Russian Ammo

privateer · 05-04-2008, 03:47 PM

Hi everybody, I spent yesterday at the local range, was burning up 45acp and 44mag ammo trying to hit golfballs at the 50yrd line (I sucked)

anyway like some of you I love the smell of burnt gun-powder and was enjoying the sights /sounds and smells of the range "UNTIL" the guy on the next bench busted open a brick of russian (wolf) 9mm. geeez that stuff stinks and you can taste it in the air it has an acidy smell to it. What is that ? ? I dont know if this is old soviet ammo or new stuff but damn ...

338RemUltraMag · 05-04-2008, 04:00 PM

and that is why I don't shoot russian BS. it isn't corrosive but probably shatty ball powder for god sakes they use steel cases... not bad for practice but I don't like it my friend uses the crap but has to clean the pistol really good

Enscribe · 06-01-2008, 07:32 AM

its all relative to price my friends.

nathangdad · 06-01-2008, 07:43 AM

whatever it is (as the saying goes) it is ammo from a nation with a history of results over consumer enjoyment.

As is sometimes said of things, it just might be GOK (God Only Knows)
what else is in it but it does work.

Good luck and good shooting.

Mooseman684 · 06-01-2008, 12:04 PM

There is nothing wrong with steel cased ammo, It is a very soft steel barely a step above Brass... If your gun steel was as soft, it would blow up in your face on the first shot. Steel is More economical than Brass, and actually more environmentally Friendly, since it rusts and dissolves in a few years compared to brass, which doesn't... Contrary to popular Myth, It does not wear out your chamber any faster than brass does. The Euro- powders are usually a double based Nitrocellulose and they do have a different smell to them than our Gunpowder does because of different compositions and raw materials used in the Manufacturing process....
Rich

SwedeSteve · 06-01-2008, 07:58 PM

Maybe it wan't the powder, but the guy usig it, LOL !!

gandog56 · 06-02-2008, 11:08 PM

Hmmm, nitrocellulose Aqua Velvet. We could be on to something here.

rondog · 06-02-2008, 11:20 PM

Should have offered him a splash of Hoppe's....

privateer · 07-02-2008, 11:40 PM

Geez you guys are awesome, always good for useful info and a good laugh.

Capt'n Mil Coll · 07-03-2008, 01:40 AM

Nitrocellulose is also known as Guncotton.
It is made by dipping one part of cotton wool to be immersed in fifteen parts of an equal blend of sulfuric and nitric acids. After two minutes the cotton was removed and washed in cold water to set the esterification level and remove all acid residue. It was then slowly dried at a temperature below 100°C.

It is funny that the person who really developed this process a Scientist named Christian Friedrich Schonbein, a German-Swiss chemist, was dissolving almost everything in a solution of sulfuric and nitric acids. He was puzzled when he tried to dissolve a cotton apron and it wouldnt dissolve. He hung it on his radiator to dry and went home to lunch. The guncotton detonated and burned his lab to the ground.

Guncotton preparation was refined over the years. It was found that when guncotton was mixed with different solvents or emulsifiers or plasticizers different products could be made from it. Nitrate film, lacquer for guitars, nail polish, magicians flash paper and hair coloring to name a few.

Eventually a guncotton like preperation was used to make smokeless powder. In the West one of the main uses for guncotton was the large white "bales" Battleship large guns used to propel their huge rounds.
The Eastern Bloc countries use a larger percentage of Nitrocellulose in their smokeless powder rounds. Thus they tend to have a more acidic smell to them.

gandog56 · 07-03-2008, 12:47 PM

A lot of people don't cotton to guns.

SwedeSteve · 07-09-2008, 03:50 AM

I had to revisit this thread !! I love what you get on these threads. From light hearted buffoonery to a scientific discussion. PRICELESS !!

Windwalker · 07-09-2008, 06:51 AM

Yep, you never know what you are going to find, anything from a good laugh to great information.

05-04-2008, 03:47 PM	#1
privateer Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Anchorage , Alaska Posts: 382 Images: 1	Russian Ammo Hi everybody, I spent yesterday at the local range, was burning up 45acp and 44mag ammo trying to hit golfballs at the 50yrd line (I sucked) anyway like some of you I love the smell of burnt gun-powder and was enjoying the sights /sounds and smells of the range "UNTIL" the guy on the next bench busted open a brick of russian (wolf) 9mm. geeez that stuff stinks and you can taste it in the air it has an acidy smell to it. What is that ? ? I dont know if this is old soviet ammo or new stuff but damn ...

06-01-2008, 07:43 AM	#4
nathangdad Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,437	Well, whatever it is (as the saying goes) it is ammo from a nation with a history of results over consumer enjoyment. As is sometimes said of things, it just might be GOK (God Only Knows) what else is in it but it does work. Good luck and good shooting.

06-01-2008, 12:04 PM	#5
Mooseman684 Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Alaska Wilderness Posts: 9,637 Images: 2	There is nothing wrong with steel cased ammo, It is a very soft steel barely a step above Brass... If your gun steel was as soft, it would blow up in your face on the first shot. Steel is More economical than Brass, and actually more environmentally Friendly, since it rusts and dissolves in a few years compared to brass, which doesn't... Contrary to popular Myth, It does not wear out your chamber any faster than brass does. The Euro- powders are usually a double based Nitrocellulose and they do have a different smell to them than our Gunpowder does because of different compositions and raw materials used in the Manufacturing process.... Rich __________________ You know you might be facing your doom,when all you get is a click when you're expecting a BOOM!

06-01-2008, 07:58 PM	#6
SwedeSteve Bullet Maintenance !! Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: The anchor point, Alaska Posts: 10,270 Images: 1	Maybe it wan't the powder, but the guy usig it, LOL !! __________________ Thank God we don't get as much Government as we pay for! -Will Rogers

06-02-2008, 11:20 PM	#8
rondog Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Parker, CO Posts: 1,323	Should have offered him a splash of Hoppe's.... __________________ What she doesn't know about, doesn't piss her off.....

05-04-2008, 04:00 PM	#2
338RemUltraMag Banned Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Cumberland, MD USA Posts: 199	and that is why I don't shoot russian BS. it isn't corrosive but probably shatty ball powder for god sakes they use steel cases... not bad for practice but I don't like it my friend uses the crap but has to clean the pistol really good

06-01-2008, 07:32 AM	#3
Enscribe Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 118	its all relative to price my friends.

06-02-2008, 11:08 PM	#7
gandog56 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Montgomery, IL. Posts: 4,193	Hmmm, nitrocellulose Aqua Velvet. We could be on to something here.

07-02-2008, 11:40 PM	#9
privateer Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Anchorage , Alaska Posts: 382 Images: 1	Geez you guys are awesome, always good for useful info and a good laugh.

07-03-2008, 01:40 AM	#10
Capt'n Mil Coll Military Rifle Collector Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Right behind you. -NRA Member- Posts: 2,256 Images: 10	Nitrocellulose is also known as Guncotton. It is made by dipping one part of cotton wool to be immersed in fifteen parts of an equal blend of sulfuric and nitric acids. After two minutes the cotton was removed and washed in cold water to set the esterification level and remove all acid residue. It was then slowly dried at a temperature below 100°C. It is funny that the person who really developed this process a Scientist named Christian Friedrich Schonbein, a German-Swiss chemist, was dissolving almost everything in a solution of sulfuric and nitric acids. He was puzzled when he tried to dissolve a cotton apron and it wouldnt dissolve. He hung it on his radiator to dry and went home to lunch. The guncotton detonated and burned his lab to the ground. Guncotton preparation was refined over the years. It was found that when guncotton was mixed with different solvents or emulsifiers or plasticizers different products could be made from it. Nitrate film, lacquer for guitars, nail polish, magicians flash paper and hair coloring to name a few. Eventually a guncotton like preperation was used to make smokeless powder. In the West one of the main uses for guncotton was the large white "bales" Battleship large guns used to propel their huge rounds. The Eastern Bloc countries use a larger percentage of Nitrocellulose in their smokeless powder rounds. Thus they tend to have a more acidic smell to them. __________________ Let's light this fuse and see what happens!

07-03-2008, 12:47 PM	#11
gandog56 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Montgomery, IL. Posts: 4,193	A lot of people don't cotton to guns.

07-09-2008, 03:50 AM	#12
SwedeSteve Bullet Maintenance !! Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: The anchor point, Alaska Posts: 10,270 Images: 1	I had to revisit this thread !! I love what you get on these threads. From light hearted buffoonery to a scientific discussion. PRICELESS !! __________________ Thank God we don't get as much Government as we pay for! -Will Rogers

07-09-2008, 06:51 AM	#13
Windwalker Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 3,541	Yep, you never know what you are going to find, anything from a good laugh to great information. __________________ America: Love it and protect it or leave it