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"Dirty Ammunition"

5K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  Boris 
#1 ·
I've seen a good number of posts complaining about "dirty ammunition".
Could some of you experienced shooters tell this "revolver rookie" what manufacturers are some of the worst offenders so they can be avoided in the future. I am currently using .38 SPL, .327, .32S&W, 32H&R, 22LR, 22WMR and .30 M1 carbine.

Regards,

HAM
 
#2 ·
most of "my" dirty ammo, is from reloads I buy bulk at gun shows ... I haven't had issues with major brands, but have had issues with some russian bulk sardine tin ammo for my Maadi, but sold all of it (3k+) along with the Maadi ...
 
#4 ·
For .38 Spl, I've fired a lot of brands, all of it brass cased. The American stuff is pretty clean regardless of brand. Fiocchi's pretty good, too.

Do you perchance reload? If so, keep your brass. There are several of us wheelgunners who have loads that are remarkably clean, even more than factory rounds.
 
#5 ·
CCI Blazer .44 Mag - dirty ammo

I ran 3 cylinders of the CCI Blazer aluminum-cased .44 Mag ammo through my Redhawk a few years ago... it was the dirtiest stuff I had ever seen. 18 rounds left my gun dirtier than if I had shot 200 rounds of Federal or Winchester. I ended up getting rid of the rest of the box.

That said, the CCI rimfire ammo (Mini Mag 22LR) is very clean and accurate in my MK III pistol.
 
#7 ·
Since we're talking about revolvers, even a dirty gun that's even halfway well made will generally fire just fine, especially Rugers. After one "torture test" without bothering to clean the Security-Six, and running lots of a handload of "medium" dirtiness (powder was 2400), it continued to shoot beautifully. Some Hoppe's #9 cleaned it right up like it was near-new. I did a similar test with the Super Redhawk with similar results.

So, if you've got "dirty" ammo, go ahead and shoot it. Just clean your gun like you should be doing anyway, and you'll be just fine. And, as always, be sure to wash up afterwards, especially before eating or drinking anything.

Now, I wouldn't dare try that in an AR-15. One speck of dust in one of those and it's all over. :D
 
#8 ·
Except for the mess, the only problem you may have would be if your revolver has close tolerances. My SP-101 originally had a very tight barrell/cylinder gap, and dirty ammo would cause it to bind up after just a few rounds. A trip to Ruger took care of that. Most dirty ammo I've seen has been reloads - including "factory" reloads like Ultramax.
 
#9 ·
WWB - Winchester White Box

I have no idea what the real name is for this stuff but it must be mixed with BBQ pit remains and some Waffle House grease trap remains. I shoot the bulk 100 count box and less than half way through it there is an inch of soot at the end of the muzzle that just gets thicker. By the end of the box there are chunks and bits inside falling out. It's easy to clean but it's filthy! My hands would get so black I started to bring rags and hand sanitizer with me so I didn't turn the steering wheel black on the drive home. On the plus side they always seem to go bang with each pull of the trigger.

Oh, it's the 230 grain FMJ .45 ACP that I shoot in my Colt 1991 A1.
 
#10 ·
Clean or dirty ammo doesn't matter much to me. I have a son in law that likes smoke, particularly black powder or pyrodex. All guns have to be cleaned anyway.
I bring a brass brush when I am shooting to run through the cylinder chambers dry to remove crud buildup that makes loading and unloading cases harder, particularly the outside lubricated .22 ammunition. Sometimes I will run a wet patch or brush through the barrel and cylinder chambers before returning home, it seems to make cleaning easier by putting on solvent when the revolver is hot.

Boris
 
#11 ·
Clean or dirty ammo doesn't matter much to me. I have a son in law that likes smoke, particularly black powder or pyrodex. All guns have to be cleaned anyway.
I bring a brass brush when I am shooting to run through the cylinder chambers dry to remove crud buildup that makes loading and unloading cases harder, particularly the outside lubricated .22 ammunition. Sometimes I will run a wet patch or brush through the barrel and cylinder chambers before returning home, it seems to make cleaning easier by putting on solvent when the revolver is hot.

Boris
 
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