What if an AR was kept unused for a long time ?

[AbbasRiz]

Friends,
I had purchased IHP Air Rifle 0.22 cal. , one & a half years ago. I had used it for 3 months and fired around 100 pellets. After that, In June 2012 , I had to move to far away location and had sandwiched the AR between two thermocol sheets and then packed the whole thing in the company's cardboard box.
Now I have opened it. It is fine from outside. With due respect, my question to learned senior members is ;
1 - Shall I load a pellet and start firing the AR outright - without taking any precautions ?
2 - Is there any kind of lubrication, greasing, oiling etc. required before firing the first pellet?
3- Might the vital internal parts of the AR ( like spring, piston, seal ) have suffered any kind of damage owing to this kind of idleness for almost one year and three months ?
Regards,
Abbas

[bennedose]

1 - Shall I load a pellet and start firing the AR outright - without taking any precautions ?

Yes. Go ahead. Other than the precautions you need to take for normal shooting, no other precaution is needed. I have stored air guns for months or years before shooting again with no issues. I recently dug up an old air pistol and simply started shooting after a gap of 10 years.

2 - Is there any kind of lubrication, greasing, oiling etc. required before firing the first pellet?

Well. if it has been left out in the open check to see if ants or insects have blocked the barrel - which may need cleaning. Peep through the bore to see that it is open. Clean the outer surface, oil the moving parts and outer surface if you like but PUT NO OIL in the piston chamber or barrel. You can damage your rifle by doing that. If the rear sight is adjustable it may need cleaning and oiling but you can fire a few shots before you do that.

3- Might the vital internal parts of the AR ( like spring, piston, seal ) have suffered any kind of damage owing to this kind of idleness for almost one year and three months ?

One year of storage in a box will do no damage. For longer periods leather seals may have aged, Rubber parts (breech seal) may have become stiff. But other than some loss of power you will notice nothing. Spring piston air rifles are reliable and dependable for years and years

[Big Daddy]

I would at least clean the riffling with a jag and cleaning pellets from G Smith, with some spirit.
Next time you decide to store your gun away for some time, it is prudent to oil the riffling. G smith has the simplest solution

BD

[essdee1972]

Recently I had to keep my Orion unused for almost 2 months due to some renovation in the flat. What is did is:

Cleaned the externals with a cloth soaked in oil. Removes any surface dirt, and in case of surface rusting, it makes the rust visible. If there is rust, you can use an old, used Scotch Brite, very very gently, and probably use Ballistol blue on the exposed metal.

Cleaned the inside of the barrel with a pullthrough (you can also use cleaning pellets), to remove any dust, etc. which might have made its way into the barrel.

Wiped the oil off. Loaded the gun, and bang-bang-bang!

[brihacharan]

> Before firing the stored AR...
> I would recommend that the AR be dry cocked a few times (Keeping the trigger pressed while cocking & releasing)...
> This helps in spreading the lubricant in the receiver evenly - helps the seal travel smoothly...
> As for storing the AR for longer periods of time it's best to....
1. Use a pull through moistened with any gun oil to keep the rifling from catching rust
2. A drop or two of a good brand of machine oil on to the exposed part of the spring
3. Rub on a thin film of machine oil on the outer surface of the barrel & receiver
> Lastly do not wrap the AR with any cloth while storing - causes rust
> Better to put on a plastic sleeve over the AR
Briha

[Ganesh TT]

> Before firing the stored AR...
> I would recommend that the AR be dry cocked a few times (Keeping the trigger pressed while cocking & releasing)...
> This helps in spreading the lubricant in the receiver evenly - helps the seal travel smoothly...
> As for storing the AR for longer periods of time it's best to....
1. Use a pull through moistened with any gun oil to keep the rifling catching rust
2. A drop or two of a good brand of machine oil on to the exposed part of the spring
3. Rub on a thin film of machine oil on the outer surface of the barrel & receiver
> Lastly do not wrap the AR with any cloth while storing - causes rust
> Better to put on a plastic sleeve over the AR
Briha

[Big Daddy]

I have always used WD 40 on the outer area of my gun and have found it to be great. Not a dot of rust on my toy this rainy season in-spite of forgetting it next to the window My uncle has used it for several decades (my inspiration to use WD) and his rifle bluing is as good as new. There are however many people "for' and "against" WD 40, both with equally strong views to confuse you. I do not advocate nor condemn the mentioned product. I'v just shared my experience.
Below is an extract from some other forum on the same topic, and thought i would share it.

BD

_______________________
So many "experts"....here's one more....

Louis E. Repaci
WD-40 Company
San Diego, CA

To the Editors:

One of your readers forwarded a "letter the editors" article to our
attention. The gentleman commented on an article written by Mark
Parsons "Keep 'Em Clean," and that he was aghast that the use of WD-40
is recommended for guns as it is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the
air).

Could we please clear the air and set the record straight for your
readers by correcting the misconceptions regarding the use of WD-40 on
firearms.

WD-40 is a lubricant, penetrant, rust preventative, moisture displacer
and cleaner used extensively in the firearms industry on:
* Gun barrel (inside and out)
* Ejection mechanism
* Firing pin and magazine

WD-40 is not hygroscopic ((does not) absorb moisture from air)

WD-40 does not contain chlorinated paraffins or contribute to stress
cracking of stainless alloys. WD-40 does not degrade into acidic
byproducts under exposure to ozone.

WD-40 does not contain Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), HCFC's, Halons, or
1.1.1 Trichlorethane (Methyl Chlorofrom); chemicals that are alleged to
contribute to the depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer.

WD-40 is used exclusively at Trinidad College's School of Gunsmithing
in Colorado for general gun care and maintenance as well as after the
bluing process to displace the saltwater solution in order to prevent
metal corrosion and rusting.

According to Professor Harold Thomason, WD-40 displaces water which is
why it is used in the final stages of the bluing process.

Other uses for WD-40 include:
1. For excessive powder build up, use WD-40 as a cleaner.
2. If a case is used for storage, WD-40 is all the protection required.
Under these conditions WD-40 will protect firearms for one year or
more.
3. If WD-40 is used with teflon, silicone, graphite or grease,
softening of these type lubricants may occur. To correct this simply
flush with WD-40 to remove the gummmy residue. WD-40 is all the
protection required.
4. WD-40 may stain unfinished wooden stocks. WD-40 has no effect on
finished wood.

I would appreciate your assistance in sharing the foregoing information
with your readers.

Sincerely (signature as above)

So many "experts"....

[mercury]

imho....nothing to beat ballistol.

rub on external surface and store in a plastic sleeve.

http://ballistol.in/ballistol-oil-50-ml-p-310.html

[AbbasRiz]

Thanks a lot dear bennedose, big daddy, essdee, Briha Ji, Ganesh TT and mercury for your valuable suggestions.
I would integrate all the suggestions and decide on a common course of action and, then, will post the outcome.
Regards,
Abbas

[AbbasRiz]

Dear friends,
Acting on the suggestions received, I did the following;
1 - Sprayed the outer surface of the barrel & the receiver with WD-40.
2 - dropped 1 - 2 drops of singer machine oil , each in the barrel , the visible part of the spring , the rear sight and all the
moving joints.
3 - After doing the above , left the AR overnight in lying position.
4 - Next morning, took paper napkins and wipe cleaned the outer surface of the AR in order to remove WD-40 and oil.
5 - Then did ' Dry Cocking' 6 - 7 times . ( procedure - first pulled the barrel to the extreme end to cock and did NOT pull
back, then holding the barrel end tightly in the same broken position - pulled the trgger - slowly allowing the barrel
to return to its locking position - albeit my left hand still keeping on applying some force on the barrel. Because if you
press the trigger without keeping pressure on the barrel, the barrel will rebound with a sudden jerk and may injure you
and damage the AR. ( Please note this WARNING).
6- Finally loaded the first pellet and fired. Then 2nd , 3rd, 4th , 5th pellet were fired. I am glad to say that the AR was
behaving just like it was doing a year ago. No loss of accuracy, power etc.

Regards,
Abbas

[supershaji]

I have always used WD 40 on the outer area of my gun and have found it to be great. Not a dot of rust on my toy this rainy season in-spite of forgetting it next to the window My uncle has used it for several decades (my inspiration to use WD) and his rifle bluing is as good as new. There are however many people "for' and "against" WD 40, both with equally strong views to confuse you. I do not advocate nor condemn the mentioned product. I'v just shared my experience.
Below is an extract from some other forum on the same topic, and thought i would share it.

BD

_______________________
So many "experts"....here's one more....

Louis E. Repaci
WD-40 Company
San Diego, CA

To the Editors:

One of your readers forwarded a "letter the editors" article to our
attention. The gentleman commented on an article written by Mark
Parsons "Keep 'Em Clean," and that he was aghast that the use of WD-40
is recommended for guns as it is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the
air).

Could we please clear the air and set the record straight for your
readers by correcting the misconceptions regarding the use of WD-40 on
firearms.

WD-40 is a lubricant, penetrant, rust preventative, moisture displacer
and cleaner used extensively in the firearms industry on:
* Gun barrel (inside and out)
* Ejection mechanism
* Firing pin and magazine

WD-40 is not hygroscopic ((does not) absorb moisture from air)

WD-40 does not contain chlorinated paraffins or contribute to stress
cracking of stainless alloys. WD-40 does not degrade into acidic
byproducts under exposure to ozone.

WD-40 does not contain Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), HCFC's, Halons, or
1.1.1 Trichlorethane (Methyl Chlorofrom); chemicals that are alleged to
contribute to the depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer.

WD-40 is used exclusively at Trinidad College's School of Gunsmithing
in Colorado for general gun care and maintenance as well as after the
bluing process to displace the saltwater solution in order to prevent
metal corrosion and rusting.

According to Professor Harold Thomason, WD-40 displaces water which is
why it is used in the final stages of the bluing process.

Other uses for WD-40 include:
1. For excessive powder build up, use WD-40 as a cleaner.
2. If a case is used for storage, WD-40 is all the protection required.
Under these conditions WD-40 will protect firearms for one year or
more.
3. If WD-40 is used with teflon, silicone, graphite or grease,
softening of these type lubricants may occur. To correct this simply
flush with WD-40 to remove the gummmy residue. WD-40 is all the
protection required.
4. WD-40 may stain unfinished wooden stocks. WD-40 has no effect on
finished wood.

I would appreciate your assistance in sharing the foregoing information
with your readers.

Sincerely (signature as above)

So many "experts"....

be warned:

from the horse's website FAQ: <http://wd40.com/faqs/#a91>:

What surfaces or materials are OK to use WD-40 Multi-Use Product on?

WD-40 Multi-Use Product can be used on just about everything. It is safe to use on metal, rubber, wood and plastic. It can also be applied to painted metal surfaces without harming the paint. Polycarbonate and clear polystyrene plastic are among the few surfaces on which to avoid using a petroleum-based product like WD-40 Multi-Use Product.

read as: "no-no" on the SX100 series of Precihole rife stocks.

Do correct me if I am wrong.

[essdee1972]

Why would you apply WD40, or any lube, oil, grease, whatever, on plastic, anyway? Whether polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, or any of the tongue twisters we read about in Organic Chemistry. Plastics do not need oil to shine. Just a bit of wet cloth, then another bit of dry cloth. Use toothbrush for hard-to-reach areas, at the very maximum some of the stuff sold to clean computer keyboards, and voila, you are done! Plastics (or polymers) are essentially low maintenance! Which is why nearly every mass produced item is plastic wherever technically feasible.

And yes, many plastics (being themselves by-products of petroleum refining) are soluble in petrol, diesel, WD40, etc.

[supershaji]

In the context where "certain oils" are not recommended on oiling certain weapons for the fear that that oil may seep into the wooden stock, which may in turn spoil the wood over time... WD-40, on polymer stock?

Just sharing what I found Sir.

[essdee1972]

Shaji, my apologies. My comment was more directed towards the WD40 statement - they should have more knowledge on lubricants, plastics, etc. than the common man!

Or maybe the statement is to guard against lawsuits in "sue-happy" US of A? Same reason why McDonalds' coffee cups have a "hot contents" warning?

[supershaji]

no offence taken sir, I honour the undue respect given.

About US policy, what can I say... there's good and there's bad, evil bad.

I'm glad to be an Indian.