After You Clean Your Rifle - Storage

[Ian M]

I make a point of standing my freshly cleaned rifle on its muzzle in the gun vault. I put a folded cloth under the muzzle and always get a very small blue circle under the muzzle after a few days. Perhaps I am not getting my bore as clean as some might prefer, but this is after a reasonably uniform and comprehensive cleaning routine.

I assume that this spot is solvent that might have run back into the action, maybe into the stock/bedding eventually? Seems like it always has a blue tinge so I am not getting all of the copper out, even when I repeat the cleaning procedure a couple of times.

If I am going to shoot the rifle in a short time I always run a final patch lightly soaked in Shooter's Choice down the bore before storing it. If not I dry the bore after the solvents, then run a patch with RIG or Shooter's Choice Rust Prevent down the bore.

Interested to hear if any of you guys also store their rifles muzzle-down. Be interesting to hear if you get similar residue stains. Also any pros and cons on storing rifles muzzledown, rather than horizontally or muzzleup.

 

[Brent]

Merry Christmas Ian.

I don't store mine down, but rather the opposite with the bore just patched dry after SC solvent was used. When Sweets has reduced the blue to an absolute minimum or none I run the SC solvent down to rinse it out, dry and then store it, that is as clean as it gets on any of mine. I do clean until there is no trace of copper at the muzzle and usually beyond that a little more before reducing or eliminating the blue though. Never had a problem with rust in the cabinet so I never use the Rust Prevent in the bore when stored, I do use it on the outside of them in the field about every other day or more if needed though.

On another note concerning storage, I don't store with the barrels horizontal because it's own weight will likely bend a straight tube. I'm not sure what the runout would be on one if stored horizontal while resting on the barrel or the forend with a floated barrel but it will be more than vertical in any case, that's my guess.

Over time a crankshaft will bend if layed on the floor because it's not supported evenly, even if it's placed on thick foam it will bend and runnout will be such that bearings will lock the crank up when the caps are torqued. If they can't be supported evenly they must be stood on end so they don't bend.

[ 12-25-2002: Message edited by: Brent ]

 

[Ian M]

Brent,
For interest try standing your rifle bore down overnight on a piece of paper towel after you have cleaned it. I get residue coming down the bore even when I have run one dry patch. I figure that stuff will run into the lug recesses or action eventually if I sit it bore up. Might be no big deal, I would just as soon not have it into the action.
Hope you are staying warm up there. You and your family have a great Christmas.

 

[Brent]

Howdy Ian, thanks, all had a great Christmas, it got down to zero up this way finally, up to about 15 today though. Taking a bunch of the big guns and a cannon up to the glacier and shoot some icebergs on newyears day. It's about a 30 mile wheeler ride up there, I'll get some pics with the new digital camera of the area.

I usually dry my bores up pretty good with 2 or 3 patches but I'll see what comes out after the next cleaning with the barrel down.

How cold are you getting over there?

[ 12-30-2002: Message edited by: Brent ]

 

[Ian M]

Brent,
Now that is the way to spend New Years day, or any day for that matter! Hope your ride in goes smooth and your sink a few 'bergs! Would sure like to see pictures of where your going - must be nice living in God's country.

Weather has been varying all over the place, slightly above freezing to real cold and snow. Some parts of this wasteland got two 12" dumps in the last week or so - that is good as we are in a serious drought so maybe there will be some moisture this spring.

Tell us what calibers you recommend for shooting icebergs and glaciers - that just sounds like a heck of a day. Don't suppose my poor little .308 Win would make much of an impression.

 

[Brent]

2 at 12 inches, WOW haven't seen that for a while. Were supposed to get some more this weekend too. Back down to zero today again, **** gonna be a cold ride wednesday.

We'll be taking a few 308s along with us too. Sounds like the 500 Jeffery, 416wby, 470 Capstick will be the loud-n-boomers, Oh ya the cannon too!

Taking along several 8mm Turkish Mausers, couple 300WSM, couple 300 Ultras, 338-378wby, couple 475 Linebaughs, 454 Casull, a few 44 mags, 7mag, 243, couple 17HMRs, a few full autos that "machine gun man" is bringing and several more of other guys that haven't said yet. We are going to have a BLAST you might say.

I still don't know how in the hell we're going to get all the guns up there!! Wish you all were here for it too. I'll be loading ammo allllll day tomarrow. I'll get lots of picts and put them on a link at Imagestation if you all want to come on up and have a look around my playground here.

The bigger dia the better for Bergs, some of them can be real dinosaurs to put down sometimes!

Happy New Year Guys.

 

[Ian M]

Damnn, you got me thinkin about pulling some serious trigger here!! You Alaskans are going to have some fun - hate to be one of those poor 'bergs, they's gonna catch hell.

Sent you an e-mail attachment of a shoot we did down south a while back, enough goodies to take on a couple of them nasty 'bergs. I think we had 22 tactical/LR rifles between the six shooters. Went through 500 rounds of .338 Lapua in two days.
Two guys showed up with so many rifles and goodies they could not see out of the rear view mirror of their Chevy SUV. Reminds me of the time I had to move our ammo forward in my little Toyota truck because it was too far back and making the headlights beam too high. We wuz ready to do some shooting that day!

Have a great time - don't forget your earmuffs

 

[Brent]

Ian,
You have mail.

Sounds like a blast, funny as hell too.

I had a Toy once, can't beat em. Dad has one, '89 IFS we built up with an 4 speed auto ahead of a divoriced standard 5 speed transmission running 44" boggers. Our river running/hunting buggy.

Wish we had more long range meets up here like that, like I sayed Alaska has drawbacks too.

500 rounds is a load of bullets! About 7# of powder too eh.

We went Berg blasting today, it was sooooo fun. The Bowling Ball Cannon was the highlight by far. They figure 800 fps with a 15# ball, we'll check it with the Oehler next time out. Bergs were falling and it was a riot!

I'll post a link to the pics tomarrow when I get the pics loaded up.