	You can't "clean out" rust because it is an eating away of the steel in the barrel. The best you can do is to kill live rust with boiling water, then scrub the barrel good with the cleaner and oil it. If you do this IMMEDIATELY after firing corrosive primed ammunition, you can at least prevent more rust, but you can't get back the metal that was corroded away or make the barrel shiny again. Jim

August 24, 2009, 07:19 AM	#5
mwar410 Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2008 Location: maine Posts: 234	ammonia will nuetralize the corrosive primer problem.

August 24, 2009, 08:51 PM	#8
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Ammonia is used in bore cleaning compounds to remove copper and nickel fouling, not to dissolve potassium chloride, which is what causes the corrosion. Super market ammonia is mostly water, which is why it does dissolve the salt, but the ammonia itself is not the key. The compound used in primers for years was potassium chlorate; it was a very stable compound and was preferred by the military since it lasted for decades and was nearly immune to climate changes and temperature extremes. But when the primer is fired, the potassium chlorate gives up its oxygen and becomes potassium chloride salt, akin to ordinary table salt (sodium chloride) but even more aggressive. Jim