Reloading Shotgun Cartridges

[Grumpy]

The main thing needed to clean out black powder residue from barrels is plenty of hot soapy water in combination with a bore brush ! Make sure sure that the cleaning is done quickly and effectively and then dry out THOROUGHLY afterwards. It`s probably not a good idea to use cartridges with plastic shot cups in combination with blackpowder as the combination of the two deposited in the barrels is a pain to clean.
The other thing to remember when using black powder is to clean the barrels as soon as possible after use. Leaving cleaning until the next day can be a disaster.

[timmy]

Perhaps just as deadly as black powder (or maybe more) to a gun's bore are corrosive primers. They can really do damage!

I have shot a lot of old Warsaw Pact ammo, and lesser amounts of .30-'06 and 8x57 surplus, all with corrosive primers. I follow a regular cleaning procedure after cleaning with an ammonia-based window cleaner to neutralize the residue of the corrosive primers.

I have never had the slightest problems with commercial, surplus, or any of 1000s of reloads in any of my guns.

All I can say is that if there is corrosive damage to any gun's bore, it is because of the components of combustion and a subsequent failure to remove those components -- which, in plain terms, means the gun was not cleaned properly after use.

[Grumpy]

Absolutely right Timmy. Years ago I examined a load of Eastern European ordnance imported for deactivation and the damage caused by corrosive primers - especially in the throats - of many of the weapons was horrible to see.
It`s human nature to blame anything but oneself for damage to a gun but the fact is that no firearm should be put away without being cleaned first. Almost certainly the major cause of damage to shotguns over the years is putting a warm gun away in it`s case or slip immediately after use. On a damp or cold day that is a really good way of encouraging condensation to form - with no chance of it being able to evaporate. Left alone for a while with no way that the gun can `breathe` rusting of the bores is almost inevitable.

[Sakobav]

nice set up Baljit timmy et al wish had the space for all this too

PS Baljit just came back from Vancouver = now BC thats Gods country nice place amigo