Rifle Storage - Prep and Preservation

[JG727]

So I know the basics of preservation, but I have a question?

How would I go about preparing a rifle bore/chamber for long term storage.

I imagine that the first step is to clean the barrel thoroughly.

Then I imagine that degreasing would be good. I want to remove any remaining oils/greases because there could be moisture trapped under them. I know that there are degreasing agents, but would boiling/near boiling water work? It would be hot enough to evaporate. I'd run a dry/clean patch, then what?

My biggest concern would be coating the bore/chamber completely. Do I use an undersized patch and load it up? Can I really trust that method?

Maybe stopping/blocking one end, warming my grease so it flows easily, pouring some into the bore, and then blocking the other end. Continuously rotate/tip/agitate as the grease solidifies.

This a good idea?

For example, I need to store my M-1 Carbine while I;m at school, and Florida is very humid. Obviously, I'll store the stock separately, and I'll thoroughly coat the trigger group and bolt in whatever grease I end up using.

 

[30Cal]

I would just run an oiled patch and follow it with a dry one. Don't want oil flowing down into the wood; over time it'll soften the inletting. Be very careful to wipe down everything you touch. I've got a couple firearms that don't get touched more than once a year and have lived in quite a few damp places.

 

[ball3006]

After cleaning the bore, swab it with a wet patch of LPS2 or Breakfree. Both are rustpreventatives that dry after application. I have never had a bore rust ever, and some of my guns have been in the safe for 20 years.....chris3

 

[SGW42]

I put two drops of RemOil on a patch and pass it through the bore, just once. Then I put two or three drops of RemOil on a patch and run it over all external metal surfaces evenly.

Then I decock them, stick them in a gun sock, and slide them under my bed (I'm in an apartment). Very humid down here and my guns are fine (some for years), they are also usually good to go when I pull them out (obviously I check for build ups, bore obstructions, etc.).

 

[briansmithwins]

I'd use Breakfree or Boeshield. You're making it harder than it is.

I had a AK stolen once. It was recovered from what was described to me as 'a chicken shed'. A bunch of the other weapons and tools that were recovered were ruined by rust but the AK, which had been lightly wiped down with Breakfree only had two minor rust spots.

 

[rcmodel]

Get a jar of R.I.G..

Just wipe it on with a RIG-RAG and patch the bore with it.

Your rifles will be fine after extended storage.

That's what the big boys use that wrote & have photo's appearing in the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson. These are some of the rarest S&W's made over the last 150 years.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=31842/Product/RIG-reg-UNIVERSAL-GUN-GREASE
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=31843/Product/RIG-RAG-UNIVERSAL-GREASE-APPLICATOR

rc

 

[natman]

Here's a good 1-2 combo:

RIG, LPS3 or Breakfree COLLECTOR in the bore and on the exterior metal.
VCI bags.

 

[essayons21]

I've been using Birchwood Casey Barricade and have been pretty pleased.

 

[jhnrckr]

dont use water on your gun. clean it like normal and run an oiled patch down the barrel. Any oil will work. Dont use too much oil. I use motor oil on my non hunting guns and I use a really thick silicon oil for treadmills on my hunting guns as it is unscented. Pretty much any oil is going to work but the thin stuff in spray cans like wd-40 seems like it evaporates (and stinks).

 

[heavyshooter]

Ballistol

I use Ballistol for both cleaning and lube. After a thorough cleaning I just run a lightly coated patch down the barrel and I wipe the gun down with an old cloth that is lightly coated with Ballistol so I can remove all fingerprints. I then slide the gun into a silicone sock and we are good to go for many years. I grew up in Dallas, Texas (aka humidity-ville) and this is how my father taught me to do it. I have never had a problem with rust and Ballistol is good for wood. I now live in Colorado which is by no means humid so my ritual is probably overkill; old habits die hard.

 

[jon_in_wv]

I've been using Birchwood Casey Barricade and have been pretty pleased.

+1. I wipe all my weapons that go into my cabinet with the stuff. My cabinet is in my laundry room and I haven't any issues with rust with any of my weapons since I started using it.

 

[JG727]

Thanks for the advise.
If I wanted to use a long term grease/grease like preservative, both for the action and the barrel, what do you recommend. It can be something that requires work to remove before shooting,

 

[natman]

Thanks for the advise.
If I wanted to use a long term grease/grease like preservative, both for the action and the barrel, what do you recommend. It can be something that requires work to remove before shooting,

In order of ease of removal:

Break Free COLLECTOR - Wipes on and off like any other oil, but sticks. No need to remove.
LPS3 - Spray on or wipe on, dries to a thin grease, takes a little bit of work to remove.
RIG - It's grease, so it will take some work to remove, but if it's covered in RIG it's not likely to rust.

I once had to prepare an estate of hundreds of guns for multi-year storage and really appreciated BF COLLECTOR's ease of use and no need for removal. If you only have a few guns, RIG is hard to beat.

 

[M-Cameron]

Thanks for the advise.
If I wanted to use a long term grease/grease like preservative, both for the action and the barrel, what do you recommend. It can be something that requires work to remove before shooting,

i say you go mad Russian on it and coat the thing in cosmoline.....


http://www.midwayusa.com/product/267557/tipton-cosmoline-rust-preventative-12-oz

yeah, apparently you can buy cosmoline......i didnt know that.



that way when you can feel like you just bought a new C&R rifle next time you want to shoot it........

 

[Clipper]

I'd just clean and lube like normal, put it in a silicone impregnated gunsock and vaccuum bag it...Maybe throw a bag of dessicant in with it first. An M-1 carbine should fit in an 11-inch wide roll bag OK.

 

[ball3006]

Use what Natman suggests. chris3