Gun care, espesialy after a wet outing?

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Ive just bought a new gun, it's a PCP and I want it to last and function as it should. (Ive not done HNGD yet as i want to shoot it first!). I will be taking it out in the rain, it will be getting used in woods, it may get splattered on the farm, who knows.

So you've just walked in the door with a wet gun after a few hours shooting.... Guns still in the bag, cuppa has been drank, now to deal with the rifle.

What do you do with the gun to ensure longevity and maintain it in good working order - in general to prevent rust, and especially after it's been out in the wet.

Oily rag, lubes, sprays, what do you dry it with? Do you store it in or out of the slip?

Im more after a kind of routine to get in to when i come home before I store rhe gun away for maybe a few weeks, rather than advice on changing seals and less regualr maintenance. Ive seen some people have said they use an oily rag, or even WD40 after each use, would this be OK on a laminate stock?

Many thanks, hopfully this will benifit other new shiney PCP owners or others who get the gun out in all weather!

Lurker
 
Wipe worst of the water off, leave to get to room temperature. Take action out of stock. Wipe both action and stock again to dry. Check all condensation has been gotten rid of. Wipe action with 3 in 1 on a rag. If it's really been wet I might pull through the barrel with a patch, or shoot some felts through it. I try not to store in a bag, as any trapped moisture has nowhere to go.

Ps I think there was a big thread on this recently.
 
I personally dry the rifle with clean microfiber cloth and I got 3 in 1 oil with a cloth that I put all over the barrel and action cylinder.. then wipe off with a clean mirco bit to make sure there's oil on the gun.. helps prevent rust. And I leave it out the slip due to sweating
 
I’m new to this and have come back with a wet gun but is it safe to leave a PCP by a radiator to help speed up drying? Probably a stupid question but keen to know.
 
Dry it, let it warm to room temperature on a table, spray metal work with GT85 and remove excess, as for the woodwork treat as you would your queen anne table.
 
sussexluke said:
I’m new to this and have come back with a wet gun but is it safe to leave a PCP by a radiator to help speed up drying? Probably a stupid question but keen to know.
Click to expand...
Definitely not. Wipe it down with a soft cloth & leave it somewhere warm but not hot, overnight/24 hours if need be. Take the action out of the stock if you need to and let it dry out slowly. Once its completey dry give it the once over with a dry cloth and some GT85 or equivalent.
 
Telbert said:
Definitely not. Wipe it down with a soft cloth & leave it somewhere warm but not hot, overnight/24 hours if need be. Take the action out of the stock if you need to and let it dry out slowly. Once its completey dry give it the once over with a dry cloth and some GT85 or equivalent.
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Ok that’s what I thought which makes me glad to have asked but also a bit less stupid
 
Depends on what your gun is made of,a lot of new PCP. are made of alloy that’s anodised ,so that won’t rust ,just wipe over to remove any thing wet !
If a wooden stock ,i would remove to dry the inletting area and any water that had gotten under the action !Thinking any stock needs removing as rain /muck will get under the action !

AA as a example ,have steal cylinders ,so they need oiling after removing from the stock !
It’s the little things that usually rust ,like scope bolt/heads and any steal fixings ,just use any oil on a cotton bud to drop a bit on ,and wipe over !
And as somebody has said ,protect the barrel internally with a pull through with oil ?or just shoot some felt pellets through with a bit of oil !
Any good gun oil will do 👍
Don’t forget the scope lenses ,quick wipe over ,with a silk cloth and cleaner for optics !
Then allow to dry overnight and repeat lol🥶☔️🌊🌪️☔️☔️☔️☔️🤣
Don’t store your rifle in its bag ,as other stated ,either buy a another case /hard case for storage !
 
Whatever the gun, if it's got a soaking and before you get cosy with a cuppa, drop the action out of the stock, dry the action and stock with an old towel. Then rub all over with an oily rag (my preferred is Ballistol), then leave to air dry overnight at room temperature. DO NOT neglect in doing this and never put a wet gun away in a slip or dry with 'forced' heat.
 
Take at least one good microfibre towel, and a couple of smaller more manageable sized ones too, with you. Look for good heavyweight ones from the detailing world, and more so Korean sourced ones which should be a 70/30 mix.
Cheaper (Chinese) ones are 80/20, and not as good.
Dry as much as you can off before putting it in the bag/case, depending on how much rain it has been exposed to.
Get either suede or slik ones for the lenses (and your glasses, if you wear any).
Avoid, IMO, cotton towels, no matter if Egyptian or not, as they tend to lint, and are not as soft/absorbent as good microfibres.

Wash separately from household towels, with only a little bit of detergent, at 40-50º, using a bit of white vinegar in the conditioner drawer to ensure all detergent residue is removed.
If you tend to use conditioner, give your machine a thorough clean with any of the machine cleaners you can buy cheaply (Fabulosa) from Home Bargains or B&M, or the machine’s in-built maintenance/care cycle.
Same process before you wash your waterproof clothing, and reapply wash-in waterproofing too.
If you’ve a Range near to you, grab some of their liquid soap flake detergent (Wilko branded), which you need very little of for washing cloths, and your outdoor gear.
Hope that’s of some help.
 
Do after market barrel shrouds cause a water trap between themselves and the barrel or is it simply another part to rake off after a soaking?
 
As others have said on the thread, if your rifle is wet, wipe over with towel/cloth to dry. Leave in a warm room to dry out, depending on stock remove this also. When up to room temperature, go over with an oily rag. I normally put some oil on the barrel and then work over the whole action with the oily rag. Stock as well. If the slip/bag is wet/damp then you want this dry before putting rifle back in. Some of my rifles are in cases, so, I use a slip to take them out and they go back in the case when I get back and have carried out the above.
If you have a spare dry slip, you could use this. I keep a few small bags of silika in all my cases and slips to take up any moisture.
Never had any problems with rust etc on any of my guns.
 
This (currently on offer as well which is a bonus!) is what I treat mine with these days
www.uttings.co.uk

Browning Legia Spray - Red - 750ml

Legia Spray - Red (for Metal) - 750ml. Legia Spray is the ideal product for the maintenance and protection of precision gears. Being moisture remover, Legia Spray cleans, lubricates and protects firearms. It is the product selected by the best gunsmiths. Vaporize Legia Spray on the barrels and...
www.uttings.co.uk www.uttings.co.uk
 
Rick said:
This (currently on offer as well which is a bonus!) is what I treat mine with these days
www.uttings.co.uk

Browning Legia Spray - Red - 750ml

Legia Spray - Red (for Metal) - 750ml. Legia Spray is the ideal product for the maintenance and protection of precision gears. Being moisture remover, Legia Spray cleans, lubricates and protects firearms. It is the product selected by the best gunsmiths. Vaporize Legia Spray on the barrels and...
www.uttings.co.uk www.uttings.co.uk
Click to expand...
second that ,best stuff out there 👍☔️
 
Lurker, if you have been out in the rain with your gun please do not leave it in your gun slip while you enjoy a cuppa, take it out of the slip and wipe it over with a dry cloth, then you can have your cuppa.👍
 
Hello, Turn up side down on an old Towel on a warm radiator until realy dry then a wipe with oily rag, to stop water ingress between Stock and Action i have taken off Stock and smeared Vaseline over all metal parts and replaced stock, or you can just smear between Action and Stock,
 
Just to add to what has been said, I've witnessed a few "mint " rifles that on removing the action from the stock have got very rusty and pitted air cylinders, where they haven't been dried out after a soaking, likewise a warm gun in a cold garage/loft will attract moisture, so always apply a light coat of the slick stuff to all steel parts, especially those hidden by bits of wood/plastic.... it's not a major coast on something like an Air Arms, but might be on other guns, the hassle and aggro is entirely avoidable
 
Ratman72 said:
Hello, Turn up side down on an old Towel on a warm radiator until realy dry then a wipe with oily rag, to stop water ingress between Stock and Action i have taken off Stock and smeared Vaseline over all metal parts and replaced stock, or you can just smear between Action and Stock,
Click to expand...
I’ve heard using a heat such as a radiator can crack the stock?
 
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