how to stop bullet corrosion??? - The Firearms Forum

johnlives4christ · 04-02-2009, 06:15 PM

howdy yall.

i bought a box of 38 special jacketed hollow points. okay... they have been stored in an MTM box for what looks like a while. and they look to be in good condition other than the exposed lead tip is turning white with corrosion. i have seen other lead bullets do this. and was wondering of anyone had a solution to how i could stop the already existing corrosion. any tips on keeping it from happening in the future?

~john

94z07 · 04-02-2009, 07:13 PM

Whenever disimilar metals are in contact there is a galvanic cell. One metal is reduced and gains electrons the other is oxidized and loses electrons. The only way to keep the metals you want safe is to offer a sacrificial metal to the process. Maybe if you kept them in contact with a zinc sheet? The process can be slowed by shielding them from air. Maybe car wax?

BTW what's the humidity where they were stored? (just curious)

10 Spot Terminator · 04-02-2009, 07:47 PM

Ditto on the car wax. I have used a lite amount or carnuba to clean and seal some old ones of mine that I picked up many years ago as vintage "to show" ammo and not to shoot up. I just checked a couple of the boxes I have had stored away for a couple of years and they are still pretty since I touched them up .

JLA · 04-02-2009, 09:24 PM

id just shoot em and load new ones. besides ammo isnt meant to be stored away for decades. its meant to enjoy shooting targets, animals, cans, bottles, ant beds, bee hives, weeds, old cars, etc.

Haligan · 04-05-2009, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94z07

Whenever disimilar metals are in contact there is a galvanic cell. One metal is reduced and gains electrons the other is oxidized and loses electrons. The only way to keep the metals you want safe is to offer a sacrificial metal to the process. Maybe if you kept them in contact with a zinc sheet? The process can be slowed by shielding them from air. Maybe car wax?

BTW what's the humidity where they were stored? (just curious)

What are you a Rocket Surgeon or something ?

I mean do know what that sounds like to an average bubba like me ?

cycloneman · 04-05-2009, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLA

id just shoot em and load new ones. besides ammo isnt meant to be stored away for decades. its meant to enjoy shooting targets, animals, cans, bottles, ant beds, bee hives, weeds, old cars, etc.

this is what i was thinking. also parts of this thread should make it to the "you know your a gun nut thread" like when you wax your bullets

Big_Guns · 04-05-2009, 11:57 PM

Wax my bullets? Heck I don't even wax my cars!

GMFWoodchuck · 04-07-2009, 02:09 PM

I would think that an oil would be easier to deal with. Just dip them in vegetable oil or something an let them run clean. Less work. Or better yet. Don't worry about it. The white stuff isn't going to affect anything to any degree that you'll ever notice anyway.

johnlives4christ · 04-09-2009, 04:16 PM

well i did go ahead and shoot up the ammo that was in question. the reason that i wanted to save it was because it was an old box of IMI 38special+p and i have plenty of 38's to shoot. but since it was corroded i went ahead and shot it. it had been stored in an MTM case for a while, and it seems like anything that is stored in one of them plastic cases corrodes because i have kept some 22 bullets in one for only a few months and they turned white.

04-02-2009, 06:15 PM	#1
johnlives4christ Former Guest Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 3,828	how to stop bullet corrosion??? howdy yall. i bought a box of 38 special jacketed hollow points. okay... they have been stored in an MTM box for what looks like a while. and they look to be in good condition other than the exposed lead tip is turning white with corrosion. i have seen other lead bullets do this. and was wondering of anyone had a solution to how i could stop the already existing corrosion. any tips on keeping it from happening in the future? ~john -->

04-02-2009, 07:13 PM	#2
94z07 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 337	Re: how to stop bullet corrosion??? Whenever disimilar metals are in contact there is a galvanic cell. One metal is reduced and gains electrons the other is oxidized and loses electrons. The only way to keep the metals you want safe is to offer a sacrificial metal to the process. Maybe if you kept them in contact with a zinc sheet? The process can be slowed by shielding them from air. Maybe car wax? BTW what's the humidity where they were stored? (just curious)

04-02-2009, 07:47 PM	#3
10 Spot Terminator V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Redmond Oregon ( middle of state refered to as Central Oregon ) Posts: 82	Re: how to stop bullet corrosion??? Ditto on the car wax. I have used a lite amount or carnuba to clean and seal some old ones of mine that I picked up many years ago as vintage "to show" ammo and not to shoot up. I just checked a couple of the boxes I have had stored away for a couple of years and they are still pretty since I touched them up .

04-02-2009, 09:24 PM	#4
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,320	Re: how to stop bullet corrosion??? id just shoot em and load new ones. besides ammo isnt meant to be stored away for decades. its meant to enjoy shooting targets, animals, cans, bottles, ant beds, bee hives, weeds, old cars, etc. __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

04-05-2009, 11:57 PM	#7
Big_Guns Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 21	Re: how to stop bullet corrosion??? Wax my bullets? Heck I don't even wax my cars!

04-07-2009, 02:09 PM	#8
GMFWoodchuck Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Binghamton, NY Posts: 1,369	Re: how to stop bullet corrosion??? I would think that an oil would be easier to deal with. Just dip them in vegetable oil or something an let them run clean. Less work. Or better yet. Don't worry about it. The white stuff isn't going to affect anything to any degree that you'll ever notice anyway.

04-09-2009, 04:16 PM	#9
johnlives4christ Former Guest Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 3,828	Re: how to stop bullet corrosion??? well i did go ahead and shoot up the ammo that was in question. the reason that i wanted to save it was because it was an old box of IMI 38special+p and i have plenty of 38's to shoot. but since it was corroded i went ahead and shot it. it had been stored in an MTM case for a while, and it seems like anything that is stored in one of them plastic cases corrodes because i have kept some 22 bullets in one for only a few months and they turned white.