Berdan Primers

[ancestor]

In my youth eons ago we used to shoot .303 SMLE rifles on range to 600 yards .The ammo was standard military issue with cordite and primed with berdan primers. The first job at the range was to light a fire under a small tank to boil water. After the shoot we would pour 2 jugs of boiling water through a funnel through the barrel before pusing the first patch through.We then brushed the bore with a stiff bristle brush with boiling water, and finally dry patches until the barrel was bright and shiny. this followed by a light military issue gun oil. I do not recall ever seeing copper fouling or any barrel defects even after some thousands of rounds being fired through those rifles. I just wonder if I am missing some thing here as I have not heard or read about this method of cleaning for years. g

[runfiverun]

those were corossive primers they don't make them anymore you might find some in some old mili that has it though.
it's hard to get copper in a bbl when you are shooting cupro nickel jackets.

[armyrat1970]

those were corossive primers they don't make them anymore you might find some in some old mili that has it though.
it's hard to get copper in a bbl when you are shooting cupro nickel jackets.

I still have a lot of milsurp Turk, Ecuadorian and Romanian for the 8x57 that I shoot from time to time. I use the hot, soapy water method when cleaning the bore as it removes the salts left from the corrosive primers. No need to clean that way with newer none corrosive primers.

[rcguyme]

I never heard of that name before. allways good to learn something new from the pass

[ancestor]

All my old nitro express ammo used to be Cordite and primed with berdan primers.

I extracted the last bullets a couple of years ago and burned all the cordite.