Do any of the handgun ammo from Russia and/or East Europe (read 9x18 Makarov, etc.) contain corrosive primers or other corrosive components? This type of ammo, including Wolf, have a different smell when fired than the ammo manufactured in the U.S. and Western Europe. Are they non-corrosive, or should corrosive components be a concern when purchasing this type of ammo?
Corrosive ammo?
- Thread starter Loupgarou
- Start date
The Wolf cases are coated with some type of lacquer. They are dirty a hell but they are not corrosive (at least the 9mm boxes are marked as such). The green box Novosibirsk & the Barnul are marked as non-corrosive. My shooting partner is a mechanical engineer and he says that the Russian Maks (I don't know about the EG or Bulgies) have a chrome barrel which was pretty standard for the old Soviet Block countries to negate the use of corrosive ammo.
Mike Irwin
Staff
Snowdogs's right.
And that reminds me. I shot my new Lee-Enfield with suspect ammo yesterday and have forgotten to clean it! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I'd hate to screw up the bore on that one. It's BEAUTIFUL.
As for the odd smell, I think Wolfe ammo uses a propellant that is heavily ammonia based. That's what it smells like to me.
And that reminds me. I shot my new Lee-Enfield with suspect ammo yesterday and have forgotten to clean it! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I'd hate to screw up the bore on that one. It's BEAUTIFUL.
As for the odd smell, I think Wolfe ammo uses a propellant that is heavily ammonia based. That's what it smells like to me.
Pretty stinky stuff.Sorry, Snowdog, but I don't fully agree with your rule of thumb.
Up to the 1930's almost all U.S. ammo (Boxer primed) used potassium chlorate primers. Some used mercuric primers which weren't corrosive, but destroyed the brass case. After WWII, most commercial loaders in the U.S. switched to non-corrosive, non-mercuric primers, but the U.S. military did not convert until 1952 and loaded some special ammo with corrosive primers even after that.
Many foreign nations continued use of corrosive primers in military ammo for years after that, so being suspicious of any but commercial foreign ammo is a good idea. AFAIK, the commercial ammo being imported is all non-corrosive, but surplus military, except NATO 7.62x51, should be suspect.
Why did the military retain corrosive primers so long after commercial companies switched over? Because the potassium chlorate primer mix was extremely stable, and was usually unaffected by time or storage conditions. With billions of rounds in store at various times and under various conditions, this was of considerable concern to the military. Non-corrosive primers have turned out to be stable as well, but in the WWII era they had not established enough of a "track record" for the military to be sure, so U.S. WWII production (except for .30 carbine) was all corrosive.
Jim
Up to the 1930's almost all U.S. ammo (Boxer primed) used potassium chlorate primers. Some used mercuric primers which weren't corrosive, but destroyed the brass case. After WWII, most commercial loaders in the U.S. switched to non-corrosive, non-mercuric primers, but the U.S. military did not convert until 1952 and loaded some special ammo with corrosive primers even after that.
Many foreign nations continued use of corrosive primers in military ammo for years after that, so being suspicious of any but commercial foreign ammo is a good idea. AFAIK, the commercial ammo being imported is all non-corrosive, but surplus military, except NATO 7.62x51, should be suspect.
Why did the military retain corrosive primers so long after commercial companies switched over? Because the potassium chlorate primer mix was extremely stable, and was usually unaffected by time or storage conditions. With billions of rounds in store at various times and under various conditions, this was of considerable concern to the military. Non-corrosive primers have turned out to be stable as well, but in the WWII era they had not established enough of a "track record" for the military to be sure, so U.S. WWII production (except for .30 carbine) was all corrosive.
Jim
Mike Irwin
Staff
Mercuric primers in US military ammo were a thing of the past by 1900, and in US commercial ammo by WW I. Most of those still loaded with mercuric primers at that time were the black powder rounds, where the mercury wasn't as much of an issue. It would be EXTREMELY unusual to find mercuric primers loaded in general US ammo after WW I.
The exception to that was that certain runs of ammo, usually match ammo, have been run with mercuric and corrosive primers as late as the 1970s. The boxes have warnings printed on them in red, warning that the brass is not to be reused and that the gun needs to be cleaned after firing.
Eley Tenex match ammo for .22s didn't switch to non-mercuric/non-corrosive until the change from the paper box to the plastic box sometimes in the 1980s. I know a number of match shooters who hoard supplies of paper box Tenex ammo for large matches like Camp Perry.
Any ammo made to NATO specification, and marked with the cross in the circle, is by NATO standard non-corrosive and non-mercuric.
The exception to that was that certain runs of ammo, usually match ammo, have been run with mercuric and corrosive primers as late as the 1970s. The boxes have warnings printed on them in red, warning that the brass is not to be reused and that the gun needs to be cleaned after firing.
Eley Tenex match ammo for .22s didn't switch to non-mercuric/non-corrosive until the change from the paper box to the plastic box sometimes in the 1980s. I know a number of match shooters who hoard supplies of paper box Tenex ammo for large matches like Camp Perry.
Any ammo made to NATO specification, and marked with the cross in the circle, is by NATO standard non-corrosive and non-mercuric.
Anyone know if Norinco .223 ammo is corrosive?
While firing some rounds, I noted a distinct ammonia smell.
Does this mean the ammo was corrosive? I've heard rumors that some Norinco ammo had corrosive primers.
If so, what's the best way to clean my chrome lined bbl. AR?
Thanks
While firing some rounds, I noted a distinct ammonia smell.
Does this mean the ammo was corrosive? I've heard rumors that some Norinco ammo had corrosive primers.
If so, what's the best way to clean my chrome lined bbl. AR?
Thanks
Mike Irwin
Staff
I've never encountered any Norinco branded (the red & black box) that is corrosive, but some of the military surplus brough in under the Norinco banner certainly could be.
The ammonia smell is a component of the powder, not the primer.
The ammonia smell is a component of the powder, not the primer.