How to clean an AK after corrosive ammo is fired

[Solidsnake87]

Hey there,

I'm not lazy about cleanin my guns, but I'd like to protect a $1600 investment in an AKSU-74. Should I ever have to buy corrosive ammo, what is the best way to clean the guns? I'm not worried about the carrier, bolt, or barrel/bore--those are easily cleaned. I'm worried about how one completely cleans the inside of the receiver and the gas tube area. I believe I've heard people claim that making a tub of windex and letting the gun soak in it works well. Any other ideas?

[Frijolito1988]

Pretty much. If your gonna go the tub route im not sure how the wood would react to being dumped in ammonia every other month or so ( or how ever often you shoot ).I'm not a huge fan of removing the wood furniture alot on AK's for the reason being that they are pressed in and the more you take them off and put them back on the looser the furniture will get. What I suggest is stripping the AK , clean the barrel and gas tube normally but with windex WITH AMMONIA. You dont really have to scrub hard if you do it a few hours after cleaning since its just in the surface. So if you dont percrastinate (sp) and clean it a few hours after shooting its no big deal Just clean it all good like if your cleaning it normally. The only thing difference is that when your done cleaning the vital parts with the windex , get a rag soak it with windex and just wipe down all the metal parts, dry it off, then lube it up and your good to go. Corrosive ammo is the best if your not a lazy ***.

[mountaindweller]

I have heard that right after you fire (done shooting) to spray an ammonnia based cleaner down the barrel (windex). I am thinking that it nuetralizes the corrosiveness but I don't know for sure.......then of course clean it right away when you get home or to your cleaning equip.

if youre at the range a quick spray of windex till you get home to clean thoroughly works.when you get home strip the rifle down and get a bucket or tub,fill it up with warm soapy water,and proceed to scrub the parts down.run the soapy water down the barrel and rinse the parts with clean warm water.dry the parts and barrel,the clp them up and youre done.reassemble then youre ready again.

[Solidsnake87]

Clean it with water????

[ponderosa]

+4 for Windex! http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu13.htm

[technique]

Actually, I have read on several occasions that windex is a myth...its actually the water in windex thats cleaning. Hot water is best...remove your wood and use hot watter in the gas tube and barrel areas.

Windex will not help dissolve the Potassium Chlorate salt deposits.

Ammonia-D and Ammonia do not neutralize KCl (corrosive salts). It actually helps lift the KCl off of the metal so the water can rinse it way. Nothing out there, that does not harm your rifle, will neutralize the KCl completely. Ballistol is really good at inhibiting the corrosive factors of KCL, lifting it away and gives a nice protective layer.

Okay - I AM the chemist. Salts like KCl (and NaCl - table salt) are water soluble. It's the water that dissolves the deposited salts - run enough water through the gun and it'll all be washed away. When I'm done at the range, I dump some Ballistol & water down the barrel just for 'insurance' and run a bore snake through it before I head home. After I get home, I use hot water, and a little soap to help things move along quicker. And then I clean and lube normally.

[Dirtbiker]

The reason windex work so well is that it is mostly water. The ammonia really doesnt do much for the corrosive salts.

A cheap spray bottle of water and a small amount of detergent is all you really need. Spray down barrel, piston tube, and bolt face. Clean as normal when you get home.

PS Be sure to clean the muzzle brake really well. Take it off and clean the threads too.

[B Strong]

Spray down the barrel, carrier and action with an ammonia based cleaning product immediately after finishing your range session, bring home straight away and clean with hot soapy water.

It's an AK - take the thing into the shower and show it a good time.

[Solidsnake87]

lol. Sounds good. Would letting it sit in a literal windex bath for a few hours be a bad thing??

[Ruiner]

I doesn't have to be ammonia. Ammonia does nothing to corrosive salts, its the water that does. I recommend using HOT water to clean exposed surfaces after firing. For my milsurps, I run hot water down the bore and spray down the rest (bolt face, muzzle etc) before the regular cleaning routine. A friend of mine refused to listen to me and failed to clean his M48 after shooting corrosive ammo. The resulting pile of rust gave me a nice reference for which surfaces to clean thoroughly. (bore, bolt face, muzzle) The rest of the metal will be ok with just a quick wipe down with a damp rag before oiling. The AK will be more complicated to clean due to being gas operated.

If I were to shoot corrosive ammo through my AK, I would just rinse thoroughly in in the sink with hot water. Then throroughly dry and oil. If your AK has wood furniture, you may want to disassemble that first.

[God Bless The Mauser]

I heat water on the stove until it starts to bubble then I dump it down the barrel. I just started doing this for my bolt actions when I fire corrosive and it works great just be sure you run an oiled patch through it quickly after. Haven't had a chance to do it on the AKs yet but it should work great for the gas block and gas tube which is another place that get's a lot of corrosion if not cleaned properly. I ran some Wolf through my Romanian and didn't clean it right and a few days later there was light surface rust inside the gas block.

[Solidsnake87]

Here is the cleaning routine I had in mind.

1.) Shower it off with very hot water and use a brush to assist the cleaning. With emphasis on muzzle, bolt face, ect.... I'd use a large pipe cleaner to clean the piston tube.

2.) Windex bath and windex scrub

3.) Oil and lube as normal with CLP

[God Bless The Mauser]

Originally Posted by Solidsnake87

Here is the cleaning routine I had in mind.

1.) Shower it off with very hot water and use a brush to assist the cleaning. With emphasis on muzzle, bolt face, ect.... I'd use a large pipe cleaner to clean the piston tube.

2.) Windex bath and windex scrub

3.) Oil and lube as normal with CLP

Sounds good

[Ruiner]

Originally Posted by Solidsnake87

Here is the cleaning routine I had in mind.

1.) Shower it off with very hot water and use a brush to assist the cleaning. With emphasis on muzzle, bolt face, ect.... I'd use a large pipe cleaner to clean the piston tube.

2.) Windex bath and windex scrub

3.) Oil and lube as normal with CLP

Skip the windex, it will be unecessary after the hot water.

[Solidsnake87]

Would a pressure sprayer be a good thing to follow with??

[God Bless The Mauser]

Originally Posted by Solidsnake87

Would a pressure sprayer be a good thing to follow with??

I use a compressed air gun for the really dirty stuff sometimes.

[VegasND]

You guys are amazing. I just clean them after I get home. It's the way the WWII / Korean War vets taught me when I was a kid.

All we had was cotton patches, surplus solvent, and 3-in-1.

[aplinker]

You're doing 1&2 out of order, if you want any benefit from the buffering/break-up properties of ammonia.

You're also WAY over-thinking this.

Originally Posted by Solidsnake87

Here is the cleaning routine I had in mind.

1.) Shower it off with very hot water and use a brush to assist the cleaning. With emphasis on muzzle, bolt face, ect.... I'd use a large pipe cleaner to clean the piston tube.

2.) Windex bath and windex scrub

3.) Oil and lube as normal with CLP

[fusionstar]

Id' just wipe down the piston with a warm cloth and oil it, pour some hot water down the barrel and down the gas block. maybe a large teapot full. Get your compressor, blow all the water out, dry patch it, oil it. Nothing different to regular cleaning than just using some kind of liquid that dissolves salt.


Where did you get your aksu-74?

PS: i've shot corrosive surplus for years. Only time I gotten rust was on my bayonet. Thats because I took it off and left it in the range bag and forgot about it after I shot it. Anything that hot gas touches, hit it with some warm water and wipe it down + oil it.

[Solidsnake87]

You're also WAY over-thinking this.

It might be excessive but its just water. I want to protect my $1600 investment.




I picked the 74U up from another calgunner. He had two for sale about 2 months ago.

[drummerdude1188]

So im guessing it has a perm-attached faux silencer or something, is this is the case, that corrosive **** is gonna get all up in that thing, under the threads on the FSB and really eat it up. If this is a build with a 16 bbl like the 106/7 UR's then your probably fine with the hot water. I would also advise to run half a mag or of non corrosive through the gun at the end of your range session. This is what most guys seem to do in addition to the hot water. But if you could give us more info on the gun (bbl length) it would be helpful since its obviously not an SBR. Is it a pistol?

[CSACANNONEER]

Water and dish soap are what I use to clean my muzleloaders after running black powder through them. BP is VERY corosive and dish soap is all that's needed to clean them up.

[Solidsnake87]

its a 16" bbl rifle with the fake can hiding the barrel.

[SJgunguy24]

Remember treat all commie ammo as corrosive. I make a tub of hot soapy water and go to town on anything that touches a bullet or powder. It really only takes a few minutes per guin. I try to get the water really fricken hot, it dries faster that way. Then it's mobil 1 and off to the safe.

[Beatone]

I bought some Guardian corrosive ammo neutralizer at ALLEGHENY ARSENAL.

http://www.mg34.com/Misc.html

CORROSIVE AMMO NEUTRALIZER
The original formula for the elimination of corrosive salts that are deposited on firearms when military style corrosive ammunition is used. No more "soap and water" treatment, introducing rust creating water to your firearm. Corrosive Ammo Neutralizer will remove the salts plus it will clean the burnt powders and dirt from your guns.
8 oz. Jug $9.95