Corrosive Garand Ammo?

kidsgun

December 23, 2002 11:23

I'm considering purchasing some Austrian 150 gr. FMJ manufactured in 1961. It does have Bergan primers. Does anyone know if it is corrosive? The fellow that has it tells me that he doesn't know if it is because nothing is written on any of the packaging. I'd appreciate any info. Thanks and Merry Christmas, Bill

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  kingjoey

  December 23, 2002 11:55

  With it being mfg. in 1961 couldly likely be either. Berdan preimers are usually used on milspec ammo, which is unfortunately often corrosive. Here's how you find out. Shoot about 100rds or so, let the gun sit in a damp old closet for a few months. Scrub and swab the barrel out if you pull out rust and rifling, its corrosive. If its just dirty its non-corrosive and didn't ruin your Garand[^]. You can use corrosive ammo in your rifle, just clean it thoroughly afterward to get the corrosive salts out. If that Garand is milsurp, I can guarantee its used plenty of corrosive ammo in its day. However, no one wants to pit up their barrel or gas system so clean the rifle out, rinse the parts in soapy water, and re-oil everything after shooting either way.

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  jonk

  December 23, 2002 12:44

  Get yourself a piece of steel like a washer. Make sure it ins't stainless or coated. Pull the bullet and dump the powder. Take a hacksaw or dremel tool and cut off most of the case leaving just the head and primer. Put this face down on the steel. Wearing gloves and goggles, hit the primer with a hammer and punch so the primer fires on the plate. Let the plate sit for a week or so. No rust equals non corrosive primers.
  
  Or just shoot it and clean well which is what I do. I recently got a crate of known corrosive ammo from CMP dated 1943. They said it wasn't safe to shoot but as it all looked ok and as 10 pulled bullets all showed no powder deterioration, I tried it and it works great. Just flush the action and gas system well with water and dry, then spray on the oil. Much easier to do with a bolt action though, which is primarily what I bought it for.
  
  "...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf

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  v35

  December 23, 2002 16:46

  In cleaning up the M1 after shooting corrosive ammo and scrubbing out the barrel, also remove the gas cylinder and clean the barrel end, piston end, gas port, gas cylinder interior, retaining plug and the bolt face. Hopefully your barrel will be hard chromed where it fits up to the gas cylinder. This has been an attempt to correct a weak point of the M1 in that this area corrodes undersize creating excess leakage making the barrel unserviceable. Never use steelwool or anything that would remove metal on these surfaces.

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