Cleaning your rifle after shooting!
(This is not initial cleaning, see below for "Initial Cleaning")
Clean you rifles after shooting in a timely manner. Doesn't matter if it is corrosive ammo or not. Any rifle or handgun should be cleaned as soon as possible after shooting. You don't have to panic and do it at the range, these are battle rifles and can handle it for a reasonable amount of time. They did during WWII! Corrosive ammo makes it more important to do, but is perfectly safe for the firearm to use.There is a nice cleaning article in our "Information Area" on how to break the rifle down.
http://www.russian-mosin-nagant-forum.c ... index.html
Be careful to either protect your wood from water and solvents or cleaners, or better yet, remove the stock before cleaning.
[hr]
What you need to know about corrosive ammo and cleaning:
First: You have to get the salts out first. The salts come from the primer, not the powder. Water removes salt, but will have trouble with the powders and fouling. Boiling or very hot water works faster and better, but even cold water will remove all of the salts if used long enough and properly. Remember to clean the bolt also, not just the bore. Windex is OK, but it is the water that works in it, not the ammonia. The Ammonia does nothing to the salts. But the Ammonia can help clean the powder residue (but not the salts). Send the water down the barrel. Wasting your money on fancy cleaners to do it is not necessary. They will not clean the salts any better than plain cold water and just add to the costs. No matter what you use, (water, Windex, or any water based cleaners), you still must do the next step to clean the powders.
Second: you need to "clean the rifle" (powders and fouling), so you need a cleaner. Any good gun cleaner will work (or you can make your own...see "Ed's Red" below) I use Hoppies #9, but there are many that work quite well. Clean using patches soaked in your bore cleaner and clean the rifle from the receiver end. Cleaning it from the mussel end can damage the "crown" and that could effect accuracy. Using a good cleaning rod is a good idea also. Most will use a composite one piece cleaning rod, but others are acceptable. Finish off with dry patches.
Third: you then need to protect the rifle. Oil it. Use a good rifle oil. Any rifle oil will do, and there will be controversy as to which is best, but for short term storage, most of them work OK. Oil all metal parts lightly. I use "Break Free" but there are many good oils on the market. Put some on a patch and send it down the receiver end of the bore. Before firing the next time, make sure you run a few dry patches down the barrel to remove that oil (before shooting)
Don't forget to clean the bolt head and the magazine follower!
[hr]
Remember: (for cleaning after shooting)
Carburetor cleaner is for carburetors. It can remove paint used by the soviets on the metal work, and it devastating to shellac on the stock. Not recommended.
Brake cleaner is for brakes. It can remove paint used by the soviets on the metal work, and it devastating to shellac on the stock. If you do use it, be very careful.
Gun cleaner is for guns. But test your cleaner on a small hidden area of your metal, especially if it has painted parts. Always do this first!
A good cleaning rod. One that will allow you to clean your rifle from the breach side is good. Do not use the cleaning rod that came with it. It will only work from the muzzle end and is too hard and can do damage after a while.
Ed's Red Home Made Cleaner:
CONTENTS: Ed's Red Bore Cleaner
1 part Dexron II, IIe or III ATF, GM Spec. D-20265 or later.
1 part Kerosene - deodorized, K1
1 part Aliphatic Mineral Spirits, Fed. Spec. TT-T-2981F, CAS
#64741-49-9, or may substitute "Stoddard Solvent", CAS #8052-41-3, or
equivalent, (aka "Varsol")
1 part Acetone, CAS #67-64-1.
(Optional up to 1 lb. of Lanolin, Anhydrous, USP per gallon, OK to
substitute Lanolin, Modified, Topical Lubricant, from the drug store)
MIXING INSTRUCTIONS FOR "ER" BORE CLEANER:
Mix outdoors, in good ventilation. Use a clean 1 gallon metal,
chemical-resistant, heavy gage PET or PVC plastic container. NFPA
approved plastic gasoline storage containers are also OK. Do NOT use
HDPE, which is permeable, because the acetone will eventually evaporate.
The acetone in ER will also attack HDPE, causing the container to
collapse, making a heck of a mess!
Add the ATF first. Use the empty container to measure the other
components, so that it is thoroughly rinsed. If you incorporate the
lanolin into the mixture, melt this carefully in a double boiler, taking
precautions against fire. Pour the melted lanolin it into a larger
container, rinsing the lanolin container with the bore cleaner mix, and
stirring until it is all dissolved.
I recommend diverting a small quantity, up to 4 ozs. per quart of the
50-50 ATF/kerosene mix for optional use as an "ER-compatible" gun oil.
This can be done without impairing the effectiveness of the remaining
mix.
LABEL AND NECESSARY SAFETY WARNINGS:
RIFLE BORE CLEANER CAUTION: FLAMMABLE MIXTURE
HARMFUL IF SWALLOWED. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
1. Flammable mixture. Keep away from heat, sparks or flame.
2. FIRST AID, If swallowed DO NOT induce vomiting, call physician
immediately. In case of eye contact immediately flush thoroughly with
water and call a physician. For skin contact wash thoroughly.
3. Use with adequate ventilation. Avoid breathing vapors or spray mist.
It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner
inconsistent with its labelling. Reports have associated repeated and
prolonged occupational overexposure to solvents with permanent brain and
nervous system damage. If using in closed armory vaults lacking forced
air ventilation wear respiratory protection meeting NIOSH TC23C or
equivalent. Keep container tightly closed when not in use.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING "Ed's Red (ER)" Bore Cleaner:
1. Open the firearm action and ensure the bore is clear. Cleaning is
most effective when done while the barrel is still warm to the touch
from firing. Saturate a cotton patch with bore cleaner, wrap or impale
on jag and push it through the bore from breech to muzzle. The patch
should be a snug fit. Let the first patch fall off and do not pull it
back into the bore.
2. Wet a second patch, and similarly start it into the bore from the
breech, this time scrubbing from the throat area forward in 4-5" strokes
and gradually advancing until the patch emerges out the muzzle. Waiting
approximately 1 minute to let the bore cleaner soak will improve its
action.
3. For pitted, heavily carbon-fouled "rattle battle" guns, leaded
revolvers or neglected bores a bronze brush wet with bore cleaner may be
used to remove stubborn deposits. This is unnecessary for smooth,
target-grade barrels in routine use.
4. Use a final wet patch pushed straight through the bore to flush out
loosened residue dissolved by Ed's Red. Let the patch fall off the jag
without pulling it back into the bore. If you are finished firing,
leaving the bore wet will protect it from rust for 1 year under average
conditions.
5. If the lanolin is incorporated into the mixture, it will protect the
firearm from rust for up to two years. For longer term storage I
recommend use of Lee Liquid Alox as a Cosmolene substitute. "ER" will
readily remove hardened Alox or Cosmolene.
6. Wipe spilled Ed's Red from exterior surfaces before storing the gun.
While Ed's Red is harmless to blue and nickel finishes, the acetone it
contains is harmful to most wood finishes).
7. Before firing again, push two dry patches through the bore and dry
the chamber, using a patch wrapped around a suitably sized brush or jag.
First shot point of impact usually will not be disturbed by Ed's Red if
the bore is cleaned as described.
8. I have determined to my satisfaction that when Ed's Red is used
exclusively and thoroughly, that hot water cleaning is unnecessary after
use of Pyrodex or military chlorate primers. However, if bores are not
wiped between shots and shots and are heavily caked from black powder
fouling, hot water cleaning is recommended first to break up heavy
fouling deposits. Water cleaning should be followed by a thorough flush
with Ed's Red to prevent after-rusting which could result from residual
moisture. It is ALWAYS good practice to clean TWICE, TWO DAYS APART
whenever using chlorate primed ammunition, just to make sure you get all
the corrosive residue out.
This "Recipe" is placed in the public domain, and may be freely
distributed provided that it is done so in its entirely with all current
revisions, instructions and safety warnings included herein, and that
proper attribution is given to the author.
In Home Mix We Trust, Regards, Ed
There are many ways to clean a rifle safely. This is just one of them. Usually this topic will launch a bunch of controversy, but most of the ways all work well. This is intended to offer one alternative to the beginner that works and is inexpensive (water is free). It is proven by many collectors and shooters that have many many years cleaning rifles, and has proven safe. But you should always approach any cleaning method with caution and go slowly and prove every ingredient that anyone suggest on a small hidden area of your rifle. It's your rifle and your responsibility to make sure nothing harms it. Take your time.
.
.
Thanks Darryl. I know it took a while to put this together and it covers it all.
, just 
stick a 20 gauge bore brush on the end of the rod, wrap it with OOOO size steel wool, soak the wool with bore solvent or JB bore paste and drill it into the chamber for a minute, do not go into the rifling. This will clean out the crud stuck to the chamber walls, repeat as necessary.
