shoot russian sks

[porsche]

i have a very nice russian sks from 1954, and i was thinking of shooting it. i happened on to a lot of ammo for it from Classic Arms, and i have to believe the ammo is corrosive. would you shoot this rifle?

 

[researchdoc]

I'd do it..

I certainly would....
Take a bottle of windex (or generic) with ammonia in it... once you are done shooting, spray that into the action and barrel and swab out a few times... make sure to spray all parts that would see primer salt. Then clean as normal. You should have no problems at all....
Corrosive stuff is good stuff.. and costs less... no reason to let the corrosiveness turn you off of it.... just handle it.
As for it being a nice Russian.... I don't think I could handle NOT shooting it!!

 

[sharkhunter2018]

It may or may not be corrosive. What are the headstamp markings?

Whether it's corrosive or not, I wouldn't let it bother you. Clean it with hot water it dissolve the salts and you'll be fine. After that, go about your normal cleaning process.

 

[porsche]

ammo at home, and i am working?? its the yugo 15 rd/box stuff currently being sold by samco...classic appears out. just water or windex and then clean as normal? if the rifle sits for 1hr, any adverse affect?
likewise, i have several really nice finnish m-39s i would like to shoot with the russian surplus ammo and have hesitated.

 

[jonc]

I have an m44 that I shoot regularly with corrosive ammo, I'm sure its not as nice as your russian sks but it just takes a few more minutes to clean properly. I don't see any problems with leaving it for an hour but if you are really worried you could bring some windex, a brush, and some patches with you and clean it out as soon as you are finished

 

[sharkhunter2018]

I regularly shoot surplus ammo through my Mosins and AK-74. As long as you clean it properly there won't be an issue.

In my experience, just plain hot water does the trick. Windex never did anything for me. My M44 rusted with in 2 days after cleaning with Windex. That was the first time and the last time I used Windex. IMHO, it's not worth it to waste half a bottle of Windex trying to clean a rifle when it would be better suited to clean my windows. Hot water is all you need.

Don't worry about it and blast away...

 

[Funderb]

why is there always a guy who hits the corrosive ammo threads with the "clean with ammonia based products" comment?

some people say that ammonia helps copper fouling, this is good for people who care about copper fouling.

ammonia does nothing for corrosive salts. WATER cleans salt, which is what make corrosive ammo thus.

From my experience, a wise man once helped me clean my mosin with ammonia and he assured me it would never rust.
a couple days later, the inside of my rifle looked like the surface of mars.

WATERRRRRR.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

For cleaning ANY firearm, using ANY ammo, it is HOT soapy water all the way. Water will evaporate from the hot surfaces of the metal then apply WD-40 liberally and remove excess with compressed air (if possible) then lube (very lightly) with your favorite oil. If you prefer grease that is also your choice but I don't use any.

 

[doubs43]

I've used Hoppe's #9 solvent for YEARS to clean after shooting corrosive ammo with complete satisfaction. The labels on the small bottles don't mention corrosive priming but the large bottles clearly state that it's effective for corrosive ammo. My use indicates that it is.

Older surplus US bore cleaner - if you can find it - is also formulated for corrosive primers. I have several large cans of it and it works just fine too.

 

[jonc]

the reason I mentioned the windex is because it works for me and many other people. There are millions of different ways to clean a rifle I am absolutely positive more than one works

 

[zt77]

it is no expensive rifle and certainly not that collectable.
there should be no reason not to shoot it, corrosive ammo or not.

 

[Average Joe]

I have a nice Russian, and I shoot it with corrosive all the time.

 

[doubs43]

(The Russian SKS)... is no expensive rifle and certainly not that collectable.

Prices for nice Russian SKS rifles have gone up pretty quickly as there weren't that many imported and finding them is getting more difficult. Rifles that were very common and cheap a few years ago have been bought up and are no longer that common. Nice Swedish Mausers and Finn rifles are good examples. When you can find them, they are bringing a multiple of their original prices.

IMO, the Russian SKS rifles will only increase in value as they become more difficult to find in excellent condition. My unfired (since factory refurbishment) all matching 1952 Russian SKS will stay that way as long as I own it. I have other, much more common, SKS rifles to shoot.

 

[Flash!]

I shoot my Russian sks with whatever ammo happens to be within reach when I open the closet that day.....corrosive or non corrosive....its a really good shooter

 

[Ignition Override]

My SKS only uses regular cheap Russian ammo, but with the Yugo ammo, shouldn't the owner clean the gas tube, or is there no primer chemical left, so far down the bore, to enter the tube and the piston area etc?

 

[sharkhunter2018]

Ignition - Yea. Pretty much anything the gas touches and anywhere it travels needs to be cleaned to get rid of the salts. I didn't clean the gas system on my AK-74 well enough after shooting Bulgarian surplus 5.45 and the piston rusted to the gas tube after a few days.

 

[nwilliams]

i have a very nice russian sks from 1954, and i was thinking of shooting it. i happened on to a lot of ammo for it from Classic Arms, and i have to believe the ammo is corrosive. would you shoot this rifle?

That depends if you want a collectible or a shooter.

I owned an unfired Russian SKS for a number of years and never shot it. It was in pristine condition with all matching numbers and was not a refurb. I figured that by not shooting it I would retain it's conductibility value and so I never did. I ended up selling it last year because I decided there was no point in having a safe queen if I could use that money to buy a gun I'd be willing to shoot. So I sold for a good bit more than what I paid for it and used the profit to buy a shooter.\\

As for shooting potentially corrosive ammo through it I wouldn't worry too much about it so long as you clean the gun thoroughly afterward.

 

[Reid73]

I decided there was no point in having a safe queen if I could use that money to buy a gun I'd be willing to shoot

Makes eminent sense to me.