Thread: Reloading tracer

Just wondering if they are bad for your barrel?

Tracer itself is corrosive due to the chemicals in the tracer compound. Clean as you would for surplus .303 (warm water patch). If you mean reloading cases from tracer, I don't think there would be a problem unless they were mercuric primed in which case the brass is stuffed.

I don't think the phosphorus would be to bad for the barrel as they don't ignite till 100-200y out or at least the ones i loaded didn't.
They did copper foul like all hell tho due i guess to the hollow base being forced out against the bore by firing pressure.

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With out sounding like the fun police/tosser ! Check with your range rules if that's where you are heading . Pretty sure they are a no no on the range

Original poster is from Turangi. The quarry at TTG isn't a formal range!

But ricochets into the still very dry Kaimanawa forest is not a good look.

Got a book on explosives composition printed in the 70s. It lists tracer compounds. Red tracer is strontium nitrate pot chlorate sulphur and charcoal, Green is barium nitrate etc, you can also get yellow, purple, pink, blue, and orange now that would make a pretty guy Fawkes display.
There is a delay incorporated into the exposed base of the compound to prevent it going off in the barrel which is evidently not good.
Have seen some pulled .30 cal ones for sale, and would be tempted if I didn't have a few little boxes of 7.62x39 stuff.
I cant find any reference to phosphorus except as a smoke generator but the info is kinda old and searching the internet for that stuff may get me targeted by a drone!

Cool guys, yeah I meant tracer projectiles, don't worry about where I'm using them, im responsible.

Tracer should be OK, I have not seen any comments on it effecting a barrel (has anyone? share the URL!), assuming its maintained ie cleaned and flushed soon after use. Most old tracer will be corrosive primer at least so should be flushed with hot water, just take a flask of it with you and a small funnel and bit of tube, pour it down and finish with some sprayable gun oil or wd40, clean it when home. New Chrome lined barrels no so much a biggee.