Gun Maintenance

[M.S.B.]

Hi all been out shooting today in our fine british weather. Gun and scope nice and wet. I normally put wd40 on a cloth and wipe the gun down to prevent water damage to my gun. is there any products on the market better suited. Or any tips on how you clean your guns when wet. Any advice will be gratefully received.

many thanks

mark

[ikarma70]

take the stock off,wipe any water off and allow stock to dry naturally then wipe an oily cloth over any metal parts

[M.S.B.]

hi ikarma70 thanks for your response. what is the name of the oil you use. or is wd40 ok


cheers

mark

[Jackel]

Saw don't use wd40 for god's sake it is a penetrate is has acids in it get yourself a good silicon cloth or ever a dot of three in one at a push

[ikarma70]

hmmmm wd40 does evaporate,i use scottoil(the clear stuff) thats for motorcycle chains and i do have a silicon cloth

[Murphy]

I just use parker hale gun oil.

[alowen]

Yeah, i use Youngs Gun Oil, love the smell of it too.

[HotShot]

If the gun has been out in the wet then its always a good idea to pull the barrel through - not much point in having a shiney gun but the barrel rusty on the inside

Dave.

[Prone Shooter]

Wipe down with silicon oil impregnated cloth after drying. A touch of gun oil on any linkages.

Bob

[Parabuteo]

As above, dont let WD40 anywhere near your gun

It was banned for use on our aircraft with good reason (and if you are hunting and it has not totally evaporated, I cant see the smell being so good either).

I use napier gun oil (but there are many other good brands too) and, if it has had a good soak, take the stock off and let it all dry out.

If the gun has come in from the cool to the warm, I let it stand for a while to warm up, the check it again (as water in the warmer air condenses and forms droplets).

I also smear the cylinder bottom (that which is below the stock) with airgun grease, so if any rain (rare) or sweat (not so rare) drips down the side, it does not sit on the metal out of sight, and do damage that way.

If you have any cammo, slings, etc, that are on the gun and wet, take them off and dry seperately.

Best practice is to keep your gun in a cabinet/cupboard with a protective vapour producing pad, something that actively displaces moisture and sticks to the metal to protect it rather than just absorbing the moisture

Dont forget that bluing is, to all intents and purposes, rust (of sorts) and is there to enhance rather than protect. It needs oil to keep it looking good, and will rust esily if left un protected for too long.

Re gun care, do a search, and yes, every so often, give the poor bloody barrel a clean. Its a precision tube, and after all, it what the shot is all about, so give it a bit of TLC too eh

[Steyr]

As above, dont let WD40 anywhere near your gun

It was banned for use on our aircraft with good reason (and if you are hunting and it has not totally evaporated, I cant see the smell being so good either).

I use napier gun oil (but there are many other good brands too) and, if it has had a good soak, take the stock off and let it all dry out.

If the gun has come in from the cool to the warm, I let it stand for a while to warm up, the check it again (as water in the warmer air condenses and forms droplets).

I also smear the cylinder bottom (that which is below the stock) with airgun grease, so if any rain (rare) or sweat (not so rare) drips down the side, it does not sit on the metal out of sight, and do damage that way.

If you have any cammo, slings, etc, that are on the gun and wet, take them off and dry seperately.

Best practice is to keep your gun in a cabinet/cupboard with a protective vapour producing pad, something that actively displaces moisture and sticks to the metal to protect it rather than just absorbing the moisture

Dont forget that bluing is, to all intents and purposes, rust (of sorts) and is there to enhance rather than protect. It needs oil to keep it looking good, and will rust esily if left un protected for too long.

Re gun care, do a search, and yes, every so often, give the poor bloody barrel a clean. Its a precision tube, and after all, it what the shot is all about, so give it a bit of TLC too eh

Sound advice here - I use Napier gun oil too. Only thing I would add is to go to your local DIY store and get a lint free cloth. Dribble oil over it and leave it in a plastic bag in your gun bag or tool box ready to use when you have finished shooting or just been handling the rifle. WD40 is not good to use on any rifle or gun. If it's been in the rain, seperate the stock from the action, dry and oil and allow to dry before re-assembling bearing in mind your scopes zero may alter as a result.

[Adam (KOS)]

Saw don't use wd40 for god's sake it is a penetrate is has acids in it get yourself a good silicon cloth or ever a dot of three in one at a push

Another very good reason NOT to use WD40 is that if it should get into an area such as a springers piston chamber, it has the potential to EXPLODE or Diesel as it is also known when the vapor is put under high pressure.
The same mistake is sometimes by people have used it for the maintenance of their model aircraft engines. A few fingers lost as a result!

[Parabuteo]

Sound advice here - I use Napier gun oil too. Only thing I would add is to go to your local DIY store and get a lint free cloth. Dribble oil over it and leave it in a plastic bag in your gun bag or tool box ready to use when you have finished shooting or just been handling the rifle. WD40 is not good to use on any rifle or gun. If it's been in the rain, seperate the stock from the action, dry and oil and allow to dry before re-assembling bearing in mind your scopes zero may alter as a result.

Oh yea matey, oily rags alles uber der platz!!

[M.S.B.]

Hi all many thanks for the info. I wont be using wd40 anymore. Off to the gunshop at the weekend to buy some gun oil. Once again many thanks

cheers

mark