[tk]

I got my xcr shortly before Christmas, but have been so busy I haven't been able to shoot it -- until today. Went out to the range with my son and fed about 300 rounds through it. Loads of fun. Not a single jam, even with some czech steel-cased ammo I found out in my garage (using magpul mags).

Handles great, and the Eotech site is a blast. Trigger could use some improvement, but I'll probably send that off in a few months. Biggest surprise came at cleaning time. The grunge level was surprisingly low.

One odd thing I noticed -- the czech ammo had a definite smell of ammonia to it -- are they using some funky propellant?

tk

 

[Aussie Arms]

That smell might indicate that the ammo has a corrosive element to it and it might pay you to remove the barrel and run VERY hot water through it to try and reduce the corrosive build up that "might" be present. I heard of this once before and it ate the guts out of a perfectly good chrome lined M14 barrel. Not good!

Any other comments???

 

[gunner69]

I agree with Aussie, when in doubt "parboil" the shit out of it AFTER you reclean it. And be sure to be generous with the lube.

 

[TerraShrewsbury]

ammonia... bleh. :-X

 

[tk]

Frackin firckin frack!

thanks for the advice guys. I cleaned it last night, but I guess I'll boil the barrel tonight.


tk

 

[gunner69]

Treat it like a black powder rifle. Hot soap & water, pour boiling water through it, and while still hot spray with Militech1. That should do the trick. DON'T forget the bolt and carrier. Have a nice day. :2cents:

 

[cavegeo]

If you suspect corrosive ammo you can spray the barrel with windex, the ammonia should neutralize the corrosive residual. You should clean the barrel with hot soapy water ASAP.

 

[tk]

Cavegeo,

thing is, what alerted me in the first place was the smell of ammonia after firing some czech ammo. been shooting for more than 35 years and I never smelled that from a breech before. .

do you know what chemical it is that the ammonia in the windex will neutralize?

tk

 

[cavegeo]

My understanding is that corrosive primer used Mercury in them. But I am not 100% sure what make them corrosive.

 

[Bravo]

No, corrosive primers have mercury in them.

The primers today use lead styphnate - they're "non-corrosove". The older primers used mercury fulminate - they're "corrosive".

 

[1redgmc]

Sell that ammo to a Mitt Romney supporter!

 

[magikbullet]

If you suspect corrosive ammo you can spray the barrel with windex, the ammonia should neutralize the corrosive residual. You should clean the barrel with hot soapy water ASAP.

+1

a bottle of windex is a good way to neutralize the corrosive salts... plus you can carry it in your range bag and don't have to deal with boiling water and then getting said boiling water into the gun's barrel

 

[tk]

I found a bottle of ammonia, swabbed the bolt and gas rod assemblies and the inside of the receiver, and flushed the barrel with it. Interestingly, some additional crud came out. Not lead or copper debris, but some other, whitish gunk. Ran a couple of wet ammonia patches down it after that, then some bore cleaner, more patches, then breakfree and more patches. It's a CLEAN gun now....

thanks for the tips, guys


tk

 

[tzoid]

This sounds different from what I have noticed and I want others to comment.

Both of my XCR's smell pretty bad when I pull back on the bolt...even after I clean them.

Like machine oil and metal....sorta like the metal lathe in shop class in high school.

Is that normal ?

:dontknow:

 

[Sloan441]

Lots of propellant has an ammonia smell. Back when I loaded for .264 Winmag I used to use a ton of H870. Some of the worst smelling stuff you'll ever run across. It's just leftover solvents from the production process.

 

[magikbullet]

This sounds different from what I have noticed and I want others to comment.

Both of my XCR's smell pretty bad when I pull back on the bolt...even after I clean them.

Like machine oil and metal....sorta like the metal lathe in shop class in high school.

Is that normal ?

:dontknow:

doubt you have anything to worry about... With some ammo I've had, you could smell my ptr91 comin a mile away after it had been at the range

 

[gunner69]

When your XCR starts smelling like fish, then you have a problem. ??? ??? ???

 

[Bravo]

Ammonia isn't a solvent used in the manufacture of powders. Ether is though - and you can smell ether when you open a new keg of powder many times.

 

[QYV]

I use corrosive 7.62x39 milsurp ammo in my non-chrome barrel VZ-58 all the time, it is not a problem as long as you clean it after shooting. The ONLY thing that dissolves the corrosive salts from the primer residue is HOT WATER.