Dirty Ammo

[Harold]

First of all let me say I am newbie here.. Been carrying less than a month and learning for the past two months. So please forgive if this question has been ask before.

I have read countless messages referring to "dirty ammo" and "clean-burning ammo".

I know some "dirtiness" comes from bullet lube; some comes from incompletely burned powder.

Is "dirty" ammo really dirty?

What makes ammo "dirty" or "clean-burning"?

[Mike.357]

I am with you as far as not really understanding dirty ammo.

All of it seems dirty to me. Not sure I have ever seen a clean gun after shooting it, and no ammo I have used seems extra dirty than the others.

[Kelemvor]

I know some ammo has corrosive primers, especially Soviet surplus junk.

[Raoul]

Do you guys notice a difference between Remington UMC and WWB? It's always seemed to me that the UMC leaves a lot more crap on and in the gun than WWB or Federal.

Edited October 18, 2009 by Raoul

[TGO David]

Powder that doesn't combust fully inside the chamber tends to foul more because it's still burning as the gasses propel it down the length of the barrel. This can be caused by using slow burning powder, not seating the projectile properly, etc.

[Oh Shoot]

I know some ammo has corrosive primers, especially Soviet surplus junk.

Boy, are you about to not make some friends!

- OS

[mk19]

Soviet surplus ammo is my friend. dirty ammo means ammo with dirtier burning powder, as tgodave mentioned. also if you are using the wrong ammo for your gun,(certains rates of twist with faster or slower moving bullets) you'd get more lead or copper fowling in the barrel.

[Guest Tom B]

"Dirty" ammo is the addition of graphite to adjust the burn rate as well as the original components in propellant manufacture. Most propellant unburned in the barrel usually burns when it exits the barrel; "flash".

[Guest clsutton21]

Although this has nothing to do with primers or powder....some of your steel cased ammo *cough* can be a bit waxy and gum up your action, but that depends on the quality of your gun to some extent.

[Harold]

Follow up question are there certain calibers of ammo that then tend to be more or less clean or dirty then?

[frankmako]

all ammo is dirty, some more than others.

[Hotshot]

I always wash my ammo before heading out to the range. Never no when you might get into an accident.

[Wingshooter]

I have put several hundred rounds through my HK USPc .40, and most of it has been Winchester 165gr FMJ or 180gr JHP from Walmart. It leaves some residue, but not too much. After a box of 50, the gun really doesn't appear that dirty at all, and there's not that much residue on the patches.

I recently shot a box of Blazer through the same gun, and it was a lot dirtier. The muzzle flash was very noticeable (unlike the Winchester), and even the outside of the gun was filthy. I was able to wipe black residue off the side of the slide with my finger. I left the range with black hands from the ammo. I cleaned the gun thoroughly when I got home, and the difference in the two brands of ammo was remarkable.

I don't know if that is typical of Blazer ammo, but that was my experience.

[kwe45919]

I don't claim to know the scientific reasons behind "dirty/clean" ammo, but I have definatly noticed a difference between my practice ammo and my SD ammo.

My practice ammo is usually Wolf, Winchester, PMC, Remmington, GA Arms or other cheapies found at Walmart or other similar places. After 100rds the entire chamber is usually black as well as the tip of the muzzel. Litterly you cannot see the color of the barrel through the powder residue it's so thickly laid on there.....

My SD ammo, which has varied over the years, have seemed to be "cleaner" shooting ammo. Examples are 124gr Ranger, Hornady CD 115gr and 124gr TAP, MagTech, Corbon, Rem Golden Sabers and Win Supreme SXT. Not sure why but after 100rds, I can still see color of the barrel through the powder residue. You can see the layer of gunk but it isn't as thick as the practice stuff....

Guess that's my only defination of dirty vs. clean. One would assume they make SD ammo with better componets vs. the cheap crap they know everyone will be using at the range.....

[S&WForty]

Do you guys notice a difference between Remington UMC and WWB? It's always seemed to me that the UMC leaves a lot more crap on and in the gun than WWB or Federal.

THAT is an understatement. I've also used the Federal FMJ, and it's about on par with WWB. I'll never use the Remington again. I remember being not even 1/2 way through the ammo and being shocked at how dirty the end of the pistol was.

[StPatrick]

Do you guys notice a difference between Remington UMC and WWB? It's always seemed to me that the UMC leaves a lot more crap on and in the gun than WWB or Federal.

That has certainly been my experience. I can't tell the difference between wwb and federal (American eagle), but UMC definitely requires more work on the fouling in the barrel. The feed ramp seems worse as well, which would be a strong indication of a slow burn.

[DaveTN]

Dirty ammo is a pain in the ass to clean. But more importantly it can damage a firearm. Steel cased ammo can allow blow back between the cartridge and the chamber. This can result in extractor failure from the rounds not wanting to eject properly. Lacquer coating can cause the same problem.

Wolf is Russian ammo that will run fine in a sloppy azz AK or SKS, but you don’t want to use it in a quality rifle or handgun. (I’m not rippin’ on the AK or SKS they are sloppy by design; they aren’t target guns) It is popular because it is cheap.

But you don’t necessarily need to shoot high quality target ammo everytime you go to the range.

I’ve had good luck with WWB for range ammo and it doesn’t cost anymore than some of the junk ammo you see offered in bulk.

[Oh Shoot]

The two dirtiest brands I've shot in the last year or so are:

- agree on the Remington UMC (only have shot the 9mm).

- .357 and .38 cowboy loads from Georgia Arms. I'm not dissing GA, though, as everything else I've ever gotten from them has been stellar. And it may just be the nature of the lower powered (and seemingly slow burning) cowboy loads in general, never shot any cowboy loads but these).

But unlike what some others say, no matter how black the various parts of the guns get, it hasn't been any more effort to clean up after these than any other rounds, everything comes right off.

- OS

[Rightwinger]

You fellows that haven't cleaned a muzzler loader don't know dirty yet! LOL

[9teeneleven]

I always wash my ammo before heading out to the range. Never no when you might get into an accident.

haha, I tumble mine.

[Guest c.a.s.]

You fellows that haven't cleaned a muzzler loader don't know dirty yet! LOL

AGREED.

Heavily.