Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Rifle freezing up

Had my first instance of my rifle freezing on me. Firing pin would move, hard to reject rounds, etc.

When it's not always possible to keep your rifle dry and/or warm, what do you all do to help keep everything working in the cold?

Thanks in advance,

907brass

Same thing on my blr it would spank the primer but not hard enough to make it go had to break out the old Blackhawk 44 and knock the boo over... Never did anything to try to relieve it I just think it was colder than hell that day although my kid was over there knocking over boo with my hand loads shooting feds at the time

What kind of rifle? Some are much better about this sort of thing than others.

Kimber 84m. Might be a little more dainty than other actions but my question still stands, what do you do to help prevent this in your rifles in your experience?


Curious if there are lubricants that work better in AK cold? Do they still work okay in mild temps?

before goin out in subzero temps, spray blast out the entire action, bolt innards and all ... with the red can of brake cleaner and let drip dry

completely degreasing all moving parts and keeping it dry ... will function better than applying any kind of lubricant

done this out to -40 F where most if not all lubes get gummy and thick

the only way a Jewel trigger in a Rem 700 would function in -40 F

Happened to me years ago with a new Win. M 70. at about -18º F. Back at camp disassembled the bolt, removed the the preservative / lube. Assembled dry and GTG. When I returned home I again disassembled the bolt and gave all the parts a light wipe with Remoil.

I always degreased and then wiped with Eezox and never had any issues.

I can affirm that an Eezox lubricated rifle or shotgun works perfectly well at -40 C or F

No surprise: After application Eezox feels dry, nor oily or greasy.

/John

That cost me a big buck once. Hiked up the mountain in the rain and it was freezing up top.

I didn’t learn my lesson and still don’t do much to mitigate it from happening other than I am older and don’t hike up mountains when it’s freezing up top.

I degrease everything mechanical, either with brake cleaner or acetone to include the trigger assembly and especially the bolt/firing pin/spring. If you’re just shooting a few rounds you shouldn’t need any kind of lube. If you really do want something on those parts, use dry graphite lube. I also try to cover my action somehow to keep ice out. It is crazy where ice can get, even with an action closed. Then when you put it in a warm car, the ice melts and moisture seeps into all parts, then refreezes when you get back out.

I have tried plenty of ‘low temp’ oils, many rated to -40F or colder and none have worked on bolt rifles, pump shotguns nor revolvers at -40F or even -20F a few times. Haven’t tried Eezok, however.

Degrease the rifle and all parts and relube with a dry teflon or ptfe based dry lube and you will be GTG

even though i degrease before cold weather there was one time-----

it had rained the day before and the temp was below freezing when we got up the next day.
i had some water i took to bed to make coffee and it turned to slush as soon as poured it in the coffee pot. as the ice turned to water and then coffee i checked my rifle as the guys laughed at me. it was froze solid. so i held the trigger over the fire until water dripped out then held the bolt over the fire too. i filled my tag that afternoon, too.

Was the rifle wet and then froze like Calvin mentioned, or just cold temps but dry?

It was snowing one day and clear and cold the next. I have no doubt water got in there.
But as sort of a separate point, I was wondering what you all do in the more extreme cold. And I am thankful for the replies so far.

Swamp already fkn schooled yah. How much more hand-holdin do u need?

I will probably never need to worry about keeping one of my guns working in freezing/sub-zero temps again, which is a good thing but a little sad. Anyway...

Another vote for Eezox. Strip the gun down as far as you can, make sure the inside of the bolt body, firing pin, trigger parts are clean and degreased with, as mentioned, brake cleaner, carb cleaner, acetone...whatever. Apply Eezox, let dry and wipe down. Reassemble. Someone years ago, I want to say it was Layne Simpson, recommended using automotive paste wax which was probably okay then, but Eezox would be a lot easier to apply and work with these days.

As some have mentioned, you don't really need to lube a typical hunting rifle for short term use.

The big thing is to keep it dry. When I hunted in extremely cold weather a lot, once I got my gun good and clean I didn't take it back into a warm house or camp; leave it in the vehicle, outbuilding, wherever. No matter what you do for cleaning/lube you won't stop condensation from occurring and that will freeze. If you must bring it in for reasons of situational security or whatever, as soon as it warms up, take it apart, dry it out so it's ready for the next day.

If I felt I absolutely had to lube a gun for cold weather I'd probably try Kroil. It lubricates enough and I don't think it gums up at any temperature I'm liable to be out in anymore.

That will work in a dry cold. If its closer to freezing and you've got snowfall, our your going through thick snow laden bush it won't necessarily solve anything.

Keeping my rifles very lightly lubed I've never had them freeze up in extreme cold, but I've had them freeze up in the conditions I just described and I dont know that there is any way around it. Only thing I've found is that actions built to tighter tolerances seem to be more prone. I cant recall freezing up my Mauser or Ruger to the point it would greatly interfere with making a follow up shot. My Tikka however is significantly more problematic. You can run it as dry as you want and its still going to give you trouble in the wrong conditions.

Other thing you can do is go with irons and keep your hand wrapped around the receiver, carry the rifle upside down, or both. I dont recall ever having issues with any of the rifles I've used without a scope.

Wtf!? Mother fker who are you and where do you live!? Do know who yer preaching to?

Ive hunted various herds of caribou by dog team from above the circle, to the alphabet mountains in some hard core below zero. With meowsers and rugeronis and a few lever guns.




My biggest problem was not a frozen rifle(if happens and is EASY to fix), but getting bit breaking up a dog fight, loosing all grip strength, and having to shoot caribou/cycle a CZ 550 with only one good hand.


Other REAL issues has been frostbite, and hypothermia where my hands aren't steady enough to make a fire. A fkn frozen rifle, soft mother fkers......

I'm not going to engage in whatever this is. *ignore*

But you DID engage in whatever you "think" this is.

Who sh*t in your coffee this morning, Mainer?

Thanks all for the input. I think I'll designate one or two in the stable to clean all the grease off and be my actually cold weather sticks. Probably sew up a cover that can slip on over the bolt and action area.

Always keep your guns oiled to prevent the start of rust, just hose down with Brakleen right before going out into the freeze, stuff eats up all the oil and dries pretty quick, keep a can on hand if possible, will blast away and unlock a frozen action/trigger/ etc.

Jewel triggers are like fine watches but tend to freeze up in sub zero temps with any kind of oily product, my solution was to blast them clean and run them naked during the hunt and oil up after, rinse & repeat

Don't Diddy up yo gun in da cold mang ! no lube

I've had a trigger freeze up partially in wet snowy conditions just below freezing. It still worked just barely, but the trigger pull felt very strange. It was a Rem 700 trigger so not the most robust for those conditions.

Use oils that don't freeze or coagulate in the temps you hunt in. That helps a lot.

Brakleen isn't a lubricant. It works for spraying down parts, to get rid of schidt lubricants, then you can lube with something like EEZOX, or even Rem oil. Some guys us lighter fluid as well, as it has more lubricating factors than Brakleen has.. Just sayin..

I've had guns freeze up a couple of times and they both resulted in bucks living another day. Coastal AK is different than the interior. Heavy, wet snowstorm at sea level and then climbing up to 1,500 ft will cause problems regardless of how much brake cleaner and graphite you spray all over the place. Coldest I've ever hunted on the coast is around + 10 F

Biggest mistake I see is guys wanting to bring their guns in the heated cabin overnight - they will get condensation on them when they go back out in the cold in the morning. I leave my s/s rifles on the porch under the eaves overnite after toweling off all the surface moisture.

Swamplord, I appreciate the clarification. Will do.

I was hunting grouse near circle hot springs years ago with a 22 rossi pump.
It was cold, damn cold, minus 40 cold.

On skis, pulled the trigger and the hammer oozed forward like it was stuck in molasses.

Quite comical actually, that was years ago, if its cold, run it dry and keep it cold.

Lighter fluid is not a bad way to go.

Correct ... Brakleen is not a lubricant ... and that is the entire point ... You don't want the oil .... All oil/petroleum based lubricants tend to turn into a thick oozing gel at extreme temps on steel, enough to gum up your trigger, firing pin, spring etc ... & screw up your hunt, I've lost a couple nice reds & a big gray because of gun oils

imagine hunting wolves in Nov/Dec and running into a 9 ft brownie that wasn't in bed yet cause he was hangry ?

Run it clean & dry during the hunt, can always slop it up with your choice of grease after

BTW, Rem Shotgun Cleaner works good too, just not as readily available as the Brakleen that is found in all the auto care stores, Wal Mart & Fred Meyers

First step is dumping the POS Kimber!

Some very good advice so far. When I asked what model of rifle we're talking about here it was because some designs are much less prone to problems such as what you had. Military trigger mausers, New Haven Model 70s, and Ruger 77s are much more reliable than any rifle featuring a box design trigger. But even with those good designs you still need to have the rifle properly cleaned and lubricated. Bolts which can be easily stripped in the field are also very good.

Kimbers are nice in several respects, but to my mind their triggers keep them from being really good options in any icing or silt-laden environments. I don't take my Adirondack out in such conditions. I'd forgo the idea about making some sort of cover for the action and just use a proper rifle for the conditions you're in or likely to encounter. A cover is a great way to miss a chance at a deer or not be able to bring your rifle into action on a bear.

Muskeg Man is spot on with his point about SE being different. Below freezing temps with our high humidity will cause problems differently than the plain old sheer cold of the interior. Down here, our stuff is very likely to have some sort of wetness to it going into freezing temps, such as the elevation changes that Muskeg points out. When parts on a SE gun are coated with water and then get cold the actual problem is icing. This moisture is different in its effect than the up north guys get. Up there it's generally more dry and the problem is many lubricants gum up in the cold.

One huge issue that's generally ignored is you should, at least yearly, do a full tear down of your rifle to clean, inspect, and lubricate it. This gets out all the bits of muskeg and spruce/hemlock needles, addresses any issues you might have beforehand, and provides you with peace of mind. We're using our rifles in some very difficult conditions and around some legit predators that kill or maim people annually. Treat your rifle like your life depends on it, because it does. If you don't like this, move.

I find that I want some sort of lubricant/rust preventative on the innards of my rifles. Over the last 20-some years I've settled on the use of RIG, rem oil, and shooters choice grease. The portions of the barrel and action hidden in the stock get a light coat of RIG. The firing pin spring gets a light slurry of rem oil and shooters choice grease. The trigger assembly gets a light coat of rem oil. Rem oil is nice because it works in our temps and it gradually evaporates away but leaves a coating of sorts that continues to lubricate and protect without collecting crap. Mind you, this is what I do with a 70 or 77. The kimber I just try to keep clean and refuse to trust in challenging conditions.

You have to look at this practically. People who live in other places, that lack dynamic weather or large predators can afford to dick off with substandard rifle designs. You cannot. You live in SEAK and need to equip yourself for success and safety.

Well I fugged up. Two weekends ago the grandson lined up his sights on his first deer. He pulled the trigger and nothing.
I whispered to cock the gun which he did and again nothing. The third time I watched the striker do a slow slide forward. Crap!!! I grabbed my rigle off my shoulder and handed it to him as I took his. He layed it in the Bog death grip and squeezed the trigger BOOM the rifle barked and deer ran. Shot was high. We searched for blood and none was found.
Remington 722 257 roberts 41 degree weather. When I got home I pulled the bolt apart and it was gummed up. I disassembled the bolt soaked the parts polished up the firing pin and reassembled the bolt and shot it to check his zero.
Hopefully this weekend he will take his first deer . Pretty proud of this 12 year old kid, he stayed calm throughout the whole ordeal. I knew he was frustrated but didn’t let it show too much. He did say he wanted his first to be wth the Roberts since his mom used it to kill her first with it. So I guess that was the silver lining in the miss

"The big thing is to keep it dry. When I hunted in extremely cold weather a lot, once I got my gun good and clean I didn't take it back into a warm house or camp; leave it in the vehicle, outbuilding, wherever. No matter what you do for cleaning/lube you won't stop condensation from occurring and that will freeze."

AMEN! I keep my rifle in an unheated garage in the winter, and if I'm driving somewhere, it rides in the truck bed or in the back seat covered with blankets so it never rises above 32F.

Why do you feel the need to be such a jerk? Your fouil language and attitude impresses no one. He asked a legitimate question and is getting advice from those who KNOW. It is not his fault for others answering to help out. That is what this place is all about. Pro's helping rookies.

Jim

Coastal AK is a different animal. Not necessarily tougher, just different. Then throw saltwater into the mix…..

He said.. brake cleaner to clean oil. Then oil when done. Never heard anyone think that brake cleaner was anything more than a solvent.

Most that have been in really cold temps have found there is no such thing. Normal temps yes. But while there are some good oils that don't freeze, they do gel up. I have yet to see a way around the issue other than run it dry.

Having every part you can get salt bath nitrided helps a lot also. If you are hunting in these types of conditions.

I have also seen some idiots here tell folks to take their rifle apart every night in the wet cold tent and degrease, allow to dry, then lube lightly again. Every night. They don't live in the real world though. That could require me to take apart a rifle 60 days in a row at times. And then have to assume the gun is still on zero when I desperately need it the most to prevent loss of game or loss of life...

I use an old synthetic sock as a scope/action cover, I cut a slit in it just enough to slip over my scope and cover my action, been doing this for years, showed a few others and now they do the same, works good with rifle hanging on your shoulder too.

Do you feel the salt down there has any affect on the need or lack thereof for lube on moving parts, as opposed to running things dry in the cold? I have hunted Afognak but not when below freezing. I have however hunted near the Arctic Ocean in well below freezing temps, and weird things were happening, though my dry lubed rifle fired just fine.

The coldest temp I have hunting in (Maine ) was ~-15' F. I degreased my two hunting rifles (Marlin 336a 30-30, and Win m70 Extreme Weather 30-06), and lubed with Marvel Mystery Oil (MMO). I rubbed "lead" from a #2 pencil (which is graphite, a dry lube), on the m70's lugs, bolt body and action rails prior to applying MMO.

"Lubed" the trigger body with lighter fluid.

Worked fine.

Salt water is destructive for sure, but in general use I don't worry much more about it than I do in regards to the rifle getting wet as a whole. Direct exposure is a whole 'nuther matter entirely. Any dunking or splashing salt exposure demands attention. Generally, in the case of splashing that means hosing the gun down with fresh water or dunking it in a stream. If the rifle gets submerged that means a full take down and dunking in fresh water. These things have happened several times over the years, and is one of the reasons I prefer Connecticut 70s and 77s and QD mounts. The simple, rugged design and easy disassembly of these rifles lessens the likelihood of problems for me around here. Salt water does its most insidious work in little nooks and crannies. The less nooks and crannies your rifle has, and the fewer little bits like springs and parts, the better. The Model 70 has a bit of an advantage because its bolt is easier to disassemble and it's easier to reassemble the rifle to proper torque. I keep witness marks on my action screws so I can snug them back down accurately. This is more difficult with the 77 due to the stupid angled forend screw that needs to be torqued to 95 inch pounds so the stock doesn't split.

Good advice!

Alpine Innovations Gun Slicker. You still want to degrease/Eeezox or similar and then put it in this waterproof cover. Not expensive either.

Tag

Moisture still forms even with slickers on. FWIW. Of course I guide and hunt in stuff at times where you would be safer staying dry in your own shower all day long LOL.

In fact a slicker could create a place for condensation. I've seen mine come out of a rain cover with moisture all over them.

Above posts covered it well.

Personally, all my bolts and triggers are dry, but treated with either Eezox or Corrosion X, both of which dry to the touch and provide some lubrication. But then, I'm not one to needlessly pour dozens or hundreds of rounds down-range. Check zero, go hunting, clean rifle as needed, store until next time (once sighted in and loads determined).

If I did do a lot of shooting, I think I'd use a wet lube.

Atmospheric moisture on the other hand, can cause problems if freezing temps.

I've never experienced it tho, even in my 14 cumulative years of winter-hunting above the Circle.

I use an alcohol based graphite.
So far so good.

But the only salt we have here is the crap they spray on the roads.

Disassemble, clean, degrease and relube with either Break-Free CLP or Eezox. You don't want to be out in cold that would make either of those two fail. All you need is a light film to keep the rusticles away. Let cure for a couple hours, reassemble hunt in the usual manner.

I didn't see it mentioned, but once the firearm gets cold - keep it cold. Like a beer can coming out of the fridge, moisture will condense on a firearm if you bring into the warm. It will literally drip. The outside might dry off over night, but the insides probably won't. That's the water that freezes up the firearm.

I leave the firearm in the truck, outside the tent, on the porch, or wherever it will stay cold. Slip a gun case or sock over the firearm and leave it outside.

I know you can remove the bolt, and, if you still have dexterity in your hands, dangle that bolt by your finger tips in a snowmachine gas tank if one happens to be nearby, and free things up.

thats good on the gas. I probably would have never thought of that one.

My son drew a very hard to get deer tag in Idaho.
After a week of hiking nasty mountains and passing numerous bucks in very cold weather, the moment of truth came on a huge buck .
He squeezed the trigger and nothing happened, he racked every round in the magazine and nothing.
I can still see that buck bouncing away.
All because his firing pin froze.
A hard learned lesson.😖
Great advice here fellas.

was that a 700 type action ? and i bet it was

Good review here despite the usual cat fight.

Happy Thanksgiving to all you clowns.

Got 5 ptarmigan today, though coveys were plentiful. Was -32F in town but not sure up on the hill as my vehicle’s thermometer bottoms out at -22F. Most days I would have limited out but the ‘ol shotgun was basically a single shot, and only fired half the time due to a sluggish firing pin. I degreased everything and applied Eezox the other day to no avail. I am going back to totally degreasing everything and running it dry.

Warmed up to -10F today, so not terribly cold but cold enough to turn anything covered in snow to ice. Had my Kimber 84M .223Rem on my back for about 25 miles on a snowmachine. The snowmachine running boards were totally iced up but the rifle…degreased completely and running raw dog, still went bang and functioned fine.

I disassemble my bolts and spray them down with 99% isopropyl, then apply Dri-Slide to the inside. So far, so good, though usually it doesn’t get that cold here. Outside, I use moly truck bearing grease on the contact surfaces.