Corrosive ammo + stainless steel + not cleaning for a few days = ?

B

Bernie Lomax

New member
Well, it looks like I've got a problem.

I just got done ringing in the New Year with a few blanks fired from my revolver, a cherry stainless steel Speed Six that was barely used and in pristine condition when I got it. Problem is, I just noticed that these blanks are corrosive. I had assumed that they were was non-corrosive, since I thought that all domestically-manufactured ammo has been non-corrosive for decades now, but I guess I was wrong. Unfortunately, I don't have a bore brush to clean with and can't get one for a few days, at least.

Anyway, my question is this: if I leave it for a few days (maybe even a week) without cleaning, is it going to do any substantial damage to my gun? I know that stainless steel is not totally impervious to rust, but it is much more resistant, correct? Am I screwed or not? (Please tell me I'm not.)

TIA for any input anyone can give me.
 
What, you don't believe Work?

The corrosive compound is potassium chloride and you can get chloride stress cracking even in stainless, especially the free-machining stuff they make gun barrels out of. Find something to wet clean and dry it with right away.
 
It is stain-less, not stain-none.

Chloride is one of the common things that can cause many grades of stainless to corrode.

Sweat or chlorate (corrosive) primers are a couple common cources.

It often appears as a white roughening on the surface of the staiuless.

Some hot water (get the gun as hot as the water to aid faster drying).

Keep in mind that some action parts may NOT be stainless (it makes lousy springs).
 
the ammonia in the winded will neutralize the corrosive primers.
Click to expand...

Ammonia may be able to do a number of thingds, but "netralizing" the chloride ion is not one of them.

The water carrying the ammonia will help wash the chloride away though (and the surfactants aid in getting through any oil on the surface)..
 
It should be cleaned daily when fired. If you KNOW the ammo was corrosive it really needs to be taken care of. The fact that it's "stainless" really doesn't mean anything when it comes to corrosiuon on a gun. It only means it is "resistant" to the sweat from your hands or a little bit of rain and even then I have seen guys who can rust stainless in an hour or two after just holding it in their sweaty hand.
 
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