I have come with an idea for immediate cleaning while at the range of firing corrosive ammo through the R/C 98ks and the 1903 Springfields. There has been a LONG running disscussion over the use of Windex for the Ammonia factor in removing the salts from the corrosive primers. It is my understanding that this does NOTHING for removing salts but will remove copper build up in the barrel. Now with this being said, we turn to the water portion. Water IS the key ingredient in removing the salts. Some have suggested warm, soapy water mix through the bore. Some have suggested BOILING hot water through the bore. Some have chosen the simple cold water method, then dry patching it through. I think that for the range, I am going to use a cheap, walmart garden sprayer with cold water, and dry patch it, then use my regular routine with hoppes, or Bore scrubber, etc, then the light oiling. What so you guys think. This of course is only going to be useful with the bolt action rifles. I am trying to figure out a way to do the Garand, as the gas cylinder poses another problem. Any thoughts on that would be great, as I plan on having to shoot some corrosive through the Garand in the future, as I am too stingy with the stores of Lake City that I have built up. Lets roll on this theory for a bit, shall we?
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Your method is simple and works. The salts are dissolved and flushed by the water. There is nothing complex or arcane about removing residual salts. As always oil afterwards. -
What do you fell about the gas tube on the Garand Basile? That one seems intimidating too me. I guess I could buy a plug wrench and flush from the front, or dissassemble and do it from the back side?Comment
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Disassemble and clean from back side, otherwise you run the risk of leaving moisture inside.Originally posted by Suber View PostComment
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I am thinking the same on that, and what a pain in the arse, but necessary.Comment
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The gas tube is part of normal cleaning procedure, anyway.
Takes 30 seconds to remove with the handle of the issue rod.
Or a big screwdriver.MLPComment
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Cleaning
ANother idea might be to use a 60CC syringe, make sure you get one with a "slip tip" or "cath tip" (Suber knows what I'm talking about
), that would put a lot of pressure down the bore to flush the corrosive salts and would fit nicely in the chamber with the bolt removed..... For those of you who don't work in a health care setting I would think that any good medical supply store would have a syringe. Chris.....
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Or get with me and Chris and I can mail out many 60 cc syringes!! The trouble is that you wuold need to do it multiple times to be effective, thats why I was thinking sprayer with nozzle, but putting some suction tubing on the end would almost be the perfect fit for .30 Cal. weapons!Comment
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I was "raised" shooting k98s with corrosive ammo. After the range ( I started at 8 years of age!) my dad and I would take a shallow pan with soapy warm water, stick the muzzle in the pan, and run a rod with brush/ patch from the breech side a number of times until it was clean. Then we would let it dry, and lightly oil the bore and other metal parts. We never had a problem.....
Removing the copper fouling was never a consideration until I started shooting precision rifles, such as a M1A Super Match or Steyr SSG PII.Willi
Preußens Gloria!
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Sapere audeComment
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Jeez Willi you got off to a late start!Originally posted by Willi Zahn View Post Messing with you as I started shooting and owning military rifles at age 8 as well....I actually talked my dad into helping me and developing an interest in him of military firearms rather than it being other way around.
As for the Garand gas cylinder...I thought that they were made of stainless steel? I've read recommendations from the M1 expert gurus that the removal and cleaning of these gas cylinders should be keep to a minimum......due to the darn things becoming loose on the splines!! I know that you can re-tap them to make them tighter again...but I don't like beating a rifle with a hammer too much
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Last edited by phild; 04-16-2009, 12:50 PM.Comment
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That brings up a great question, do any of you feel it necessary to clean the gas cylinder after shooting corrosive ammo though it? It is made of stainless after all, and I mostly hear only of giving the bore a good washing with warm water and/or soap.Originally posted by phild View PostJeez Willi you got off to a late start! Messing with you as I started shooting and owning military rifles at age 8 as well....I actually talked my dad into helping me and developing an interest in him of military firearms rather than it being other way around.
As for the Garand gas cylinder...I thought that they were made of stainless steel? I've read recommendations from the M1 expert gurus that the removal and cleaning of these gas cylinders should be keep to a minimum......due to the darn things becoming loose on the splines!! I know that you can re-tap them to make them tighter again...but I don't like beating a rifle with a hammer too much.Comment
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The gas cylinder might be stainless, but the barrel is not, unless it's one of the later chrome plated ones (at the end where the aperture for the gas is located). That said, you also don't want to keep taking off and putting on the cylinder to keep it from getting loose. And some ammo seems to be more corrosive than others. With a bolt action and one batch I started cleaning at the range after i finished shooting it. I got traces of rust and nasty stuff when I got home. The next day. And as I recall a third day after repeated cleanings.Originally posted by Suber View Post
What I do now is immerse the barrel end (cylinder and all) in a warm solution of water and something like a detergent to break the surface tension. Clean away, soak, maybe a little more cleaning and a rinse followed up with 100 lbs. of compressed air to blow out all the moisture. Air dry. Followed up with whatever you are comfortable with. And closeup inspections the next day and maybe one or two after with patches to see if what (if anything) they are picking up before I put it away. FPComment
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Does anyone else have any sure answer on cleaning the gas clyinder on the Garand after firing corrosive ammo? I have no issue obviously with the bore needing a good two or three scrubbings, but the gas tube? Front plug out and from the front, or full disassembly and from the rear?Last edited by Suber; 04-18-2009, 06:54 PM.Comment
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OK, back up a little bit.Originally posted by Suber View Post
As far as I know, I have NEVER seen corrosive 30-06 ammo in circulation. I think the last corrosive 30-06 ammo was made in the early '50s. Are you positive that the ammo you plan to shoot is corrosive? I'm not saying it isn't, but I've never seen any on the shooters market before.
The comment about not taking the gas cylinder apart too often is good advice. I've always heard it only needs cleaning after every 600 rounds fired.
CincylanceComment
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[quote=Cincylance;3212856]OK, back up a little bit.
As far as I know, I have NEVER seen corrosive 30-06 ammo in circulation. I think the last corrosive 30-06 ammo was made in the early '50s. Are you positive that the ammo you plan to shoot is corrosive? I'm not saying it isn't, but I've never seen any on the shooters market before.
The comment about not taking the gas cylinder apart too often is good advice. I've always heard it only needs cleaning after every 600 rounds fired.
Cincylance[/quote
I'm not an expert on what all 30-06 may be out there, but I think that as you said the US military contracts switched around the early 1950s (I want to say close to 53-54) there may have been some foreign corrosive ammo made up to much later...even the late 1970 or beyond..?
I clean the gas cylinder from the front with the operating rod to the rear and it generally takes about 3-4 easy passes and 30 seconds to get 98% of the gas-powder-carbon residue out of it...so it is more than fine to not be removed.Last edited by phild; 04-22-2009, 04:51 PM.Comment
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