Hoppes 9 and Corrosive Ammo in Milsurps?

[rocketman]

Is Hoppes 9 any good for corrosive ammo residue? I know it SHOULD be. But is it really?

I used to use Windex or soapy water at the range when I shot a lot of corrosive surplus ammo back when it was cheap. I followed up with hoppes 9 and oil when I got home. Sometimes I just went home and used that milky white army surplus bore cleaner. I never had any corrosion issues back then.

Nowadays when I shoot corrosive, I just scrub extra passes with my standard procedure of brush, hoppes 9 patches, and oil. I'd say I do 4 passes or so with the brush then up to about 10 passes of alternating wet and dry Hoppes solvent patches. Then a soaking wet patch with oil.

However, I think this is the fourth time I've pulled a gun out of the safe with rust spots in the bore that was recently (within a year) fired with corrosive ammo. The first time it happened I did the hoppes9 routine all over again, and some time later, more spots appeared. This has happened to rifles in the garage safe with good humidity control as well as rifles that were stored in the indoor safe.

So what's the deal? Do the steel jacketed bullets leave steel fouling that rusts? Does Hoppes just not get the salts out?

 

[JEVapa]

I use Shooters or hoppes then use a copper remover like Sweets or Barnes and follow it up again with Shooters. They have ammonia and tend to neutralize the corrosive residue. All my guns going in the safe for awhile gets break free or something down the bore.

Nothing wrong with windex and h2o, just dry it and hit it with Shooters or something to displace the h2o

 

[trbii]

Bought 2-3 cases of Berdan primed corrosive 9MM steel jacketed ball ammo, Cezch made, back in the early 1980’s. Cheaply priced, great fun shooting. Cleaned and lubed pistol with Hoppes No. 9, and Breakfree CLP. Never saw any rust spots anywhere until the weekend I visited a buddy in Wagner, shot all afternoon, evening, was in a rush to get to partying, laid the piece under my car seat until the next day. Was dismayed to see rust spots ALL OVER my weapon, including inside the bore. Never delayed maintenance again. Managed to clean, scrub it all off. Scared me. With corrosive ammo, the lesson to me was, clean and lube immediately, before fun time, slack time.

 

[panayoti]

I always heard that the corrosive by products are water soluable and that oil won't remove it. I use balistol mixed with water for black powder guns. Smells really nice . Should work with corrosive ammo.

 

[WoodsCraft]

Hot water and soap or the old milky USGI bore cleaner are the best ways to clean a bore after you have shot corrosive ammo.

 

[rocketman]

Hot water and soap or the old milky USGI bore cleaner are the best ways to clean a bore after you have shot corrosive ammo.

I used to use the milky USGI stuff ONLY with success. Why I'm not getting the same results with Hoppes I have no clue.

 

[WoodsCraft]

I used to use the milky USGI stuff ONLY with success. Why I'm not getting the same results with Hoppes I have no clue.

Because Hoppes isn't the same formulation as the milky Stuff and I think they have changed Hoppes from what it once was .

 

[GC7]

I used to hose out my Mosin in the bath tub with the shower sprayer. Super hot water to flush out the corrosive salts and then it would dry quickly because the water basically flash evaporated.

 

[Firpo]

I use Ballistol for my BP revolvers and when I’ve fired corrosive ammo.

 

[JEVapa]

I used to use the milky USGI stuff ONLY with success. Why I'm not getting the same results with Hoppes I have no clue.

You can use a bore solvent like Hoppes or Shooters for carbon. Bore cleaner doesn't neutralize the salts from the corrosive primers like Sweets does. Ammonia base copper solvent like Sweets, and then rinse or swab with a bore cleaner again. Then oil bore for storage.

The milky GI bore cleaner, just like the old milky Break-Free (original) neutralizes the salts somewhat; they had aa detergent in it. You still had to punch the bore to remove it.