The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Last weekend I went shooting in the rain with my Enfields and everything got soaked. I completely dismantled one rifle and thoroughly oiled it, leaving the other clean but not oiled due to time constraints (perils of renting armoury space I guess). Plan was I'd take a day off work this week and pop down to sort them out properly and oil/grease up for winter.

Work were busy this week (weirdly) so the only day I could get was today ... and my club has closed until the second week of January! Now all my guns are shut in a locker filled with damp items in a very humid armoury for 3 weeks. How likely is it I'll need to buy a new barrel??

A good pull through with a an oil soaked wire gauze will get most of the red stuff out and smooth off the pitting and the bullets shouldn't key hole. :goodjob:

Groups now that is a different matter.

Maybe you should sacrifice a chicken and make incantations to the great god WD40 ...

No friendly club officials with a key that would respond to a bottle of something nice?

.303 ball.
An excellent barrel cleaner.

Most likely any damage will be cosmetic and to the outside.

I'd just go on the pish and worry about it in the new year.

Is there no way (beg, bribe etc.) you can get someone to open up for you?

Surface rust cleans off surprisingly easily, I wouldn't be concerned, but obviously do it ASAP.

If you're lucky, there might be some edible mushrooms to harvest from the woodwork.

Joking aside, I do feel your pain. Well done for shooting through the inclement weather. ACF50 or a wipe of external surfaces with Marine tuff-glide will help protect future episodes of aquatic range time.

you just need to invest in a can of Ballistol, just spray it all over if you don't have time to clean it, and do the cleaning next time ...