Okay... there was a post a while back that I couldn't locate about the ammonia smell coming off of a rapid fire series of the SA battlepacks.

I had the same thing occur yesterday after pulling off 5-6 three round cycles in a row. It stank so bad that I almost gagged. I jest you not.

I have never had that with PMC retail or Guatamalan BPs.

What gives? What was the consensus before? The primer? Guatamalan is berdan primed isn't it?

I don't know about the SA stuff, but most reloading manuals sat that a strong ammonia smell indicates that the powder is deteriorated. Of course this is for unburned powder, as far as I know.

Back in Basic Training, AIT, and even firing for qualification every year in the USAR, I always noticed a distinct smell of ammonia when shooting.

When I finally had my own AR15 (not M16A1 ) I remember not smelling that distinctive odor.  Of course, I haven't been firing M193 either.  I've just recently started procuring SA Battlepacks and a small quantity of Q3131.

I've been keeping the AR15's stowed to stay out of the way of the deer hunters sighting in, but I'll have to get out there in the next week or two and do some blasting.

Anyone have an explanation for this?  Maybe the military stuff I was firing was "old."  Hope not, but you never know....

EDITED for typos.

SA battlepack ammo has a good deal of flash retardant, I have read.  Perhaps this is it?

I would not think it is deteriorated powder, since the NEW russian stuff reeks of ammonia.

I have experienced that "ammonia" smell many, many times. The farthest back that I can remember it is Nov. of 82 at the rifle range on Parris Island. I have smelled it coming from several types of U.S.G.I. surplus ammo and several types of foreign surplus ammo all in various calibers. I don't know what causes it but there is something about that smell that I have grown to like.

I have gotten the same smell from recent manufacture Q3131A (IMI M193).  Mrs. God Bless Texas reports it as well.  I've always wondered what it is, but like Sukebe, I have grown to like it as well.

God Bless Texas

I swear it smells like tomcat piss.

I've alwasy had this smell from M193 (and equivalent).  I remembered it from the military, and when I shoot Q3131/Q3131A or SA I get the same smell.

Shooting the weaker .223 loads (like Wolf or PMC) I don't get the smell.

The idea that it may be the flash retardants is as good a hypothosis as any.