Why Water Damage Restoration Is Crucial Gun And Fire Restoration

You've invested tens of thousands of dollars on a great gun collection. You threw in a couple more hundreds to buy a special case. Years later you discover the steel parts have corroded, the wooden parts have chipped.

What happened?

Guns are generally made for long-term storage. They sit in the warehouse for months and are kept in a safe or case until the next hunting season. But moisture can build up while your guns are in storage. And moisture can ruin your guns with rust on metal parts, cracking and swelling in wood parts, and cracking in molded synthetic stocks.

Most weapons are coated with an oil-based substance so water removal should be unnecessary. But even the best guns that had only been stored for a short time can develop rust, mold, mildew and water damage. Even aluminum parts in some rifles can corrode and ultimately expand.

Humidity control is crucial to water removal. And it starts inside the gun case. The best gun safes are the ones with desiccant dehumidifiers in them. If the moisture level is too high, oxidation may occur. If the level is too low, the wood may warp or the varnish might separate. Place little desiccant packs in ammo cans and handgun drawers, and a larger desiccant pack on each shelf in your gun safe.

If the chances of theft and accidental firing are minimal, you can opt not to keep your gun in a safe at all. Just wipe the muzzleloaders with a good lubricant all the way back to the firing pen, and then store the gun exposed to the air. If you live in humid areas, check your guns for moisture at least once a month.

Water removal on a large gun collection can be painstaking. Especially during humid months, each piece should be taken out, cleaned and greased well. Disassemble each weapon, remove residue from each part, and lubricate everything with oil.

If a weapon is submerged in water, the first step to water removal and restoration is immediately flushing out debris, cleaning it, lubricating, and replacing the ammunition. The latter is important because gunpowder can be highly volatile when soaked then dried.

Submerged guns must remain wet during the water removal process to prevent oxidation. Make sure the weapon dries out completely because damp firearms rust rapidly.

If rust has already set in, the next water removal step is to rub the gun with a fine steel wool wet with gun oil. If the blue has already worn away, get a blueing solution from a gun shop.

Remove all foreign substances from the surface with a good solvent or degreaser but be careful not to leave fingerprints.

Once all parts have been blued, soak the surface with gun oil and leave it on for 24 hours. Then grease all gun parts again.

The last step in water removal and restoration is refinishing. You can apply lacquer or varnish on the surface, or strip the gun bare and refinish the wood from scratch.

Use a paint stripper to remove old varnish but make sure the stripper does not leave a sticky residue. Remove dents on the wood by covering the area with a wet rug and rubbing a hot iron over it. Seal the stock before applying any color stain or varnish.

Apply oil over the complete stock with a lint-free cloth. Wipe off oil after 1 minute. Let it stand to dry for 8 hours, then buff with a steel wool pad. Repeat these procedures 10 times, or until you achieve the glossy finish you desire.

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