I always tell people that it's a terrible idea to have corrosive ammo for your SHTF stash because cleaning supplies are bulky and in finite supply. If you're going to stockpile ammo, choose something that won't wreck your gun if you can't clean it both quickly and thoroughly.
He/You will get there. Producing short and sweet, informative videos. Filling in blanks left by other content creators. This video is a good example. Keep up the great work. The last month you created a lot of positive buzz. Where applicable, I try to give this channel a mention every chance I get. Others are doin the same.
What a delight to watch your videos. High humidity, in my experience, when combined with a corrosive salt residue creates the highest concentrated solution and does the most damage. If only someone told us to rinse our cap pistols with water when we were kids.
I am absolutely blown away by your channel! You are doing amazing work on some VERY fascinating topics. I love the 2nd ammendment, I am a firearms owner and somewhat of a collector as well, and it just pleases me to my core to see someone supporting our rights in these fascinating ways. Thank you, and hello from Northern California!
@@andreahighsides7756 Unfortunately I am not Joe Rogan, but I do listen to him quite a lot. I would love to be a person like him one day, respectful, wise, eclectic, and awash in friends.
LSD-25AyahuascaDMT Definitely a very respectable man! I was mostly making a joke about your username :) 15 minutes ago I harvested the last of the wild psilocybe cyanescens. Its the first frost tonight in WA so the end of mushroom season
thecsslife The best place to look is human placed woodchips 3+ years old. Even in the city those small woodchip islands outside fast food restaurants may grow them. Its a numbers game, and all about spending more time looking. Keep at it and good luck! And always take spore prints :)
Well done video I have never seen such amazing scientific testing on firearms and ballistics with great attention to detail. It would be cool to show two identical firearms using corossive ammo types and non corrosive types. Or in future videos demonstrate your expiremental results using firearms.
I really appreciate your ability to impart useful information to others with such clarity and depth of knowledge. I wish this demonstration was presented to me 60+ years ago when I first became interested in firearms. Thank you
How it came to be in the primer is an interesting factoid. The earliest primers used mercury fulminate to fire their charges of black powder, and the black powder fouling diluted and trapped much of the mercury that was evolved when the mercury fulminate exploded. Since the black powder fouling had to be washed from the case before the cartridge could be reloaded, the effect of the mercury on the brass was minimal. That changed with the advent of smokeless powder, which left much less residue. The problem with mercury and brass is the mercury forms an amalgam with the copper. That left the brass cases weakened and prone to breakage when they were next fired, as the zinc was brittle without the copper to strengthen it and the copper amalgam was weaker than the copper. Once the US Army found the cause of the embrittlement, they reformulated primers to use a non-mercuric priming mix. The reasoning was the Potassium chloride left in the bore by firing the primers was less troublesome to deal with than the metallic mercury the mercuric primers left.
I shoot a lot of corrosive ammo out of my Ak74&47, and my Mausers and Nagants. Also out of my Nagant pistol as well, I never have a problem with corrosion because the first thing I do when I get back from the range (corrosive ammo or not) is clean my weapons. And for corrosive ammo, what I use, and I got this from my USMC vet and gunsmith father, hot soapy water. I've never had any corrosion issues and all my firing pins and internals look great. Just make sure you dry it out well, wipe it down, and then oil or put your white lithium grease (what I use) as you normally would after it's been wiped dry. All the firearms I use corrosive ammo out of have been fine, you just gotta clean them a little more if that's what you want to do or you'll regret it.
Very informative, thanks a lot. Great video. I always clean my guns after shooting corrosive ammo but I have often wondered how fast the corrosion would set in if I didn't.
Well done 👍🏻 From personal experience with surplus Russian ammunition from the 60’s that used the mercuric primers, the corrosion will start much faster than sample #2. The simple way to stop the corrosion is to wipe the bore and bolt with a patch soaked in glass cleaner and then clean the gun as normal with the bore cleaner of your choice.
I see that being very effective, since glass cleaner is water based, and the corrosive reidues are water soluble. The surfactants probably help as well. Thabks for sharing
What a goober. No Soviet mil-surp ammo came with mercuric primers. As late as the 90's former Warsaw Pact countries were still using potassium chlorate primers for military ammo.
dbmail545 since I don’t have a bunch of stupid letters after my name like PhD or anything, took shop class in high school instead of chemistry, and am totally unfamiliar as to what the Russians used for priming compound, I guess I’ll have to defer to the biggest asshole in the room. I only know how to keep the barrels from rusting by using the same information my grandfather, who was in Korea, taught me to use. So thanks for the information dickhead!
A nice scientific experiment without and testosterone induced rants. Pure firearms facts. Very nice BB! This is exactly why I always use a gallon of hot water to clean my Mosin barrel after using surplus ammo. After the water run a dry rag a few times through and then one with oil. Nice and clean. It's how I've kept my Mosin in such good condition for so long.
Is cleaning the bore of my rifle with just really hot water adequate for dissolving the corrosive salts? I heard people say to use windex because it has ammonia. But really windex works because it is largely water based. I typically put a spray bottle with really hot water down into the chamber and spray the barrel. Then blow the gun and barrel with an air compressor to speed drying and get out excess fouling. Then I clean the bore with solvent and patches. Is that overkill? I could probably go without the air compressor part. I have heard in the past people just used really hot water because that is all they had.
Great information! I was surprised the black powder had no signs of corrosion. When I shoot old surplus ammo that's corrosive I just run some water down the barrel and action of the firearm I used, I previously used Windex as I heard you need the ammonia inside the Windex to neutralize the corrosive salts. I now only use water, Windex is unnecessary.
Corrosive ammo does not ruin firearms. It's lack of proper cleaning/care by the user. Corrosive ammo was used for decades by militaries the world over and yet you can still buy the firearms in usable condition. JUST CLEAN YOUR GUN WHEN YOUR DONE SHOOTING LIKE YOUR SUPPOSED TO
I used some adverts when I first created the channel. I mainly put them on the Forgotten weapons channel, so that I could somehow contribute to their amazing channel
It was surface rust, but there are places where corrosion is faster, so those parts will tend over time to sink more than the rest, creating pits, but not as well defined as proper pitting
Black powder fowling is hydroscopic which is why it has the reputation it does for needing to be cleaned. in a high humidity environment it will hold the moisture against the metal. it does very little in dry environments when non corrosive primers are used. if you want to see why it had the terrible reputation that it does set a sample with the black powder and corrosive priming compound. the fowling will hold the moisture and contain the salts.
Back in the day, I only shot surplus corrosive ammo out of my 8mm Yugo Mauser. When we got home from the range, I removed the bolt, inverted the gun in a bucket of hot, soapy water and brushed thoroughly. Followed by a clean water rinse and regular cleaning and oiling. Man those days were good.
In my case, shooting corrosive STV ammo through AKM, all it took was 4 hours of condensation to make visible, permanent black marks on my gas piston. No other part has corroded that way.
I watched it a few times. I feel like your conclusion and ending was too fast and abrupt. I had to watch it a few times and it would kick to the next video too suddenly. Great video tho ty
Remember, there was no such things a 'Corrosive' primers before Remington invented their non-corrosive "Kleanbore' primers. Only after this do we start referring to primers as corrosive or non-corrosive, mostly following WWII. Why? Because the military were reluctant to jump on a bandwagon that had no track record of how long these new primers last in storage. The first US use of non-corrosive primers came about with the adoption of the US M1 Carbine. The Ordnance folks recognized that the carbine's short piston action would be very vulnerable if not kept clean, a difficult thing under combat conditions. This is why you seldom encounter a M1 Carbine with a bad bore. I've been firing both types for over fifty-years. I never experienced bore rust problems except for the one instance when I deliberately did not proper clean a rifle bore after firing corrosive ammo. I was planning on replacing the rifle's barrel, and wanted to see the result. The best way to properly clean 'Corrosive' primers is to use hot water or WWII era US Bore Cleaner. This type of primer residue requires a water based solution that will dissolve the salt like crystals in the bore, oil does not do it. :)
I use mostly corrosive ammo in my 8mm Mauser. To clean it I give the inside of the barrel a swab with a strong dish soap solution. Then pull the bolt, turn it so the muzzle is pointing down, and blast it was the steamer on my coffee maker. Wait until I see clean water coming out, then clean like normal. Be warned, the barrel gets very hot using this technique.
Mercury fulminate also has the downside of decaying into mercury cyanate over time. Chemical composition remains the same, it's the molecular structure that changes over time, rendering such primers unusable.
Excellent work. My shotgun showed these same signs when I shot certain ammunition. Another reason not to buy that kind anyway. Any good clay pigeon shooting around where you live?
I am definitely not an expert in clay pigeon (euphemism for "I suck badly at it"), but it used to be extremely popular where I live. It still is to an extent, but I would say that target shooting has surpassed it in popularity
Black powder must be confined to produce the "coke" which is harmful to steel. 60% humidity? That's like North Florida in the winter. After shooting corrosively primed 7n6 I saw rust specks on the BCG left in the white in under 48 hours. 80% humidity is more common in the summer.
Hope you can do more vids like this comparing different finishes as well. Ex. Cold bluing vs different powders, then hot blued, blued + oil. Etc Though obviously if you dont take care of your tools and keep them clean theyll weather lol.
This is why I sold (what was left of) my SKS and TT-33. They were important steps in my "gun career" but cleaning a gun for an hour after shooting it is a big pain. Also, I forgot to clean my SKS once and it never worked the same again. In the unlikely event I buy another Russian gun, it will never have corrosive ammo through it.
Matthew Millar Cleaning for an hour? Dude you swab the bore, gastube and wipe off the bolt with some oil. It’s not rocket science and if a peasant farmer from the Ukraine can somehow keep his rifle clean and in working order you definitely can. To add to this, most SKSs have chrome lined barrels which makes them even easier to clean.
Hello Carlos I hav a weird question😂 if you shoot corrosive ammunition though a gun, and put it in a gun safe could the corrosive salts evaporate and corrode other guns and the gun safe? Or is it impossible?
How would you know if you have "corrosive primers," an how old exactly is "old ammunition." The safest bet, is more or less to clean your gun and barrel well after any shooting session..
"on day 15, the modern powder and primer mixture shows no signs of corrosion" *looks at AR upper i'v not cleaned in like 5k rounds* your doing good buddy.
Just pour some water down the barrel and the gas tube right after shooting. That neutralizes the corrosive salts good enough - at least good enough for a cheap ak ;-)
Sorry for the month's-long response.....on their box, it will state "Non-Corrosive". if they are. All my Wolf and Tula ammo in different grains and types (fmj, HP etc) I've bought since 1992 have said 'non-corrosive'.
That's why I try not to use Berdan primers on my milsurps. Although I *do* have a box of Mauser ammo that I need to double-check. Or at least make sure I clean the rifle right after I shoot it...
I have shot tons of corrosive ammo with absolutely no problems. After shooting just rinse with soapy water, then clean and relube as usual. The salts absorb moisture, causing corrosion. During dry weather I've gone days before cleaning without without any rust.
In the 80s and 90s we had Chinese 7.62x39 ammo here with corrosive primers. Very inexpensive and we shot lots of rounds. It trashed a few firearms that weren't cleaned after use. I thought it was because the primers used a mercury basesd compound. Or was potassium chlorate used in conjunction with mercury? Whatever the case we blamed "mercuric primers"
I find Pyrodex black powder substitute to be considerably more corrosive than black powder. The manufacturer advertises that it is cleaner than black powder, in a sense that is correct because Pyrodex is considerably more energetic than black powder by weight, it is also less dense, so an equal volume charge can be expected to produce less residue than black powder since less weight is being burned. However, I find the Pyrodex residue is more difficult to clean and more corrosive. The formula for Pyrodex is essentially the same as black powder, however in addition to the standard ingredients it contains potassium perchlorate, which I believe is the source of the extra energy as well as the source of Pyrodex's extra corrosive effect. Note that Pyrodex is easily available, works well in percussion weapons, and is inexpensive compared to black powder, and the additional source of corrosion is of no consequence if the weapon is cleaned promptly after use. I sometimes do not promptly clean after use, and find myself much better off using real black powder. Triple Seven powder is based on sugar rather than charcoal, lacks sulfer, and also contans perchlorate. It is rather expensive, but I find thie cost is offset by the fact that it is higher energy than both standard black powder or pyrodex, thus less is required to achieve a given bullet velocity, so a pound of Triple Seven will last longer than Pyrodex or standard black powder when you reduce charges as recommended by the maufacturer. I find use of Triple seven reduces fouling compared to other options, yet still tends to be corrossive compared to black powder thus prompt cleaning is recommnded. I would enjoy a video comparing both the volume of fouling and the corrosive effect of the various black powder substitutes with black powder itself. My favourite choice of propellant is Olde Eynsford black powder. It is comparable to Swiss but costs less. It is approximately as energetic as Triple Seven and burns cleaner than standard black powder. I also find the fouling to be less corrosive than other choices. I have neglected cleaning at times with Olde Eynsford, at times for weeks, and gotten away with it and escaped serious corrosion. Not recommended though. I also find the cleaning easier. Another subject for a video - the ease of solubility of the fouling various propellant choices, or more simply put, the ease of cleaning. There should be a scientific way to measure that. Cheers, and thanks for the video.
Florida has humidity that never goes below 40% relative and is frequently higher. I shot 7n6 through my gun, cleaned and oiled it thoroughly but saw corrosion within 48 hours. Water is your friend.
First step if you have corrosive ammunition and you use it as soon as you're done using the ammunition you clean the rifle you clean it very thoroughly and then you have no problems you don't shoot crows of ammunition and then wait months to clean it no you clean it right afterwards that's why I've called corrosive ammunition
The literature says that corrosion will start at around 50% humidity in a fired rifle using corrosive ammo it would be interesting to set up another experiment to see how fast corrosion occurs at different levels of humidity
I live in a country where gun possession is controlled to a point where only the relatively wealthy can afford it. Almost all of my firearms knowledge comes from RU-vid. While I learned a whole lot about the way firearms function on other channels, it is yours which gives me the actual scientific knowledge of how ammunition works. You have opened my eyes and cleared so many misconceptions other sources have imprinted on me. For that, I am eternally grateful.
The primers in old black power rounds had mercury in them. That caused the brass cases to be weakened in the case of reloading. This also causes corrosion in the barrels and other parts of the gun.
