How to Clean a Rifle Barrel From Corrosive Ammo

Corrosive ammo can damage the inside of the rifle barrel.

Cleaning a rifle barrel after using corrosive ammo is necessary to remove the mercurial salts contained in the cartridge primer. These salts coat the barrel when the rifle is fired and can pit and rust the barrel unless cleaned off. Ammo produced after the 1950s has a primer made with lead azide, which is a noncorrosive compound. Ammunition produced before the 1950s contains mercury fulminate or potassium chloratemade, which contain corrosive salts. This ammo is less expensive than noncorrosive ammo, but to avoid damage, clean the rifle barrel within eight hours of firing corrosive ammo.

Things You'll Need

• Rifle cleaning rod
• Hot water
• Detergent with ammonia
• Cleaning patches
• Gun cleaning solvent
• Brass bore brush
• Gun oil

Instructions

1. Make certain the rifle is not loaded, and remove the bolt.

2. Heat a pint of water to boiling and add 1 tbsp. of household liquid dishwashing detergent containing ammonia.

3. Assemble the correct-size rifle cleaning rod for your rifle's caliber and attach the patch holder to the end. Insert the correct-size patch for the rifle's caliber into the patch holder and immerse it in the hot soapy water.

4. Run the soaked patch up and down through the barrel 15 times, stopping to change the patch when it becomes soiled. While cleaning the barrel, re-soak the patch three or four times, or as needed, in the hot soapy water.

5. Remove the soapy patch from the rifle cleaning rod and insert a dry patch. Run this patch, and others as necessary, through the barrel until the patch comes up dry.

6. Soak a clean patch in a gun-cleaning solvent that contains ammonia and is designed to remove copper and lead deposits. Run the patch through the barrel two to three times until the barrel is wet.

7. Attach a brass bore brush on the end of the cleaning rod, insert it in the barrel and run it up and down 15 times.

8. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 to ensure that all of the corrosive salts are removed and the barrel will not be damaged.

9. Repeat Step 6 one more time.

10. Place a clean, dry patch on the cleaning rod and run it up and down the barrel, changing out the patch as it becomes wet. Continue until the patch comes up clean and dry.

11. Oil the barrel with oil designed to inhibit rust, available from sporting goods stores.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean the rifle barrel from the breech end of the barrel whenever possible to keep soiled solvent from being pushed down into the action.

• Always inspect the rifle barrel while cleaning for cracks or excessive wear.

• Exercise caution when pushing the cleaning rod down the barrel. Push it straight down so as not to damage the crown of the muzzle where the bullet exits, because this can affect accuracy.

References

• Ben Sansing: Not-the-Enfield-FAQ