Smoke gun off-season storage...

[Rick1]

Hmmm...self lubed patches. I like that.

They are awesome, you just have to try them.

 

[Alpha8D]

I've taken to storing my guns with the breech plug removed. I just wrap breech plug in a rag and rubber band it to the gun somewhere so they don't get separated.

 

[Standing Bear]

In traditional MLs using real BP I have gone 8-10 years by water cleaning drying and a coat of LPS 3. Most of those years were in very humid NE Texas. A quick alcohol patch then load as normal. Why so long? Don't shoot shotguns much especially the original and per suction rifles don't get much use either.
TC.

 

[hawgslayer1]

:No:
I haven't had any problems with rust. During the hot months if I'm not shooting twice a month I 'm cleaning them. When I'm shooting the rifles they are cleaned when I'm done. The inlines are cleaned with HOPPE'S and sprayed down with Ballistol. 
The side locks are scrubbed down with hot soapy water, rinsed with hot water and dried thoroughly. I then spray  them down with Ballistol also. 
I keep them in a gun locker. The house is air conditioned so I'm not troubled with the rust. 

Ray....... :Red tup:

 

[Buck Conner1]

We dont have a humity issue here but they still can rust without the proper care.

Same in this country, only thing that sweats here are the pot smokers that you wouldn't know anything about Jon living in "weedville" mid America.    :geek:

 

[heelerau]

Gents after cleaning, with cold water, dry with dry flannel patches, a squirt of dewatering oil, WD40 and the like, another wipe out with a dry patch then a wool mop with ballistol, or sweet oil. A few days later I run a dry patch down to check no flash rust then another wool  mop with either ballistol or sweet oil ( extra virgin olive oil)  I have checked some of my less used rifles over 12 months later and no rust. I might add that Western Australia is a pretty dry state, but we do have rainy winters. The rifles are either in a safe with gel packs or in a stout oak cupboard in the big room. I have over time found the odd lock has needed  some fresh oil and the set triggers the same as they had gummed up from lack of  use. What ever you do I think it does not hurt to occasionally run a clean patch down to check how things are.

 

[Buck Conner1]

I use to have my collection along with the family's collections of firearms (I was looking at over 400 guns from F&I War to Nam). The biggest problem was rust so that meant cleaning at least 2 guns each night throughout the years, no time off. After 8-10 years of this even with rubber gloves my hands went to hell with the cleaning products. I went through every gun and edged weapon picking out what I really liked. Got down to several groupings of weapons in various time periods in 80% NRA Very Good to Fine condition. It took several years of having tables at gun shows selling, trading and swapping to get down to a couple dozen flintlock and percussion antique firearms in "NRA Fine condition guns" (edged weapons where sold to a local museum as a group). 

Since then I'm now down to a dozen plus muzzleloading firearms not counting modern making life, insurance costs and space more manageable. 

My family (relations) are not into anything we (the wife and myself) like, so I put it in our will when we're gone all these items, guns, furniture (one buffet was built when Abe Lincoln was President), tools, etc. will he sold and the funds donated to one of the animal societies for purchase of food and shelter only (not management fees). Life can be a big pain in the butt ......

 

[Hylander]

Old post I know, but I didn't realize there was an off season
I shoot mine all year long, especially in the winter.

 

[Hanshi]

Old post I know, but I didn't realize there was an off season
I shoot mine all year long, especially in the winter.

I shoot mine all year round as weather permits. Our winters are long, here, and heavy snow makes it difficult to get out without snowshoes. Last winter the snow was noticeably thinning out; but when I arrived at the range I had to walk through nearly hip deep snow just to reach the target boards.

 

[mark1945]

Hanshi , Im the same way I shoot year around also either at my lease or at the gun club range. I keep everything cleaned and as dry as possible ,considering I only live 1 block from Corpus Christi Bay sometimes that can be difficult . I have a Golden Rod in each safe and several of the descant ones that you plug up to refresh in each safe also . Just use Hoppes #9 and wipe them off regularly keeps all rust free so far.

 

[Marty1]

Old post I know, but I didn't realize there was an off season
I shoot mine all year long, especially in the winter.

Old post yes... but still lots of good advice from many.
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p.s. For those interested I'll see if I can re-post my images.

 

[Hanshi]

I'm also constantly checking and handling my guns year round.

 

[Marty1]

I'm also constantly checking and handling my guns year round.

I like to rotate my choice of firearm to use for the upcoming deer hunting season... and decide early in the year of my choice. I don't shoot all the firearms every year, so proper long-term storage is important.

 

[[email protected]]

I'm also constantly checking and handling my guns year round.

I agree, keep a eye on them never know what may find and better to correct early or be preventative than repair later. Plus I just like caring for them. I shoot once a month at the ML club meeting so they get out.

 

[Peashooterjoe]

Here is South Alabama being near the Gulf so had to find a better way to store BP rifles and revolvers. So I use simple green cold in and out till clean, then use mineral oil outside and Dextron transmission fluid inside to preserve with bore butter made from casteroil. Just checked on yearly cleaning no rust in and out. Use carb cleaner or alcohol to clean before use. Also use the castor oil borebutter( homemade) to shoot with as normal.This has been working for me since getting into Black powder. Even the used ones I bought, cleaned up til rust free and works for them also.Peashooterjoe

 

[Hanshi]

I'm another hunter who rotates guns, both in the woods and at the range. For the woods I have three, .45, .50 rifles and a .62 smoothbore that I've used for deer. There's actually one more that's legal here, a .40 flintlock rifle. I have yet to use the .40 as .45 was always the minimum in the states I've lived in before. They get rotated. At the range I shoot the baby calibers, .32 & .36, for economy and because they are much fun.

 

[JIMYJAC]

I go through them constantly. We have a muzzy shoot once a month at the club. During long term storage a patch of break free for the bores. I carry a rag with bf in a zip lock bag when i`m at range or field. No rust.

 

[Fyrstyk]

After cleaning my barrels with warm soapy water, I blow them out with my air compressor to get the bulk of the moisture out. Then I run a patch with WD-40 to displace any remaining moisture. finally, I run a patch with Barricade to preserve the bore. I sore my guns with the barrel down in a safe with a golden rod dehumidifier. When I take my guns out to shoo, I first run an alcohol soaked patch to remove any remaing bore preservative so I start out with a clean, dry bore.

 

[Buck Conner1]

basically i just use hoppes solvent and then run a few patches until its dry and use a patch with rem oil.

.
Do the same Marty. :coffee:

 

[Hanshi]

I clean with tap water, dry with patches, alcohol and WD40. Remove all that and protect with Barricade. The outside gets paste wax and/or Type F tranny fluid.