Surplus is Dirty!

[BrianN 0]

I've been using bulgarian light steel core surplus in my mosin and boy does this stuff get your rifle dirty. I literally had to cut up an entire white t-shirt to have enough patches to clean the bore. I'm thinking about getting a .30 cal boresnake to see how they work in terms of speeding up the cleaning process. Anyone have any experience using them on exceptionally dirty bores?

[RecessedFilter 222]

A lot of people don't like boresnakes but I use them. I like that you can wash them and reuse them.

[Clintoon Eastwood 2]

I like boresnakes as well but it does get really dirty pretty quick in certain spots. Specially with the mosin, I went thru atleast 30 patches first then I thought it was clean until I ran a bore brush thru it again and it was still filthy. I just finished cleaning 2 rifles which i shot surplus corrosive ammo in. About 4-5 hours total cleaning 4 toys and a few brewskis.

 

Bore brush is the way to go in my opinion with a one piece cleaning rod.

[Tallday 10]

I like to plug the crown and put Windex in until it fills up to the breach. Then run about 8-10 patches trough it on a cleaning rod to dry it up and clean a good bit. Next I run a patch with bore cleanner let it sit for a few. then, run a few patches until clean. Finily, use J&B bore polish. it will do wonders. I know its a ton of work for an 100.00 gun but you will keep better groups and still be able to shoot cheep ammo. BTW If its "new to you" and was cosmoleaned up it may just be stuff coming out of the poors after heating up from shooting. I use break cleaner on my new surplus barrels to get all the rust and stuff out before I do normal barrel conditioning. Good Luck

[usnmars 136]

also if shooting surplus you take a very good chance of contaminating the snake with the corrosive salts and possibly transferring them to another rifle. Brush and 1pc rod is the way to go.

[usnmars 136]

after shooting corrosive i mostly use dish soap and water from the sink. Scrub away and rinse good

[Tallday 10]

You should use something with an Ammonia base to retard rusting activity from the primers in the breach and on the bolt face.

[BrianN 0]

i've been using the windex method to remove the corrosive salts before actually going to town with No. 9 and a cleaning rod. I dont mind cleaning as long as i know im doing it right and giving myself the best chance to avoid rust issues. Plus its a good excuse to sit at my workbench and enjoy a glass or two of single malt in peace and quiet =)

[Tallday 10]

i've been using the windex method to remove the corrosive salts before actually going to town with No. 9 and a cleaning rod. I dont mind cleaning as long as i know im doing it right and giving myself the best chance to avoid rust issues. Plus its a good excuse to sit at my workbench and enjoy a glass or two of single malt in peace and quiet =)

One of the reasons I love cleaning and working on my guns!!! Peace and Quite!

[WVisHome 0]

As I just posted in another thread....I just brought home a Mosin that was given to me years ago.

 

It's pitted all to hell. What should I do....just shoot it?

 

 

It's been sitting for YEARS. I tried orange cleaner, No 9, Windex....kept pulling dirty patches. I finally used WD-40...finally cleaned up. Bore's in bad shape.

[Clintoon Eastwood 2]

As I just posted in another thread....I just brought home a Mosin that was given to me years ago.

 

It's pitted all to hell. What should I do....just shoot it?

 

 

It's been sitting for YEARS. I tried orange cleaner, No 9, Windex....kept pulling dirty patches. I finally used WD-40...finally cleaned up. Bore's in bad shape.

 

Don't shoot it, it's not worth it. They are still cheap enough and readily available. Hang it up and display it.

[WVisHome 0]

I mean, I don't think it's unsafe....(especially after watching that Mosin torture test video, lol).....it's just rough.

 

I suppose it's no skin off my back, as it was free....but I'd be pretty bummed if I can't use it.

[BrianN 0]

sorry cant help you on the pitted mosin issue as mine was in great shape when i got it, but is using wd-40 a common cleaning method? would you guys recommend it? I want to try different cleaning methods but I also dont want to mix a whole bunch of solvents that will blow my room up when combined, haha

[WVisHome 0]

I can't imagine WD-40 could harm anything. It's mostly mineral spirits and mineral oil.

 

 

It seemed to work pretty well though. We use WD-40 at work...it's a great solvent.

[GRIZ 3,369]

also if shooting surplus you take a very good chance of contaminating the snake with the corrosive salts and possibly transferring them to another rifle. Brush and 1pc rod is the way to go.

 

Solve that by washing the bore snake with soap and water after shooting corrosive.

 

after shooting corrosive i mostly use dish soap and water from the sink. Scrub away and rinse good

 

Which is all you need. No magic in Windex.

 

You should use something with an Ammonia base to retard rusting activity from the primers in the breach and on the bolt face.

 

Read Hatcher's Notebook regarding using ammonia. The use of ammonia was suggested because soldiers were trobuled about using water to clean rifles. Ammonia is similar chemically. Nothing works better than water (soap helps hold the salts in suspension) followed by WD40 to displace the water (what it was designed for) and then regular cleaning.

[Frank Rizzo 59]

Plus its a good excuse to sit at my workbench and enjoy a glass or two of single malt in peace and quiet =)

 

OH yeah... love that dirty surplus... and the after party.