Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters short term rifle storage?

I was taught, 40 years ago, to clean a rifle thoroughly every time it was used. I recognize now that that is probably unnecessary and was a hold over from the days of corrosive primers. However, I have read that powder fouling attracts moisture and therefore could lead to rust.

If one shoots their rifle somewhat regularly, ie. 2-3 times per month, should the bore be wiped with anything like oil or Hoppes between outings? I wipe the exterior metal surfaces I touch with light oil so that fingerprints do not result in rust, it seems that the bore should get at least as much attention.

FWIW summer humidity is pretty high in the region I currently reside.

Thanks

Tcp.

I bought bore snakes for the rifles that I shoot regularly. Quick and easy to run through with a light coat of oil.

I don't do a full clean unless they get rained on or I start noticing groups opening up.

As always, ymmv

-Jake

Thanks for the reply. I am asking the above question as I have read that improper/over cleaning ruins more rifle barrels than shooting and I recognize that this makes sense.

I am just wondering how little maintenance is TOO little?

Thanks

No one else has an opinion on wiping the bore between trips to the range vs. leaving it fouled? Basically I am looking to see if there is a consensus as to wether powder fouling DOES attract moisture/promote rust.

Thanks

I hate to admit on here, that I do not wipe down the bores in between uses. I should do better. Wyoming is pretty dry though.

I have let hunting guns sit fouled for a couple of months at a time during winter. Foul it and don’t mess with it till seasons over. That said, to fit your parameters, target rifles I clean and oil after I am through. Varmint guns when accuracy falls off. If I don’t clean it, I don’t oil it.

Same here minus the target rifles, I don't have any.

Depends on where you are. Even NW Montana is relatively dry, so the embarrassing fact is, I haven't touched my rifles since maybe October, and I don't expect any punishment.
I generally only clean when accuracy goes south.
But if I know I won't shoot, I will take a moist patch of Hoppes 9 and make sure the entire bore is coated. Then I park it. Dry patch upon shooting whenever that is.

But if I was in Florida, I'd oil every time with some kind of preservative. If you live anywhere where you ever get atmospheric condensation any time of the year, it's smart to oil.

I'm about the same as Dave--except I live in a much drier part of Montana. I don't clean bores unless accuracy goes south--and keep track of when it tends to by keeping a record of all the shots fired on every rifle.

Smokeless powder fouling isn't like black powder fouling, which is hydroscopic. But a little moisture can creep UNDER both powder and copper-fouling in humid climates, where it doesn't hurt to at least push a couple of oiled patches through the bore afterward. A tight dry patch before the next range session will get most of the oil out. But you'll still probably need another shot (maybe two) before it settles down again.

I've had experiences that indicate doing it either way depending on conditions.

For example, normal rifle storage for most of mine is in the gun safe in the basement, which is very dry and I never have rust issues even though our outdoor humidity is in the 80-90+% range most of the year. I don't wipe the bore between range trips with rifles I store there, and some have sat for several years with no corrosion issues at all. My regular habit with most guns is to just shoot them and put them away; they get oiled frequently but cleaned only when they need it.

However, several times when I've fired rifles in very humid conditions and then stored them in some temporary spot like the car trunk, a friend's garage, etc overnight, the bores collected moisture and developed some rust. A new year's eve party at a friend's place was one example, where we fired some guns at midnight and it was very humid, foggy, and cold. I suspect warm barrels and cool/humid air had more to do with that than the powder fouling itself, but a wipe with an oiled patch would have prevented any issues.

Mostly I prefer to buy stainless barrels these days and don't worry about it much.

Thank you for the replies. I appreciate the advice.

Doesn't take long to run a wool mop through the bore so I oil after every shoot, and I'm down the range every weekend. The oil I use (Sweets Oil, same brand as the Sweets Copper Solvent) will also remove copper to some extent.

Do you use a goldenrod, dessicant, or some other dehumidifying method in your safe?

If you live in Florida you probably have central AC, which is a big dehumidifyer. I live in Texas and have both central Air and Heat. They both dehumidify. I only oil my guns when I take them out and they get wet.

Bore snake is my friend.... run one thru the bore once or twice when I leave the range or when I'm out in the field and high volume shooting at sage rats... maybe once every 100 rounds or so....sometimes more when I start missing a bunch of the little mothers...

I tend not to wipe a bore out if I've fired one or two shots and know I am going to take the same rifle out next week. I tend to carry the same rifle 5 or 6 times before grabbing something else. But I give it a clean once I know I won't use it again for a while. It's a pretty dry place where I live though.

But if I lived in a climate with high humidity (like Queensland in north Australia) I would oil it every trip. Last year I purchased a Ruger Ultralight in .257 Roberts that was in 99.9% condition from a website. When I got it I couldn't believe how good it was. But at the range it shot 3 - 4 inch groups and my gun smith's bore scope showed erosion in patches along the entire barrel. He reckons it was packed away unoiled after use and the powder attracted moisture. I had to rebarrel the rifle which was a real shame. And I bought it from Queensland with very high humidity.

The only guns I clean every time I shoot is my black powder guns. I clean my modern deer rifles once a year after season is over and I'm going to store them a while....same with handguns.....only if I'm sure I won't be shooting them for a while. I always wipe the outsides of them down after carrying them.

In general, no. I don't do much cleaning at all anymore. Heck, as much as I love blued and wood...my hunting rifles are stainless plastic fantastic laser beams. I wipe the outside down and at the end of the season I do run a wet oil patch down the bore. That's about it.

Re: Bore Snakes. Please, be careful not to drop them in the dirt. While I love the idea, the fabric of the snake can pick up dirt and dust...which is basically a form of sandpaper when it's ripped through the bore.

To be clear, I do carry a "Kit and Caboodle" when I am in the field. Taped muzzle or not, going headlong downhill and watching your rifle spear the dirt is pretty much grounds to pull out a cleaning kit.