M48s SKSs and Corrosive Ammo

Anthony2 · July 2, 2011, 03:18 AM

Ok so I looked high and low on here and I haven't found the answer to my questions so here goes:

Does anyone know what cleaner to use to properly clean a M48 8mm or even my 7.62x39 SKSs? I've just recently acquired them and I know very little about the older milsurp ammo that is corrosive.

The only thing that I do know is that the salt in the ammo cause advanced corrosion and that the generically available alkaline based gun cleaners on the market don't do a thorough job of cleaning off the damaging salts.

I know they are older and relatively common, but I would still like to extend the lifespan of my firearms if at all possible.
Any good ideas will be greatly appreciated.

madcratebuilder · July 2, 2011, 07:03 AM

Read this thread on making a electrolysis tank.

http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/vie...p?f=80&t=62728

There are several stickies in that section of surplusrifle that talk about these type of cleaners and the effects on old mil-surps.

rdf.hack · July 2, 2011, 08:53 AM

You can use Hot, Boiling water down the bore, followed by regular cleaning procedure.

5.45 Shooter · July 2, 2011, 10:01 AM

Come on guys, Electrolysis tank, Boiling water

????
(CORROSIVE AMMO = NO PROBLEM-IF CLEANED PROPERLY)
It is not that big of a problem, all that is needed is to wash out the salts with WATER or some shooters use Windex, and then clean like normal.

I shoot a lot of 5.45 & 7.62x54r surplus ammo (all corrosive) & all I use is a spray bottle of water with a small squirt of dishwashing soap in it. I put a bore brush down the barrel then spray the bore heavy with the water solution & brush until you get a good foam, then rinse with clean water, blow out any excess water with compressed air, run a bore snake with a little cleaner on it through the barrel, followed by a oiled patch and I'm done.

Here is a link that will help you with the problem.
http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting...sive/index.asp
Go and shoot all the cheap corrosive ammo you want because all it takes is an extra two min. or so to clean.

rdf.hack · July 2, 2011, 10:03 AM

@5.45

the only reason I use boiling water is it evaporates quickly and the fact it warms the barrel makes cleaning it much easier.

wnycollector · July 2, 2011, 11:32 AM

Quote:

some shooters use Windex, and then clean like normal.

I have been shooting surplus rifles and handguns with corrosive ammo since ~1990. I have literally shot thousands of rounds without incident using windex initially and then hoppes #9 and CLP afterwards.

pvt.Long · July 2, 2011, 11:40 AM

Ive shot corrosive ammo for a while, and I have noticed that mil surp corrosive is simmilar to Bp in the cleaning process, I use hot soapy water and a little windex .

Rcinit · July 2, 2011, 02:38 PM

Hoppes #9 and clp are both formulated for corrosive ammo. I simply swap the barrel with a clp soaked patch before I leave the range/field. Then clean my rifles with hoppes #9 and lube with clp for the rifles I shoot corrosive ammo with. Don't forget to clean the bolt and gas area's on those simi-auto's either.

**44 AMP** · July 2, 2011, 04:03 PM

as said, water (hot is nice, but not essential) windex, Hoppes, all work for corrosive salts. Make sure to clean every part of the rifle the gas contacts (this includes gas system, the bolt face and reciever).'

Dry it, and then clean it again normally.

To be really sure, repeat the process a few days later.

Kreyzhorse · July 3, 2011, 06:52 AM

Hoppes #9 alone will take care of any corrosive ammo that you may shoot. Keep in mind that corrosive ammo, while just that, won't eat you gun over night.

Shoot your guns, take them home and clean them well. As 44 Amp pointed out, clean every part of the gun that the gas touches, perhaps clean them twice and you are set.

10-96 · July 3, 2011, 02:16 PM

Cleaning up after corrosive ammo doesn't have to be as hard or process/labor intensive as some folks make it out to be. Ballistol is worth reading up on and considering.

http://www.firehawktech.com/Ballistol/firearms.html

Anthony2 · July 7, 2011, 12:36 AM

Thanks all. I appreciate all your views, opinions and ideas.
I have always used a combination of hoppes 9 and rem oil so it sounds like I should be ok. I guess I misunderstood by thinking that I needed something beyond hoppes to clean out the milsurp crud.

Sturmgewehre · July 7, 2011, 01:01 AM

Water: Corrosive salts are water soluble. That means the best solution known to man for breaking down corrosive salts is water.

Windex: Is over 90% water. Some people mistakenly believe ammonia breaks down corrosive salts, and it doesn't. Ammonia is actually hard on the finish of your firearm and it's hard on the finish of wood. If you leave ammonia on steel it will cause corrosion. Fortunately Windex has so little ammonia in it that it does virtually nothing. Save your money and use water, that's all that's in Windex that's breaking down the salts anyway.

Hoppes #9: It is mostly organic oils and solvents, with a small amount of ammonia. People think the ammonia is in there to break down corrosive salts, but that's not its purpose. It's there to break down copper fouling. Clean your rifle with water then use Hoppes to clean your bore.

Oils can prevent corrosive salts from doing damage for a short period of time but if you don't flush the salts properly, they will eventually damage the metal. To avoid this, flush your rifle with water then clean as you normally would.

Bamashooter · July 7, 2011, 01:23 AM

Some of you guys are wrong. Hoppes #9 alone will not remove the corrosive salts. You must use water beforehand. I use hot tap water and then clean with hoppes or whatever. If you just use hoppes you will have a rusted barrel.

SurplusShooter · July 7, 2011, 05:11 AM

I use hot water and windex and it has worked fine for me.What ever you use just be thorough and you should have no problems.

Sturmgewehre · July 7, 2011, 10:37 AM

Quote:

What ever you use just be thorough and you should have no problems.

That's true to a point. You still need to use the right stuff and understand the basics behind how to break those salts down.

You can use Windex because you don't mind paying $3.49 for a bottle of water vs. the nearly free stuff you get from the tap. In the end the ammonia doesn't do anything for you, but at least Windex is mostly water which breaks down the corrosive salts in a round-about way.

You can buy a bottle of Hoppes #9 for $7 a bottle and it won't break the salts down at all. The solvents and oils will prevent rusting and pitting for a short while, but ultimately if all you use is Hoppes you're going to get rusting and pitting eventually.

So there's more to it than diligence. You need to understand that the salts are water soluble and that if you use something that lacks any water, you're just pushing the salts around in your barrel and not breaking them down.

David the Gnome · July 7, 2011, 06:22 PM

I think your video pretty much explains it all Sturmgewehre.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Sturmgew.../0/OcFKCTfKENc

Your videos are getting really good btw, I really enjoy your channel.

raftman · July 9, 2011, 02:02 PM

Quote:

You can buy a bottle of Hoppes #9 for $7 a bottle and it won't break the salts down at all. The solvents and oils will prevent rusting and pitting for a short while, but ultimately if all you use is Hoppes you're going to get rusting and pitting eventually.

True that!

I've heard a number of people claim Hoppe's alone following by oiling is sufficient so one I took a chance with my cheapest, most replaceable handgun (was a Tokarev-clone). After all, if it works, I could save a decent amount of work and time. Gave it a shot but checked frequently for any signs of rust... sure enough, after less than a week, faint surface rust began to appear. Immediately scrubbed it clean properly and the gun still looks good as new now, but it went to show, even though I was VERY thorough, Hoppe's didn't seem to be enough.

RC20 · July 14, 2011, 05:56 PM

I had a chance to test the MAK 90 AK as a result of too many things hitting the fan after a range session.

3 weeks before I cleaned it.

No rust of any kind anywhere. The MAK 90 is chrome lined, and has a chrome bolt. No rust anywhere else in the gun including the piston tube.

Ergo, at least that gun is not sensitive to it.

However, as a result I am thinking of getting a jar to keep ammonia water mix in and doing the barrel with a brush, then Hoppes 9 and oil. Can't hurt as I want to keep the AK good.

July 2, 2011, 03:18 AM	#1
Anthony2 Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 360	M48s SKSs and Corrosive Ammo Ok so I looked high and low on here and I haven't found the answer to my questions so here goes: Does anyone know what cleaner to use to properly clean a M48 8mm or even my 7.62x39 SKSs? I've just recently acquired them and I know very little about the older milsurp ammo that is corrosive. The only thing that I do know is that the salt in the ammo cause advanced corrosion and that the generically available alkaline based gun cleaners on the market don't do a thorough job of cleaning off the damaging salts. I know they are older and relatively common, but I would still like to extend the lifespan of my firearms if at all possible. Any good ideas will be greatly appreciated. __________________ "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."-Voltaire "Baaa or Freedom!" - Ted Nugent "Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth." - Ghandi "The Addiction to Guns, The only addiction to ever SAVE a life!"- Me

July 3, 2011, 06:52 AM	#10
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	Hoppes #9 alone will take care of any corrosive ammo that you may shoot. Keep in mind that corrosive ammo, while just that, won't eat you gun over night. Shoot your guns, take them home and clean them well. As 44 Amp pointed out, clean every part of the gun that the gas touches, perhaps clean them twice and you are set. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

July 3, 2011, 02:16 PM	#11
10-96 Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2005 Location: Tx Panhandle Territory Posts: 4,159	Cleaning up after corrosive ammo doesn't have to be as hard or process/labor intensive as some folks make it out to be. Ballistol is worth reading up on and considering. http://www.firehawktech.com/Ballistol/firearms.html __________________ Rednecks... Keeping the woods critter-free since March 2, 1836. (TX Independence Day) I suspect a thing or two... because I've seen a thing or two.

July 7, 2011, 12:36 AM	#12
Anthony2 Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 360	Thanks Thanks all. I appreciate all your views, opinions and ideas. I have always used a combination of hoppes 9 and rem oil so it sounds like I should be ok. I guess I misunderstood by thinking that I needed something beyond hoppes to clean out the milsurp crud. __________________ "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."-Voltaire "Baaa or Freedom!" - Ted Nugent "Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth." - Ghandi "The Addiction to Guns, The only addiction to ever SAVE a life!"- Me

July 7, 2011, 01:01 AM	#13
Sturmgewehre Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 4,212	Water: Corrosive salts are water soluble. That means the best solution known to man for breaking down corrosive salts is water. Windex: Is over 90% water. Some people mistakenly believe ammonia breaks down corrosive salts, and it doesn't. Ammonia is actually hard on the finish of your firearm and it's hard on the finish of wood. If you leave ammonia on steel it will cause corrosion. Fortunately Windex has so little ammonia in it that it does virtually nothing. Save your money and use water, that's all that's in Windex that's breaking down the salts anyway. Hoppes #9: It is mostly organic oils and solvents, with a small amount of ammonia. People think the ammonia is in there to break down corrosive salts, but that's not its purpose. It's there to break down copper fouling. Clean your rifle with water then use Hoppes to clean your bore. Oils can prevent corrosive salts from doing damage for a short period of time but if you don't flush the salts properly, they will eventually damage the metal. To avoid this, flush your rifle with water then clean as you normally would. __________________ Visit my YouTube channel for reviews, tests and more. Ex Mea Sententia

July 2, 2011, 07:03 AM	#2
madcratebuilder Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2007 Location: Northern Orygun Posts: 4,923	Read this thread on making a electrolysis tank. http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/vie...p?f=80&t=62728 There are several stickies in that section of surplusrifle that talk about these type of cleaners and the effects on old mil-surps.

July 2, 2011, 08:53 AM	#3
rdf.hack Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 2011 Posts: 173	You can use Hot, Boiling water down the bore, followed by regular cleaning procedure.

July 2, 2011, 10:01 AM	#4
5.45 Shooter Member Join Date: April 26, 2011 Posts: 37	Come on guys, Electrolysis tank, Boiling water ???? (CORROSIVE AMMO = NO PROBLEM-IF CLEANED PROPERLY) It is not that big of a problem, all that is needed is to wash out the salts with WATER or some shooters use Windex, and then clean like normal. I shoot a lot of 5.45 & 7.62x54r surplus ammo (all corrosive) & all I use is a spray bottle of water with a small squirt of dishwashing soap in it. I put a bore brush down the barrel then spray the bore heavy with the water solution & brush until you get a good foam, then rinse with clean water, blow out any excess water with compressed air, run a bore snake with a little cleaner on it through the barrel, followed by a oiled patch and I'm done. Here is a link that will help you with the problem. http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting...sive/index.asp Go and shoot all the cheap corrosive ammo you want because all it takes is an extra two min. or so to clean.

July 2, 2011, 10:03 AM	#5
rdf.hack Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 2011 Posts: 173	@5.45 the only reason I use boiling water is it evaporates quickly and the fact it warms the barrel makes cleaning it much easier.

July 2, 2011, 11:40 AM	#7
pvt.Long Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2009 Posts: 433	Ive shot corrosive ammo for a while, and I have noticed that mil surp corrosive is simmilar to Bp in the cleaning process, I use hot soapy water and a little windex .

July 2, 2011, 02:38 PM	#8
Rcinit Member Join Date: July 21, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 40	Hoppes #9 and clp are both formulated for corrosive ammo. I simply swap the barrel with a clp soaked patch before I leave the range/field. Then clean my rifles with hoppes #9 and lube with clp for the rifles I shoot corrosive ammo with. Don't forget to clean the bolt and gas area's on those simi-auto's either.

July 2, 2011, 04:03 PM	#9
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,839	as said, water (hot is nice, but not essential) windex, Hoppes, all work for corrosive salts. Make sure to clean every part of the rifle the gas contacts (this includes gas system, the bolt face and reciever).' Dry it, and then clean it again normally. To be really sure, repeat the process a few days later. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

July 7, 2011, 01:23 AM	#14
Bamashooter Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2010 Posts: 1,860	Some of you guys are wrong. Hoppes #9 alone will not remove the corrosive salts. You must use water beforehand. I use hot tap water and then clean with hoppes or whatever. If you just use hoppes you will have a rusted barrel.

July 7, 2011, 05:11 AM	#15
SurplusShooter Senior Member Join Date: July 3, 2011 Location: Upstate,New york Posts: 308	I use hot water and windex and it has worked fine for me.What ever you use just be thorough and you should have no problems.

July 7, 2011, 06:22 PM	#17
David the Gnome Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2007 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 3,092	I think your video pretty much explains it all Sturmgewehre. http://www.youtube.com/user/Sturmgew.../0/OcFKCTfKENc Your videos are getting really good btw, I really enjoy your channel. __________________ Si vis pacem, para bellum.

July 14, 2011, 05:56 PM	#19
RC20 Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 7,014	I had a chance to test the MAK 90 AK as a result of too many things hitting the fan after a range session. 3 weeks before I cleaned it. No rust of any kind anywhere. The MAK 90 is chrome lined, and has a chrome bolt. No rust anywhere else in the gun including the piston tube. Ergo, at least that gun is not sensitive to it. However, as a result I am thinking of getting a jar to keep ammonia water mix in and doing the barrel with a brush, then Hoppes 9 and oil. Can't hurt as I want to keep the AK good.