Rain, sleet, snow, and modern rifle stock nooks and crannies

[desidog]

Rain, sleet, snow, and modern rifle (AR-type) nooks and crannies

Far fewer people go to the range on rainy days....seems to me like folks are scared to get their expensive baby wet. I generally go for solid wood and steel guns, preferably stainless for bad weather cause it seems like my good hunting has generally been done in bad weather.

If you have an AR with quadrails, or a gun with a lot of rails, vents, and/or small nooks and crannies (like an english muffin) do you find you spend a lot of time cleaning all those surfaces, or do you not care there's a lot of gunk in there, or do you wear white gloves and only take it out of its case on sunny days? I'm not talking gun function cleaning, but all the other parts and areas.

Anyone fall on their butt and get a whole bunch of snow caked in there? It'll happen to me eventually....

 

[ArmedBear]

I've definitely fallen on my butt in the snow. I was walking along a road with a good amount of fresh powder snow on it, and hidden underneath the snow were frozen puddles, slick as a skating rink.

But I was carrying a shotgun, not a rifle. Does that count?

A shotgun is a bit easier, since most of them are takedowns and can be field-stripped easily without tools, and dried out, cleaned and oiled. If you get crud aft of the receiver, things get a little more difficult.

I, too, wonder about the ARs with permanently-attached quad rails with sights mounted on them, etc. The original M16 design is brilliant in that just about everything is easy to get to, and the removable handguard makes it a lot more accessible than most rifles would be. The newfangled accessories really shoot that design objective to hell.

 

[KW]

Not really an issue unless you are trying to keep the gun spotless. Rain and mud don't really do much to parkerized steel, anodized aluminum or plastic. I can't say as I've ever really cleaned the exterior of one of my ARs. But then again it rains a lot here so I guess a lot of my outdoor shooting involves a free cleaning.

 

[desidog]

But I was carrying a shotgun, not a rifle. Does that count?

A shotgun is a bit easier, since most of them are takedowns and can be field-stripped easily without tools, and dried out, cleaned and oiled.

It counts...seems like all the older guns were much simpler that way...remove the fore-stock and you can wipe down a whole shotgun in one motion. Now a pump action with a heat-shield...well, that's why no one uses em for ducks!

 

[desidog]

I'm assuming the lack of response means i'm onto something here?

 

[briansmithwins]

We hold our local rifle matches rain or shine, in a rock quarry that's either dusty if it's dry or muddy if it's wet. Just strip and clean when you're done. BSW

Here's what it looked like this fall.


Yes, that low port required you to get down.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

I try not to abuse most of my rifles, my AK being the notable exception, but they do get used, and I don't baby them. The rifles I like the most are the ones I try to use the most, and if you get used enough with me, you're going to end up climbing a mountain, wondering around the woods caked in sweat and river sand, covered in rain and foliage, or developing the same icicles as I am on my facial hair as we spend a pleasant afternoon posted up in a snow bank during a blizzard. Inclement weather be damned, if I want to go hunting, take a stroll, or just find a place to turn some money into noise, I am going to. This is why I develop such a relationship with my rifles--we experience a lot of stuff together, and in the process, I learn to trust a rifle as it proves reliable in all the different stuff we find ourselves in.

Lately, with money being tight, ammo is rationed. I enjoy my M1A the most, so that is what I have been buying ammo for when I have the money available to do so. Consequently, it's seen the most use recently. I even used it this hunting season. Again, some trips and slips, some slush and ice, a little mud, some pine needles...nothing it can't handle. Mine is synthetic/stainless, but I've done the same romping around with my chrome moly/wood M870 12 gauge. Just anymore, I vastly prefer a rifle. I expect my rifles to take the same abuse I do out there. I won't subject either of us to anymore abuse than I have to--I look before I leap, I watch my footing, and try to get us both back to the campfire, so to speak. But part of the fun is getting wet, cold, and tired, getting a little out of the comfort zone, and at any rate, I expect a certain amount of bumps and bruises on both me and the rifle. The cleaning regiment remains pretty much the same. Otis the bore till it's presentable. Make sure the bolt and working parts are wiped down, apply fresh coat of oil (or lube on appropriate parts), make sure chamber, bolt face, and bore are all clean and dry, reassemble, wipe down exterior and apply light coat of oil to exterior. Done.

My normal shower regime is designed to get me clean, and so it changes very little regardless of whether I've been camping for a week, working out all afternoon, or just woke up from an uneventful night in bed. It's the same with my guns; my gun cleaning regime is designed to keep my guns clean and functional, so it changes very little regardless of whether it was a couple boxes at the range or the culmination of a weekend spent out and about in the elements. It's very rare for me to feel compelled to completely detail strip a firearm and inspection-ready clean it.

 

[kiwihunta]

Hunt with a Savage Weather warrior.....no worries rain, hail or snow bring it on .

 

[WNTFW]

I just can't tell the difference between a nook and a cranny. (or is it crannie)

I go to the range on nasty days and then clean the gun as needed. Honestly I'm more worried about tracking mud into the vehicle.

I have lost interest in pretty guns.

 

[Geno]

Last day of deer season, we had freezing-rain. By the time I walked back to the truck, I had between 1/8th and 1/4th inch of frozen rain all over my rifle and scope (M700 Tactical). When I get out, I usually stay out. I couldn't do that with my Super Grade tough.

Geno

 

[d2wing]

That's why they make synthetic stocks. If your gun gets wet or full of snow it's best too take it indoors keep it warm and dry it out. Don't leave it in a case. Hunting in snow, cold and rain is pretty normal here. I manage to fall in snow at least twice a year. A bore snake or long wooden dowel is handy to have in the truck.

 

[inherentical]

Far fewer people go to the range on rainy days....

Hmmm, I wonder why that could be?

 

[P.B.Walsh]

I see no reason to baby tools.

However, my grandfathers guns get babied alot, but thats just because of the sentimental value.

My hunting rifle, and AR will see no such care. Because "working" rifles should be able to go through whatever the user goes through.

-P.B.Walsh

 

[benzy2]

I don't think many people who are using their ARs in the mud are going to worry about getting every spec of dirt out from under their rails. Even then it isn't that much more involved than breaking a standard hunting rifle down to fully clean unless you have issues with the front sights base. Even then you can slide it forward enough to clean what needs cleaned well enough. I don't see the issue here.

 

[Zerodefect]

I've dunked my AR in rivers, snow, and have had to pull the carrier to see how obstructed my bore is before shooting more times than I can coun't. ironicly none of them have ever failed!


I walk right into my shower with my AR still on my shoulder. Hose her down in the garage with CLP. On my basic AR's I just pop the handgards off with the tool. Railed rifles get blown off with an air compressor after being soaked in CLP, but if they're really bad I just unbolt the FF tube and wipe her down.

I detail strip the BCG regularly.

 

[kwelz]

I just spray them down with Gun scrubber and call it good.

 

[Hatterasguy]

briansmithwins nice hood shot, looks like a W126 if I'm not mistaken. Diesel or gas?

I love going to the range on crappy days when no one is around. My rifles are pretty much all ex military weapons and I know they don't call wars off for a little bad weather so a little rain or snow doesn't hurt them. Judging by the stock on my K31 it was stacked in the snow quite a bit.

Maybe if you had a fragile weapon like an AR you wouldn't want to get it dirty... (flamesuite on!)

 

[juk]

I don't own many guns that I would hesitate to use the garden hose on. I don't abuse them, it's just that sometimes junk happens and you get a dirty gun. I do strip them down and clean them regularly though. My ARs will be the same way. If I drop one in the river/mud/puddle etc, It's going to the hose before it hits the cleaning bench.

 

[skipbo32]

my m1a does real well in the snow. the aimpoint on it is rugged as well. i like to cover my flash suppressor when the elements are thick though.

 

[Sport45]

I don't do yard work on rainy days either. And it has nothing to do with worries about getting my mower, shovel, or rake wet.

When it's raining I normally spend my range time at the reloading bench.

 

[CZguy]

I shoot at a covered range, so it's no problem for me.

The expense of having to use waterproof bullets is kind of a problem though.