Is There Such A Thing As Clean Ammo?

[TNman207]

I went to the range today and used Blazer 124 grain 9mm ammo and was surprised how dirty my hands and my XD pistol were when I finished. I fired about 150 rounds and don't remember having as much black soot everywhere with Federal. I know it's all dirty to a point but can anyone recommend a 9mm ammo brand that tends to run cleaner than Blazer or PMC? - Thanks

[Jonnin]

if you could seal it up with something like hydrogen instead of powder.... 

 

seriously though,  a lot of gun gunk is caused by 2 things... first is partially burnt powder, which can be solved by a better crimp, a faster burning powder,  and other ways most of which are out of your control when buying it.   And the second one is too much graphite/lube/otherstuff in the powder/bullet or on the bullet case or whatever. 

 

no idea what store brands burn cleaner.  PMC last time I used it seemed pretty good for a cheaper brand.   An issue there is that brands change powder from time to time. 

[Garufa]

There is no such thing as "clean" ammo.  Some just foul less than others.

[gregintenn]

Yeah. Buy yourself a pneumatic gun.

[hipower]

My opinion. In a word...No.

Maybe it's a poor memory, but it does seem like ammo some years back didn't seem to leave as much residue as nowadays.

But when I shoot now, it all seems to leave powder everywhere.

As Jonnin mentioned, lots of factors involved, but I question the quality of powders these days. With all the ammo being manufactured and sold, there has to be a push to get the most available product out, regardless of quality.

So what I'm trying to say is that maybe lower quality powders used than previously to produce massive quantities.

[runco]

Clean ammo is unspent ammo, otherwise dirty.

[Raoul]

It's all dirty. How could it not be?

[xsubsailor]

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Sorry, I just couldn't resist.   :devil:

[RED333]

Yeah. Buy yourself a pneumatic gun.

:rock:

I am thinking bow and arrow

[Ray Z]

Yep! 9mm 124gr plated bullets in front of solo 1000 and Winchester primers. After a two hundred round practical pistol match I run a bore snake through the barrel a couple of times, just for giggles. That's as much cleaning as the pistol needs.

[miller_man]

If my memory serves me right, I believe it was sellier & bellot - had 2 boxes of 180 gr 40s&w, took it to the range on 2 different trips and was almost shocked when I picked the brass up. It was unbelievably clean - even very little residue inside the casings. 

 

I've shot thousands of pistol rounds for the last few years and haven't seen anything that clean before or since. Think I still have some in the safe, in 9mm too - might have to break it out and see if I get similar results again. Anybody else shoot this stuff?

[ReeferMac]

I've been using Speer Lawman and Federal's American 9mm w/ good results, and don't have to clean it every time. Easily go 500 rnds between cleanings seeing no ill effects.

I think by nature, the process is 'dirty'? I used to have a wood burning fireplace in my old house, and some wood(s) left a big ash pile, but dry locust and oak hardly any.... There's likely a lot going on that might affect the level of fouling you're experiencing, I don't know if it's as simple as changing brands (but could be). Reloading your own shells is probably the end-answer IMO.

 

- K

 

[TNman207]

Interesting analogy with the fireplace wood. I do think some brands are better than others. I have read good reviews about Speer Gold Dot and Fiocchi ammo. Hornady is also a brand that seems to gain high marks with its powder and primer quality.

[ReeferMac]

It's totally true.... anyone who's had a fireplace, back me up here?

Throw in 3-4 sticks of fresh ash, you've got a PILE on the bottom to clean before you put more wood in. I can burn dry locust, maple, and oak and have less ash after a whole weekend, than from 1-night of bad-wood. I loved getting a call for a downed-maple in the fall. By the time the next season rolled around, I had great firewood!

[gregintenn]

I see this type thread a lot in gun forums. What's the obsession with "clean ammo"? You're building a fire inside a metal cylinder and you expect it not to leave residue? Really??!!??

 

It ain't that hard to clean a gun.

[monkeylizard]

Remington UMC is the dirtiest I've used. Sellier is some of the cleanest. That said, it doesn't matter to me. 1 round of clean stuff or 1,000 rounds of dirty stuff....the gun still gets cleaned.

[TNman207]

One of my objectives for posting this topic was to learn if firing a large number of rounds of ammo (let’s say 300 rounds) of a particular manufacturer, during a single visit to the range, would have the propensity to cause chambering issues, jams, or just reduce the overall performance of the gun.

 

What I am calling “dirty ammo” is ammo that would leave excessive residue in the barrel or trigger mechanism that could impact performance.  Based on what I have read so far, one manufacturer’s ammo is no better than another.  That’s good to know but a little surprising.

[gregintenn]

One of my objectives for posting this topic was to learn if firing a large number of rounds of ammo (let’s say 300 rounds) of a particular manufacturer, during a single visit to the range, would have the propensity to cause chambering issues, jams, or just reduce the overall performance of the gun.

 

What I am calling “dirty ammo” is ammo that would leave excessive residue in the barrel or trigger mechanism that could impact performance.  Based on what I have read so far, one manufacturer’s ammo is no better than another.  That’s good to know but a little surprising.

It shouldn't, and I'd be suspect of the gun rather than the ammo if 300 rounds without cleaning made the gun malfunction.

 

You'd have these problems with blackpowder ammo, but shouldn't with modern smokeless stuff.

Edited January 8, 2016 by gregintenn

[Monkeybat]

I clean my guns for fun so I don't care if they get dirty and I always clean them after every range session regardless of round count. I'm sure that will get old one day.


Sent from the Fortress of Solitude.

[Sidecarist]

Malfunctions after so few rounds are more likely caused by over lubrication holding the un-burnt powder in the gun and causing issues. That said it is more a problem with the gun than the ammo or even lubrication. You should be able to shoot at least 500 rounds with nothing more than maybe a little application of lubricant. Quality weapons will function well even when so dirty that they leave your hands stained with soot. Many LE agency's as well as the military torture test with large volumes of ammunition between cleanings.

 

I give my guns a basic cleaning between range sessions and a more detailed cleaning every other one. Sometimes this works out to a good cleaning only every 1000 rounds and I don't have reliability problems.

[gregintenn]

I clean my guns for fun so I don't care if they get dirty and I always clean them after every range session regardless of round count. I'm sure that will get old one day.


Sent from the Fortress of Solitude.

It does get old. I don't clean mine every time they're shot, except for wiping off fingerprints.

[Jonnin]

I see this type thread a lot in gun forums. What's the obsession with "clean ammo"? You're building a fire inside a metal cylinder and you expect it not to leave residue? Really??!!??

 

It ain't that hard to clean a gun.

 

fire, chemically speaking, is actually a reaction that produces only water and carbon dioxide as "residue".   Other "residue" isn't from the fire, its left over from the fuel.   Not that this helps any in practice, but the fault is the fuel, not the fire.

[Garufa]

fire, chemically speaking, is actually a reaction that produces only water and carbon dioxide as "residue". Other "residue" isn't from the fire, its left over from the fuel. Not that this helps any in practice, but the fault is the fuel, not the fire.

http://youtu.be/nApazedQ7-E

[gregintenn]

fire, chemically speaking, is actually a reaction that produces only water and carbon dioxide as "residue".   Other "residue" isn't from the fire, its left over from the fuel.   Not that this helps any in practice, but the fault is the fuel, not the fire.

....and to have fire, you need fuel. Ahhhhh, semantics.

[monkeylizard]

One of my objectives for posting this topic was to learn if firing a large number of rounds of ammo (let’s say 300 rounds) of a particular manufacturer, during a single visit to the range, would have the propensity to cause chambering issues, jams, or just reduce the overall performance of the gun.

 

What I am calling “dirty ammo” is ammo that would leave excessive residue in the barrel or trigger mechanism that could impact performance.  Based on what I have read so far, one manufacturer’s ammo is no better than another.  That’s good to know but a little surprising.

 

If you think 300 rounds is a large number in a single visit, then you haven't been to the range with a lot of TGOers.  :)

 

You'll be fine. If you were shooting north of a 1,000 between cleanings, then it might make a difference.