# What is 'dirty' ammo?



## propellerhead (May 19, 2006)

I often see people mentioning how a particular ammo is dirty but I never fully understood what is meant by 'dirty' ammo. How do I know if the ammo I'm shooting is dirty? On my last trip to the range, I was shooting Winchester White Box through my XD9 and CCI Blazer Brass through my XD45. The XD9 was making a lot of smoke and the XD45 was showing more flames. I don't know if that was due to the caliber or the ammo.


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

I'm sure there is a technical reply to this question, but I base whether an ammo is dirty or not by how much cleaning I have to do after I am done shooting and by how much smoke it produces while shooting. I consider WWB a dirty ammo. It smokes and smells bad (although not as bad as Wolf ammo I hear) and takes me a long time to clean the gun versus a shooting session with Federal Hydrashok in which there is not a lot of smoke (IMO) and cleaning is easy. I shoot WWB for the most part however because of it's price, which I fugure goes hand-in-hand with the degree of dirtiness. The more epensive ammos will burn cleaner, thus less smoke and residue. 

Just my $.02


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Yes, pretty much the dirtier ammo makes more mess. The WWB does put out a bigger cloud when I use it than the CCI Blazer of the same caliber. PMC, back when itw as around, also was "dirty."


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## Maximo (May 26, 2006)

Shipwreck said:


> Yes, pretty much the dirtier ammo makes more mess. The WWB does put out a bigger cloud when I use it than the CCI Blazer of the same caliber. PMC, back when itw as around, also was "dirty."


I like using the CCI Blazer. after a hundred rounds my gun looks like it has a faint white coating on the inside of slide. WWB and some others after a hundred rounds or so make the inside of the slide look like it is oozing black. 
I do question the accuracy of CCI Blazers but I only use them for weekly practice not competition.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

See, I find the CCI to be more accurate for me over the WWB...


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## Maximo (May 26, 2006)

Shipwreck said:


> See, I find the CCI to be more accurate for me over the WWB...


I don't find WWB to be anymore accurate. When shooting a box of CCI I usually just have one or two go stray, WWB is even worse, and Independence, for me, is the worst of all. My targets look like shotgun blast with Independence. I just use Hornady TAP for competitions.


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## propellerhead (May 19, 2006)

Is this the result of dirty ammo? I think I've shot about 1000 rounds of WWB since the last cleaning.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

I guess. I've never fired 1000 rounds w/o a cleaning before - I clean my gun after every trip - So, I usually only see what 200 rounds does to the gun...


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## Maximo (May 26, 2006)

propellerhead said:


> Is this the result of dirty ammo? I think I've shot about 1000 rounds of WWB since the last cleaning.


That is kind of hard to tell. A thousand rounds of any ammo will make a gun dirty. The only time I have ever put a 1000 rounds without cleaning is the first time I shot my Baby Eagle. I put a 1000 round in it in one day and it was DIRTY but still functioned great.


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## propellerhead (May 19, 2006)

I go about twice a week so cleaning it after every trip will be overkill. I cleaned my XD9 after the first 150, then at around 1500, then again at around 3500 rounds.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Wow. I usually go every 2 weeks, and I generally shoot approx 200 rounds each time - sometimes 250. After 200 rounds, I really start to suck anyway. So, I just quit there.

I don't feel right if I don't clean my gun as soon as I get home... Don't think I could sleep w/o doing it - just so in the habit...


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## Maximo (May 26, 2006)

propellerhead said:


> I go about twice a week so cleaning it after every trip will be overkill. I cleaned my XD9 after the first 150, then at around 1500, then again at around 3500 rounds.


 There is probably nothing really worng with that. I just can't get over my dad pounding it in my head "if you put one round through a gun clean it or throw it away if you can't take care of it". That has kind of stuck with me just like "finish that cigar" or "don't get a second helping unless you finish it". My dad tought me a lot when I was five.


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## propellerhead (May 19, 2006)

I'd like to pick up a cheap used 9mm like a Hi Point and never clean it.


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

I think 1000 rounds of any ammo will make the gun dirty. I can usually only get 300 rounds off at the range before practice stops and I start shooting just for the sake of shooting.

I clean my gun after every trip to the range. If I have to depend on that gun someday to defend myself or my family, I want to make sure that it's in top working order.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

propellerhead said:


> I'd like to pick up a cheap used 9mm like a Hi Point and never clean it.


So, U wanna take a piece of crap gun and make it even worse


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## Bob Wright (May 10, 2006)

"Dirty" ammunition usually is that that leaves the bore with carbon deposits and looking "smokey." Also leaves the muzzle area smoked up.

There is nothing in modern American made ammunition that is corrosive or otherwise harmful to guns. Build up, of course, will hamper functioning, and metal fouling will eventually affect accuracy. This holds true for ammunition loaded with jacketed bullets.

With cast lead bullets, its a different story. The lubricant leaves residue, and after a few hundred rounds, gets on your hands and exterior of the gun. Again, this does no harm except looks ugly.

Basically, the type of powder used makes the load either "clean" or "dirty."

I clean my guns after every shooting session. As my guns are carbon steel, they generally demand more attention than stainless/alloy guns. Sweat and oil from my hands is more of a problem than my ammunition.

Bob Wright


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## ImStock (Jul 16, 2006)

*Omfg... Hahaha...*



Maximo said:


> There is probably nothing really worng with that. I just can't get over my dad pounding it in my head "if you put one round through a gun clean it or throw it away if you can't take care of it". That has kind of stuck with me just like "finish that cigar" or "don't get a second helping unless you finish it". My dad tought me a lot when I was five.


Dude thats funny! :mrgreen:

I am the same way, I grew up around a gun cabinet and was always taught to clean them after every use. Whether it was a single clip, or a sockfull of ammo (we never had boxes... always sock-fulls... to this day I dont know how my dad got his ammo... never reloaded it though :smt102 ).

I put two boxes of bottom shelf jacketed bullsh*t through the Airweight the day after I got her and it was pretty smoked up after only 100 rounds. Massive blowby. Made cleaning a her a b*tch. :smt011


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