I just got back from the range where I shot 100 rounds of Winchester White Box target ammo (probably from Wal-Mart) and I can't believe the mess it made! Don't get me wrong; I don't mind spending an extra half-hour with my baby but there seems to be quite a difference in the "cleanliness" of various brands. I usually shoot Remington in the green box and it's nowhere near as bad. Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon and if so what do ya'll recommend for "clean" ammo or should I just suck it up and quit complaining?

It seems to vary from box to box of WWB for me. One batch will be relatively clean and the next one will leave my gun dirty and need extra cleaning.

I LOL when people call Wolf ammo dirty. Its a toss up between Wolf and Winchester White Box. I bet in a "Dirty Bullet test" you couldn't tell Wolf from Winchester White Box. Any way, You might try Monarch Brass(Academy Sports) or The new Federal Champion ammo(formerly known as Blazer Brass) . The cost is about the same and somewhat cleaner than Winchester White Box. I shoot WWB as a last resort.

Shoot what ya can get ..in these times, better to clean than to not be able to practice, and shoot ....ammo is scarce I shoot whatever I can get and luckily so far the wwb has been as clean as the rest.

Yes it is a little dirty, but has proven very reliable for practice rounds. I have recently shot some of the new Remington UMC in the pale green box and was surprised how clean it was for the price.

In distant past, when it was sunny and warm, money flowed from trees, wonderful new guns sat on shop shelves, and you had your choice of any brand, bullet weight and velocity....things were better.

I tend to agree some ammo is dirty. When you go about selecting a round for your use, you can do a bunch of different things. In the past, you could buy a single box of ammo, step out to the range and test fire it, and then make a decision. You could return to the shop, then spend your entire income tax refund, your company bonus check, or your life savings on the same brand and lot number.

That last may be important. the numbers printed on the end flap or on the ammo tray inside can be important. If there is a recall, that's the number that identifies when it was made, and what the components were. Its almost conclusive that if one box of a lot is clean (or dirty), the rest of that lot will also be. It doesn't mean it will shoot well or cleanly in all your guns, just the one you've tested it in. Some short or long barrel guns will handle ammo differently. It has to do with complete combustion.

That same idea is still possible, to some extent. The problem is you can't have any assurance of finding the same lot at WallyWorld the following day. You can buy your limit, and so can your wife, and sons, and daughters in law... Maybe in the future, the ammo shortage will go away and you can return to the good old days.

And it gives us just another reason to reload. You can test different powders (the obvious culprit) and at different intensity levels to see which pleases you the most.

So you see, there are other things beside accuracy and dependable or repeatable velcoities to consider.

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Dick Burg

This post is deja-vu, was thinking the same thing this weekend while cleaning an AutoOrdnance TA5. I shot 50 rounds out of a brand new (previously cleaned by me) firearm and when I disassembled to clean again I thought I had been shooting blackpowder. It was sooty and just plain grimy.
I was using Independance ammo I've had a couple of cases of for a few years to break in and test function, I guess I'll put that back again and just use the handloads.
RD

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Got a Phd from Hard Knocks U

Wolf is the dirtiest ammo I've ever shot aside from 1950's milsurp 7.62x54r. The best part about Wolf (in 7.62x39) is that it leaves a mess like no other ammo in my AKM. I like the little red blobs all over the inside of the receiver. Wolf is great stuff-even better back when you could get 1000 rounds delivered to your door for under $70 I bought 10 boxes of Winchester WinClean ammo (9mm) from Sportsman's Guide last year. Talk about clean ammo, a few swipes with solvent and oil and the patches come out white.

Clean burning powder is more expensive. You get what you pay for.

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Centennial Every Day

Ammo loaded with home-cast lead bullets and home-made bullet lube IS the dirtiest ammo you can shoot. Six or 7 years ago, I had a nickle plated S&W 459 9mm. Shot over 1000 cast bullet rounds through it without cleaning. Wiped off the outside, a drop of oil on each frame rail and keep shooting. Did not have a single feed or ejection failure. Accuracy was about 8" at 50 feet. Finally, scrubbed the gun clean and accuracy "improved" to 12" group at 50 feet.

The best part was the reloads cost about 75¢ per box of 50 when factory was $6 per 50.

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S&WHF 366

I don't care if it spits sealing wax and leaves behind fish hooks!
Clean the friggin' weapon when you finish and be happy you found ammo to practice with. I've never understood people having a problem with P/M? That IS why they call it "P/M" you know?

WOW! Someone has issues! I never said I had a "problem" with PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE. I just wondered about the differences in ammo "cleanliness". Thanks to the other 95% of responders for your courtious and informative answers (particularily rburg).

Don't forget that a good crimp and a magnum primer (where appropriate, of course) often dispenses with any complaints about dirtiness, in revolvers anyways. As the man says, "just another reason" to shoot wheelguns.

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You're shy a few manners.

Most of what people refer to as "Dirty Ammo" is caused by adjuncts put in the powder to improve metering and reduce clumping. A lot of it is nothing more than graphite.

ALL powder leaves residue. If you do not clean it off shortly after shooting, you leave a nice place for moisture to collect and start eating away at your precious Smith.

That grimy look after shooting "dirty ammo" is actually a good thing, it makes you clean your gun as you should.

As anyone who has worked at an ammunition plant will tell you, there is NO WAY to tell what powder was used to load the "econo-box" ammo. It varies widely from batch to batch depending on supply and cost.
That's why one person says "filthy dirty" and another says "burns great."

There is another side of this discussion. Above I alluded to intensity levels. You can use a powder, say Unique (one I find particularly filthy and I've stopped using it) and run a range of velocities. Its a pretty versatile powder, and you can shoot minimal target loads, or move right up and past factory duplication loadings. In my experience, the higher powder quantities leave the gun cleaner than shooting the target loads. But that was decided by me way back. When I began shooting my M52 and the reduced loads left it a mess, I abandoned the powder. Now I use Bullseye for most .38 loadings. Its cheap, not real dirty, and easy to load.

I have no doubts other powders are cleaner, I'm just too lazy to search for them. But if you're handloading and come up with a combination you like, stick with it. If you load up a bunch and they turn out awful...give them to your sons! Hope they're not reading this....

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Dick Burg

Amen, Engineer1911! After 1000rnds of 38 and 357 cast loads mixed my gun soaks for two days before it gets cleaned. Wouldn't have it any other way.

May I please have some suggestions as to the most effective products for cleaning the barrel, ramps, and that area were the striker/firing pin comes out? I've got a S&W product and "kleen-bore" product #3 stuff but I know there must be some super-secret, ultra-effective and little known home remedy right?

P.S. I shot some steel cased Wolf bullets and those were not as "dirty" as the Winchester white box, (I know, I know each brand can vary greatly!).

Thanks again for all of the helpful info,
'coz.