Barn find, but a sad story.

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H&Hhunter

H&Hhunter

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Last night we had an equine emergency at the house. One of my daughters friends brought over a horse that got mixed up in a fence and had a deep gash that needed stitches. My wife is a vet but we didn’t have some of the needed supplies at the house. So we met up with another vet and friend in the area at her farm to pick up some needed stuff to patch up the wounded horse.

The other vets dad had recently passed away and his shop is now being used by his daughter as her at home treatment ward. All of his various stuff is in one corner of the shop including a wood gun rack on the wall. And sitting in that gun rack, coated in dust was an older lever gun. While my wife and the other vet were talking I went over and looked at it. It’s a pristine Winchester M-94 in .30 WCF. I couldn’t help myself and used the bottom of my tee shirt to wipe it down. It’s got an earlier serial number that ages it to about the 1920’s. The bluing is almost 100% and the wood is in excellent shape, bore is pristine.

Nobody in the family is a gun person or a hunter. They want to keep it as memento, unfortunately it’s going to sit in that dusty shop on the wall and it’s going to rust into oblivion. I wish I could save it but I don’t think it’ll be possible.
 
Make a "Gun Chamois" from an empty face cream jar and wet the rag down good w/clp. I keep one of these in my truck, shooting box, @ hunting camp, etc. Used to buy the commercial version at LGS owned by a friend but he retired and haven't seen them locally since.

Next time you visit your friend, carry your cleaning rod and a few patches and offer to wipe it down. While doing so you can explain what/why you're doing so and when through, gift your friend the "Gun chamois". Who knows.....might soak in and if not, you'll at least extend the inevitable and, you tried. JMO.

Regards,
hps
 
And when people see my old spyderco clip it with a half inch of the point snapped off they still call me an idiot for pulling fence staples with it.

Doing so was far cheaper than vet bills and the horse was fine. How he got front on through a field fence AND back through another square I will never know. I was in a bit of a hurry and the knife was the only tool.

glad to hear the equine money pit is doing well.

I am down to one and hopefully will stay there!

thanks for wiping that rifle down. Good luck with wearing them down.

HPS 1,

thanks for the great idea. I am thinking holy toe elastic shot gym sock or old terry wash rag and Ballistoil. Searching the bathroom cabinets for an empty jar as soon as I send!

You know, decades ago I had a Rig Rag in a jar and totally forgot how convenient it was. Hope there is room in the range bag.

-kBob
 
I keep a small rag with Eezox on it in a zip lock bag, takes up little room and stays moist. Keep one in my range bag, and one near my guns so it's always handy to wipe 'em down.

It's possible those folks may actually want a gun around but are too PC to admit it.
 
Speedo66 said:
I keep a small rag with Eezox on it in a zip lock bag, takes up little room and stays moist. Keep one in my range bag, and one near my guns so it's always handy to wipe 'em down.

It's possible those folks may actually want a gun around but are too PC to admit it.
Click to expand...

I can promise you there is zero PC involved with that family. More than anything they are still in shock from their dad’s passing and the gun on the shop wall keeps his memory alive.
 
H&HHunter

Great to see the horse is in capable hands and on the road (or paddock; whatever the place may be), to recovery! I think offering to take care of the Winchester would be a generous and neighborly thing to do for the family.
 
Gordon said:
Oil it up at least if you are allowed. Maybe seeing your reverence will help.
Click to expand...
Instead of oil, I would use wax, either plain old Johnson's or Renaissance all over the outside, maybe slather a little cosmoline in the bore...............or even offer to see if they'll sell it, explaining how nasty it will get sitting there.
 
i wipe down and oil lighty a few firearms that belong to old friends that have trouble getting around when i visit them. getting old ain,t for sissies.
 
I wouldn't try to convince someone to sell a family heirloom to me. But I would make sure they understood the value of what they have and encourage them to preserve it. I might mention that if by some chance they do decide to sell it down the road I'd like first shot at it.
 
Boattale said:
They just lost their dad for crying out loud. Let them have some time to grieve. That rifle isn't going to rust into nothingness in the next few months.
Click to expand...
Boattale said:
They just lost their dad for crying out loud. Let them have some time to grieve. That rifle isn't going to rust into nothingness in the next few months.
Click to expand...
Not sure where the OP is, but down here, in June, it could.......
 
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