corrosive primer.

[scott delaney]

whats the real deal with corrosive and non corosive primers?.....
and does it really matter that much?
will corrosive last as long as non?

 

[indykid]

It is said that corrosive primers will last longer on the shelf, but I personally don't believe that the newer non-corrosives wouldn't also have a long shelf life.

As for does it matter, you bet when it comes to cleaning. After using corrosive ammo, you really need to wash the whole firearm down, inside and out to remove the corrosive salts before they cause rust to start.

 

[Drail]

Corrosive ammo ABSOLUTELY will do very bad things to steel. It's not a myth. Trust me. Use it all you want but get lazy and don't clean it very well and you may as well leave it out in the street.

 

[Aszerigan]

Primers are corrosive due to the conversion of potassium chlorate to potassium chloride when the primer burns. The resulting potassium salts fill the negative spaces in the barrel (grooves, pores, etc) and begin to wick moisture out of the air. With the effect of the potassium chloride and water on the steel, corrosion can start almost immediately.

Best way to fight it is to bring a bottle of windex with ammonia in your range bag. Finish shooting, and squirt some down the barrel. That'll give you a few hours (if not up to a day) to clean your equipment.

 

[johntheplinker]

Best way to fight it is to bring a bottle of windex with ammonia in your range bag.

Ammonia doesn't do squat for primer salts. IIRC, the salts are about 50 times more soluble in water than ammonia. Water with a little soap in it is the cheapest and easiest cleaner to use. The soap helps break the surface tension of the water to help it get into the microscopic nooks and crannies in your barrel then the water dissolves the salts and are rinsed away. The ammonia will help with metal fouling, but since window cleaner is less than 1% ammonia, I doubt there is enough to even do that.

 

[Aszerigan]

Ammonia doesn't do squat for primer salts. IIRC, the salts are about 50 times more soluble in water than ammonia. Water with a little soap in it is the cheapest and easiest cleaner to use. The soap helps break the surface tension of the water to help it get into the microscopic nooks and crannies in your barrel then the water dissolves the salts and are rinsed away. The ammonia will help with metal fouling, but since window cleaner is less than 1% ammonia, I doubt there is enough to even do that.

And... I stand corrected.

 

[sgreen3]

Ammonia doesn't do squat for primer salts. IIRC, the salts are about 50 times more soluble in water than ammonia. Water with a little soap in it is the cheapest and easiest cleaner to use. The soap helps break the surface tension of the water to help it get into the microscopic nooks and crannies in your barrel then the water dissolves the salts and are rinsed away. The ammonia will help with metal fouling, but since window cleaner is less than 1% ammonia, I doubt there is enough to even do that.

I have herd this as well, All I use is a little water and soap a few patches then oil as usual

But one thing though wouldnt hopps#9 be good for this also since when it was developed corrosive primers were normally used?

 

[zoglog]

Hoppes says on the bottle that it dissolves corrosive yuckyness. (yes that is paraphrased)

 

[sgreen3]

Hoppes says on the bottle that it dissolves corrosive yuckyness. (yes that is paraphrased)

Cool thanks for the info, Ill have to pick up some then

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Ammonia does NOT dissolve KCl in any real amounts.

Good ol' H2O is many many many times better at dissolving them.

If you just want to flush them out, then any fluid will work.

But using ammonia is worthless as a solvent in this application.


-J-

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Only 0.4 gram of KCl will dissolve in a liter of ammonia at 25C.

Whereas with water, 360 grams will dissolve in a liter of water at 25C

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KCl

 

[Classic]

It's the same kind of cleaning you would do for a black powder weapon (real black powder). Hot, hot soapy water, just as hot rinse, dry the weapon out, oil it liberally inside and out, let soak in for a while and wipe off excess oil.