Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Blood will EAT a barrel!

I bought a pre-64 model 94 30-30 for 50 bucks a couple months ago that still had a hand print of blood. I'm surmissing, but evidently the original owner had nailed a deer (?) and dressed it and for some reason grabbed the gun by the barrel before cleaning his hand off. Anyway, time goes by, I buy the gun and clean it up and discover that its pitted VERY badly where the blood had made contact with the barrel
and the cartridge tube.
I'm thinking I should replace barrel and tube.
poro

I'v been told this, but never had it happen. I would think that all that would be needed to avoid this would be to wipe the gun down when your done for the day. This is something I always do anyway & cant see putting a gun away covered in blood.
Dont know what to tell you to do at this point. Can the barrel & tube be polished & reblued?

Waiting until the end of the day is too late to take the blood off the blue. Blood will dull the bluing almost immediately. Left on long enough, you get the results described above. Use water, saliva or whatever is at hand to remove the blood 'til you can get the spot oiled.

I had an Old Timer pocket knife back in the early seventies that I use to cut a deer's throat. I wiped it off right after, but by the time that I got to where I could wash it, the knife was stained/rusted for as long as I owned it. That was in a time frame of around two or three hours. miles

I would just leave it as is. It won't hurt the shoting any. Just keep it oiled or apply a little cold blue. As long as it wasn't my blood, I wouldn't worry about it.

I am not surprised at this. I do often handle my guns by the metal, just 'cause it's to darn hard to worry about, and I have to wipe 'em down anyway I prefer silicone cloths, but sometimes Rem-oil or Break-free.


s/f
Jarhead Ed

poro
If you just can't stand to look at the damage from the blood and rust anymore, you might consider getting the barrel and magazine bead blasted and the gun reblued. Bead blasting would clean out the pitting pretty well, hide the damage somewhat and get the gun back to all the same color. If it shoots OK it is a shame to junk a good barrel.

I have a MAK 90 that came out of a really bloody car wreck it sat behind the seat in a puddle of blood for 3 months. You would not beleive the pitting on the barrel around the front site. But dang thing still shoots ok. The bore is chrome lined and is good.But magazine was wasted the spring was eaten in two. The owner died in the crash his parents are both anti gun and wanted me to dispose of it I did <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Hooker

saddlesore and qbore,

the pitting is bad enough that I thought the blood had eaten through the cartridge tube. I'l take it apart sometime this week and thoughly clean it.
I haven't fired it yet, so don't know the quality of the barrel. I'll let you know.
As to rebarreling it, I suppose it isnt necessary if it shoots well. I do have a friend with a glass beader but my experience with glass beading is that it doesn't have any depth to it. In other words, glass beading seems kinda soft, or less durable than I would have thought it to be.
Anyway, thanks to all who responded. I now have some ideas.
poro

Poro,

Thanks for the info on the blood. I didn't know that either. Condensation damages metal also. Do not leave your firearm in a scabbard or gun case for a loooong period of time. Material will absorb the oil leaving metal bare to moisture. Live and learn.



But do not despair. There is a solution to your problem. No need to replace anything. There are new alternatives to bluing and since your barrel is pitted, here is the solution. I had my Winchester 94 Wrangler refinished in Roguard by http://www.robarguns.com/ It's a moly based finish. They had to bead blast the parts. Looks great. But there are other types of finishes. http://www.bearcoat.com/ , http://www.shootiniron.com/ , http://www.lauerweaponry.com/ezac/index.asp to name some. You can send your rifle to any of them. But there should be someone close by that can do it also.



You can have a dull matte or semi-gloss look. The matte has that military finish and that semi-gloss looks better than bluing. You can also go with different colors or camo. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Yup, me too.
Blood frozen on a '94 Winchester Left in car overnight to stay cold
Now has finger prints, or rather finger smudges from deer blood. Good thing it's my "truck gun" or I'd be pissed.