I have been reading many posts regarding gun cleaning of late.
For the last several years after I have cleaned my guns I have ran a "very lightly" oiled patch through the bore/chamber/cyclinder/whatever as the final step before putting the gun in the rack. When I say very lightly, I mean just that! It can be very humid here in Iowa.
I have found that my "working" guns are easier to clean with just a "little something" between bullet and bore.
My/your owners manual will condem this practice. My working guns are the ones that I grab as needed. Not every day. They are handy and used as needed. Mostly they just sit at ready.
I DO NOT RECOMEND THIS PRACTICE TO ANYONE. I do it at my own risk.
What do you all think of this?
Cheezywan

I do the same as you for the same reasons.

I also pull a patch through just before I use the gun again. Removes any critters, dust,etc..

I blew up a shotgun once many years ago due to a bore obstruction :eek: Don't want to do that again.

Hello,
All of my guns are kept in my air conditioned Den,so I don't need to keep the barrel oiled.The downside of having an oily bore is that oil attracts dirt.
Some years back,a spider took up residence in one of my gunbarrels,so now,I always visually check the barrel if it hadn't been used for awhile.
Frank

Put away, not expected to have to be used at a secdond's notice, will put an oil coat in the bore (they usually get stored muzzle down so any excess won't end up oil-soaking the stock) and just put a patch through them before going off to the range/hunt. Can't see the harm in that.

A wet bore may or may not shoot to the same point of impact as a dry bore...never shoot through an heavy coat of oil, but if you tend to a very light coat, would be good to check where that first round lands.

The final step of cleaning before storage involves a lightly oiled patch using a very light oil. A dry swab is then inserted into the chamber to remove any residual oil or cleaning chemicals. The firearm is set aside with the muzzle down in a cardboard box with absorbent cloths to soak up excess oil for several days. Then, into the gun vaults until needed. A dry patch is pushed through prior to use to remove oil film and any thing that got into the bore that wasn't supposed to.

Anybody have a good way of storing guns in a gun safe muzzle down? I haven't been able to come up with something that looks good and secure against falling over and/or not damaging the muzzle.
Any ideas appreciated.

Thank you all for replies. Let me try to clear up a few things. The final steps in my cleaning technique is to run clean, dry patches until all solvent is gone. At that time one final patch is pushed through "very lightly" oiled. I use a gun oil for this.
My guns are stored in my home in a climate controled environment. One of my reasons for using this technique, was what would happen if I took a cool, dry gun outside on a hot humid day to address a problem? They "sweat" real fast.
These are everyday working guns I am speaking of. When I call them into service, I need them now!
I do see a POI difference on the first shot compaired to the rest of a group. This is most noticable on scoped rifles.
I have a little data for you to review. This is from my sons single-shot .22 from June of this year. It was 85 degrees and sticky from my notes. Federal bulk ammo. 20 rounds fired from a cold, clean barrel prepared as I decribed. HI 1250 LO 1148 ES 1117 SD 26.2 AD 18.4 AVG 1215. The first shot was the slowest at 1148fps. Did the oil reduce friction and lower presure? That was one reason for the post.
Upside down guns in a vault? How about using velcrow somehow?
Thanks to all,
Cheezywan

You can use Flitz to protect the bore. It doesnt collect dirt and dust.

This thread is near a month old. I am cleaning a rifle using this technique as I type. First patch was dirty with powder as expected. Second patch was clean. Drank a beer and did third patch.It was clean! This is not consistant with the history of this rifle.
I am thinking of this as if I were "seasoning a frying pan".
More comments please.
Cheezywan

Fortunatly my guns don't set long enough to get rusty between shootings :rolleyes: I do run a patch soaked with WD40 or ZEP 45 then a dry patch if there's a chance the gun might set for a couple of months. I always check for obstuctions before I shoot.

Dad showed me a trick to keep obstuctions out of the barrel while hunting and that is to put a piece of electrical tape over the end of the barrel. It works great to keep errant twigs, dirt and snow out of the barrel. Doesn't seem to bother accuracy at all. Best of all it comes off real easy and any adhesive residue can be removed with rubbing alchohol or cleaning solvent.

Fortunatly my guns don't set long enough to get rusty between shootings :rolleyes: I do run a patch soaked with WD40 or ZEP 45 then a dry patch if there's a chance the gun might set for a couple of months. I always check for obstuctions before I shoot.

Dad showed me a trick to keep obstuctions out of the barrel while hunting and that is to put a piece of electrical tape over the end of the barrel. It works great to keep errant twigs, dirt and snow out of the barrel. Doesn't seem to bother accuracy at all. Best of all it comes off real easy and any adhesive residue can be removed with rubbing alchohol or cleaning solvent.

Drop the WD 40, the Military stopped using it several years ago, when they found out it was turning into varnish when left on a surface very long. Don't recommend it for anything other than old barn hinges, and killing primers. A thin coat of a good quality gun oil is your best bet.

Lee L.

Thanks M. Could be why the garage door won't open when it's cold. I'll have to try some Hoppe's on it after I clean all the gunk off it. Who'da thunk it.

Taking a rifle from an air conditioned environment to the range on a hot day has a couple of effects aside from the moisture my .22 target rifle will shoot 6 to 8 inches off center on the first sighter at 50 yds. and then settle down on the next shot.

I clean mine about the same way.

Once a few years back my 30/06 sat all summer in one of those gun racks that hold 3 or 4 guns horizontally, I went and took it down to go shooting one day and when I got ready to run a patch thru it to wipe out the oil I got a bit of a surprise, one of those mud wasps that lays it's eggs in small holes and then fills the hole with mud had filled about 13 inches of the barrel with mud and eggs.
Talk about hard to get out, not sure what they add to the dirt/mud but it dries about as hard as cement, took me about an hour to get it out.


Michael Grace

[QUOTE=mgrace]I clean mine about the same way.

Once a few years back my 30/06 sat all summer in one of those gun racks that hold 3 or 4 guns horizontally, I went and took it down to go shooting one day and when I got ready to run a patch thru it to wipe out the oil I got a bit of a surprise, one of those mud wasps that lays it's eggs in small holes and then fills the hole with mud had filled about 13 inches of the barrel with mud and eggs.
Talk about hard to get out, not sure what they add to the dirt/mud but it dries about as hard as cement, took me about an hour to get it out.


Had the same thing happen to one of my .260's. Took a long, long time and lots of soaking to get the "cement" out of the barrel, and actually had some pitting as a result of the contact with the bore. Fortunately, its far enough down the barrel that accuracy wasn't affected, but more importantly, i never shoot one off the rack without checking the bore first.

Anybody have a good way of storing guns in a gun safe muzzle down? I haven't been able to come up with something that looks good and secure against falling over and/or not damaging the muzzle.
Any ideas appreciated.
One way I can think of would be to use wood dowels attached to a board. The wood is soft enough it shouldn't damage the bore or muzzle. Some people keep handguns at the ready with this method, so the weapon is out of sight but easy to remove.

Anybody have a good way of storing guns in a gun safe muzzle down? I haven't been able to come up with something that looks good and secure against falling over and/or not damaging the muzzle.
Any ideas appreciated.
Now that I am thinking off topic, PVC pipe and fittings might work too.
Post a thread if you come up with a good idea.
Cheezywan

Now that I am thinking off topic, PVC pipe and fittings might work too.
Post a thread if you come up with a good idea.
Cheezywan

Go to Wal Mart, and get some finger protectors. (They look like minature condoms.) You can get a whole package for a couple of bucks, and they work like a charm for keeping spiders and wasps out of bores. Also good when hunting in inclimate weather, as they can be shot through.

Lee L.