Thread: HXP 303 ammo corrosive? found rust in my barrel

Been a while since I used my enfield, but put about 20 rounds of Greek HXP through it.
Noticed rust in the barrel after pulling it out today.
Is this just from moisture or from the ammo? I was pretty sure this stuff is supposed to be non corrosive.
It appears it might just be at the last 50mm of the barrel from what I can see.
I put a cleaning patch through after shooting, with a light oil, but that's about it.

So you're going to try to convince me that your what, 100 year old .303 has never shot corrosive ammo before?

Clean accordingly, hot water...

The residue of burning gun powder is hydroscopic so attracts moisture. The air is high in moisture at this time of the year. Your cleaning and post-clean care is inadequate.

Originally Posted by No.3

So you're going to try to convince me that your what, 100 year old .303 has never shot corrosive ammo before?

Clean accordingly, hot water...

It's 1940s so not quite 100 years old! But yes, it's bound to have had tons of corrosive ammo go through it.
Anyway when I had the barrel installed, I gave it a good scrub up and down with the brush and hoppes no9 cleaner, then put patches through until they came out clean. It's a good barrel with 1 inch groupings, so I hope it hasn't done any damage.
Should I be cleaning with hot water after every use, even if it's not corrosive primed?

Originally Posted by winchesterM69A

The residue of burning gun powder is hydroscopic so attracts moisture. The air is high in moisture at this time of the year. Your cleaning and post-clean care is inadequate.

I had put a light bulb in my safe which has helped with dampness immensely.
Anyway, I never realised that powder residue attracts moisture.
So is a cleaning patch not enough after each use? How often are you supposed go clean/oil the barrel?

Originally Posted by Old_School

Been a while since I used my enfield, but put about 20 rounds of Greek HXP through it.
Noticed rust in the barrel after pulling it out today.
Is this just from moisture or from the ammo? I was pretty sure this stuff is supposed to be non corrosive.
It appears it might just be at the last 50mm of the barrel from what I can see.
I put a cleaning patch through after shooting, with a light oil, but that's about it.
Attachment 227290Attachment 227291

Winchester M69A is correct - sorry inadequate cleaning - remember oils coat solvents penetrate - one can put an oil over corrosion and its still there - - old 303 ammo - very carefully with a small funnel pour boiling water down barrel -that gets rid of the salts - then use hoppes no 9 or other good nitro powder solvent -you could if you have fired a few rounds carefull use of a bronze brush - but dont over do it - you can love a barrel to death - leave overnight or even a few days - rag will come out green - thats metallic fouling coming out - when no more green tinge on rag then put thru a quality gun oil like Remington oil - check barrel after a week or two - the rag says it all red brown rust - grey likely dust - green still metallic fouling coming out- some barrels worse than others for metallic fouling - I had a Tikka .308 early one and no matter how much bloody hoppes still showed metallic fouling even after bronze brush and leaving for periods

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

Winchester M69A is correct - sorry inadequate cleaning - remember oils coat solvents penetrate - one can put an oil over corrosion and its still there - - old 303 ammo - very carefully with a small funnel pour boiling water down barrel -that gets rid of the salts - then use hoppes no 9 or other good nitro powder solvent -you could if you have fired a few rounds carefull use of a bronze brush - but dont over do it - you can love a barrel to death - leave overnight or even a few days - rag will come out green - thats metallic fouling coming out - when no more green tinge on rag then put thru a quality gun oil like Remington oil - check barrel after a week or two - the rag says it all red brown rust - grey likely dust - green still metallic fouling coming out- some barrels worse than others for metallic fouling - I had a Tikka .308 early one and no matter how much bloody hoppes still showed metallic fouling even after bronze brush and leaving for periods

Ok, I haven't been shooting the corrosive CAC stuff yet, but I do have a bunch of the stuff.
With modern ammo, would I have to use a solvent like hoppes after each use?
I thought that the solvent was mostly for removing copper fouling?
When I got the gun, I put a fair few patches soaked in hoppes through the barrel, they came out very dark, almost black.
Didn't see green come out with my gun, but perhaps I need to soak it for longer?
Anyway, my main concern is rust, if the powder residue can attract moisture, I'm assuming that removing the stuff with solvent and a brush after shooting is required?

Edit:
BTW, the "oil" i used was called easeox, supposed to be a cleaner, solvent and protectant all in one.

Black is carbon. What I use to get copper out and most people shit themselves when I mention it is ammonia. You just have to make sure you clean properly after using it which you should do anyway...

Originally Posted by Old_School

It's 1940s so not quite 100 years old! But yes, it's bound to have had tons of corrosive ammo go through it.
Anyway when I had the barrel installed, I gave it a good scrub up and down with the brush and hoppes no9 cleaner, then put patches through until they came out clean. It's a good barrel with 1 inch groupings, so I hope it hasn't done any damage.
Should I be cleaning with hot water after every use, even if it's not corrosive primed?




I had put a light bulb in my safe which has helped with dampness immensely.
Anyway, I never realised that powder residue attracts moisture.
So is a cleaning patch not enough after each use? How often are you supposed go clean/oil the barrel?

The Greek is non corrosive and is effectively Winchester ammo as it was made on a complete plant sent to Greece by the USA as part of a nato agreement. I suspect it’s simply powder residue and the dampness we are currently experiencing. Powder fouling will attract moisture….

98.8 % humidity here in Hawkes Bay

Originally Posted by Old_School

Been a while since I used my enfield, but put about 20 rounds of Greek HXP through it.
Noticed rust in the barrel after pulling it out today.
Is this just from moisture or from the ammo? I was pretty sure this stuff is supposed to be non corrosive.
It appears it might just be at the last 50mm of the barrel from what I can see.
I put a cleaning patch through after shooting, with a light oil, but that's about it.
Attachment 227290Attachment 227291

I should have added boiling water only needed with corrosive primed ammo - back when target shooting and ex 1958 .303 ammo yes boiling water after every shoot - but rest of what I put stands - hoppes no 9 or equivalent nitro powder solvent after shooting - you can leave this in overnight - but others right suspicion of moisture where it was stored - but if barrel had been protected with the hoppes regime maybe rust would not have gained a foot hold

Originally Posted by Old_School

It's 1940s so not quite 100 years old! But yes, it's bound to have had tons of corrosive ammo go through it.
Anyway when I had the barrel installed, I gave it a good scrub up and down with the brush and hoppes no9 cleaner, then put patches through until they came out clean. It's a good barrel with 1 inch groupings, so I hope it hasn't done any damage.
Should I be cleaning with hot water after every use, even if it's not corrosive primed?




I had put a light bulb in my safe which has helped with dampness immensely.
Anyway, I never realised that powder residue attracts moisture.
So is a cleaning patch not enough after each use? How often are you supposed go clean/oil the barrel?

FFS have a look on forum at different threads...Trout started on in last week or two about pull through cleaning..... at very LEAST you need to put through a couple or 4 oily patches..then couple of clean patches..then an oily patch to coat bore while its in storage
if you put a heavy oil..or car motor oil through on last patch,you need to put a clean rag through BEFORE the next usage to remove said oil.
this isnt new thing..this information has been around for a hundred years and more..... use rifle,must clean rifle..... hells bells Batman even the knights of Crusades knew after running through a musselman to whipe blade of sword off properly before putting back in scabbard.

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

I should have added boiling water only needed with corrosive primed ammo - back when target shooting and ex 1958 .303 ammo yes boiling water after every shoot - but rest of what I put stands - hoppes no 9 or equivalent nitro powder solvent after shooting - you can leave this in overnight - but others right suspicion of moisture where it was stored - but if barrel had been protected with the hoppes regime maybe rust would not have gained a foot hold

Ok, well that's good to know. The rust doesn't look too bad and most of it was near the muzzle end where moist air gets to it more.
Anyway I never thought it was a good idea to leave hoppes in the bore, so have always wiped it out with a clean patch.
I dont know how others find eezox or G96, but I've got both, but I mostly just put a patch of eezox down after a day's shooting.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

FFS have a look on forum at different threads...Trout started on in last week or two about pull through cleaning..... at very LEAST you need to put through a couple or 4 oily patches..then couple of clean patches..then an oily patch to coat bore while its in storage
if you put a heavy oil..or car motor oil through on last patch,you need to put a clean rag through BEFORE the next usage to remove said oil.
this isnt new thing..this information has been around for a hundred years and more..... use rifle,must clean rifle..... hells bells Batman even the knights of Crusades knew after running through a musselman to whipe blade of sword off properly before putting back in scabbard.

I am still pretty new to all of this and learning alot, but didn't realize cleaning had to be done so thoroughly.
I thought that black powder was the stuff that needed a decent clean.
But anyway I will know for next time.
Interestingly, I've got other guns I've shot and not cleaned and can't see any rust in the barrels at all so go figure!

The corrosive salts dissolve into the pores of the steel in the barrel. Hot water removes most of it, but not every last bit. You reactivate what is there on shooting even using modern ammo in old firearms, also primers even non corrosive still contain reactive products so in the right conditions any barrel will rust after shooting including stainless.

Boiling water out of a jug is the easiest way to strip salt from a barrel, then push through a patch to dewater and then clean as normal. Always chamber to muzzle if possible, push the crap out of the chamber not into it (not always possible). Use a guide for rods if you can, bronze brushes are good for stubborn fouling but use with powder solvent only as copper solvent will eat the brush and show as green on a patch. One piece rods, if coated wipe the rod every few passes to make sure it's decrapped.

an old deerstalker told me years ago -if your .303 is a bitch prone to rust do this .boil up 1/2cup of vinegar block ya barrel off and pour it in -leave for 15mins or so(time to boil the jug ,make a cuppa).right now empty barrel out and rinse with clean boiling water and leave in a warm place for barrel to cool down.it should be sparkling or close to it .if not repeat.