guns in the flood

[jackelope]

a co-worker's dad's cabin is no longer after the flooding on the chehalis (i think) anyway, doesn't matter what river. the cabin is all but gone, an old dodge car that used to be in real good shape is gone, etc. they managed to get the guns out, but obviously they are in rough shape. i'm gonna try to do what i can on one and see what happens, and was looking for any experience or suggestions anybody might have. picture a rifle thats been in a flood i guess. i will see one of them tomorrow and have a better idea what i'm dealing with. these folks lost everything they had there, not as much as a lot of other people, but needless to say they lost a lot. just figured i'd see what i could do to help.
anybody got any advice for us? they are not really gun enthusiasts, so we'll be doing the cleaning at my place with my stuff. i've got a fair collection of cleaning stuff but we will buy what we need and don't have.

[MikeWalking]

I would imagine that all the metal work needs is a good solvent bath, maybe an overnight soak? Alcohol is good for getting water out of tiny spaces. Maybe a few jumbo sized cans of WD40 to blast clean for starters if you don't have a solvent tank.

The big issue will be the stocks. Waterlogged? Warped?

[jackelope]

if you don't have a solvent tank.

I do...but i never thought about using it.
i have a serious solvent tank, just doesn't sound like a good idea. does it work good? i work at an auto shop with a hardcore solvent tank.

[actionshooter]

Don't use WD40, or at least don't soak guns in it. It will remove bluing in time. If they are covered in silt don't be afraid to hose them off, even with a preasure washer. Get that out before anything.

[high country]

as mentioned hose them off, be careful with the pressure washer on the wood. nicks in the finish could just rip hunks of wood off. once "clean" get them warmed up and some air moving through them to completly dry them out. once dry, clean and oil as normal. if they are wood/blued guns there might be a good amount of tim involved in getting the stocks dry, that being the case I would pull the stocks so the metal does not rust under them. if it is something like a 94 where it is a bit more invloved to pull the wood, give them a shot of wd 40 or pb blaster or the like to the areas you can't reach. be aware that the stocks are prolly gonna walk from warpage.....good luck

[jackelope]

1 or 2 of them will be here today for me to get started on tonight. i'll fill you guys in. i don't even know what they are yet.
thanks for the advice.

[MikeWalking]

I do...but i never thought about using it.
i have a serious solvent tank, just doesn't sound like a good idea. does it work good? i work at an auto shop with a hardcore solvent tank.

You know I'm not sure what industrial solvent will do to bluing, (my "solvent" is my stash of Coleman white gas) never heard about WD40 doing that either. Glad I found this place, more so all the time.

When we finished one of those 21 day patrols in Panama we could use what the mess hall next door had for cleaning the garbage cans.  A higher than normal pressure scalding hot water tap. Talk about blowing the jungle goo out of an M60, made the next step in cleaning go much faster. That water must have been 115-120 degrees, add the 100+degree weather and it dried before you got back to the solvent barrels. Kinda miss having that option. (HELL I miss having access to an M60!! )

Wonder how many folks are having the same problem down there.

[jackelope]

mike....a good friend of mine spent a bunch of time in panama. i believe he "accessed" the same weapon from the top of a humvee maybe?

[MikeWalking]

Alas the Humvee was after my time.  I was stuck with the old WWII era jeeps and "Fresh" from 'Nam M113 APC's I was at the tail end of a lot of gear-technology. At least I had a 1911 even if it was first used in the Phillipines!!

[jackelope]

these are not pretty. there are barrels plugged up with mud and surface rust on the metal surfaces already. wish me luck.
i'll take some before and after pics and see how i do.

[addicted]

this could be a cool project if family heirloms didn't lie in the balance. Got pics yet?

[jackelope]

no pics yet...and it's not looking good. i messed around with a ruger blackhawk pistol last night...the rust was through the blueing. i got the rust off, but  unfortunately left bare metal under it. the barrel cleaned up fine and what wasn't rusted cleaned up fine, but the rusted spots are no longer blue.
looking at re-blueing options. i think i'll start another thread. i still have 2 more pistols and about 8 rifles to go. i'm afraid i'll end up with the same results. on a good note, there's a real nice savage model 99 in the group that appears to have been spared.

[LongTatLaw]

For blued parts Ive started with a scalding hot shower and laundry detergent. Its already wet and probably full of gunk. So, take a shower with it and then its just wet.  Wet isnt anything a few hours of handy work cant fix.

A solvent bath overnight sounds scary to me. Might bleach the wood and might hurt the bluing. I mean it needs solvent fo sho but submersion for 12+ hrs just sounds to casutic to me.  but Im no expert.

[MikeWalking]

A solvent bath overnight sounds scary to me. Might bleach the wood and might hurt the bluing. I mean it needs solvent fo sho but submersion for 12+ hrs just sounds to casutic to me.  but Im no expert.

FWIW When I suggested the solvent bath I took it for granted jackelope would take the woodwork off. 

[jackelope]

jackelope would take the woodwork off. 

I would fo sho.

but i won't be giving them a solvent bath anyway.
i'm afraid of using the solvent tank we have here as it may be too harsh. if anybody knows for sure, let me know.