The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

"the rifle must be dried out thoroughly afterwards and carefully oiled through."

This is the key to using any water on a firearm, this source relates to the barrel only cleaning of the SMLE and funnels were available for the task to ensure the water went nowhere else but down the barrel and out the muzzle.

Flash hiders and the like that can have inaccessible nooks and crannies are prone to retaining moisture when wet cleaned. Boiling water gives of steam that can cause the flash rusting on the bare metal.

Any flash rusting will just get wiped away with the barrel cleaning however with some more difficult to get at areas it can remain and multiply unless scrupulously cleaned.

Indeed, as I said the Saiga flash hider should be packed with clean rag and wiped out thoroughly to ensure it is clean and most importantly dry and it should then be lightly oiled on the inside.I had a Saiga with the exact same flash hider and cleaned it in this way with no problems, granted it is a bit time consuming but worth it to clean it properly.There are no baffles or suchlike inside it which does make it easier to dry than some types.If our firearms laws were different it would be removeable for cleaning but there you go.

So how do you know which is 'Corrosive Primed'?
I know mine has had some of the ammo that comes in light brown cardboard through it.
I've now got some Barnaul which looks the same, is that CP?
It is difficult to see inside inside the flash hider to tell whether there is any muck, should I just assume there is?

"I know mine has had some of the ammo that comes in light brown cardboard through it".. That is milsurp so CP

Barnaul is not CP I use in my AK and no issues.

If it is in the brown cardboard boxes of 20 with green laquered cases and red laquer at the case neck and primer and a headstamp with two sets of numbers chances are it is corrosive.

Barnaul is visually the same as corrosive milsurp but will have "7.62x39" on the headstamp whereas the military stuff has a two digit date code and the factory number of the plant it was produced in.Barnaul bullet is also lead-cored whereas the military bullet is steel-cored.

To be honest I don't know why folks worry about whether it is corrosive or not, as long as you clean the rifle properly (as you should with any rifle) it isn't an issue plus it is the ammo these things were designed to shoot.