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Would you put your rifle through this!!!

P

pitdog85

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Minuteman
Apr 10, 2017
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So I have the opportunity to shoot in a location that could offer unlimited distance. Here's the catch It is only accessible by boat up a salt water river the boat I have to use is a 12ft aluminium boat. I would have to put my expensive rifle and shooting equipment in the boat for a 15 min or so trip. Once at the shooting location I would be shooting only a few metres from the edge of this saltwater river out to as far as I want.

I'm not too keen on having my rifle and other equipment around that salty air environment. I would be able to go here as often as I like on weekends etc but due to the hassle would prolly only be once a month or so.

WOULD YOU DO THIS TO YOUR CUSTOM PRECISION RIFLES AND EQUIPMENT???
 
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Get a Pelican or similar case that seals environmental hazards out and you're golden. When you get home, wipe things down w/ some oil. No big deal. I probably wouldn't do it with a blued steel/wood rifle, but a composite stocked, stainless or coated precision rifle? Why not?!
 
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I'd even do that to my current custom without thinking twice. I'm not hard on gear generally but if I want to do something with my rifle I just do it. If something develops problems because of what you described, I'd get rid of it.
 
haha thanks guys for the responses I guess you have put things into perspective for me. I'm one of those people who buys nice stuff and uses it but I really like to look after all my gear. I was mainly worried around salt and rust and maybe salt on the scope. My barrel is stainless but I will just oil it after use as I already do I guess.

And yup I can shoot unlimited distance here but have to be near the river bank in a small cleared section to shoot from as there are too many trees to shoot from elsewhere.

Looks like I better get onto it.
 
Just after this muddy prone stage my bolt would barely close because there was so much grit in it. The safety crunched when I flipped it. Mud on the scope lense? Check. I washed entire gun down with bottled water. When I got back to the hotel, I cleaned the bolt under the faucet. The day after (second day of the match) it ran flawlessly. I had a blast. When your gun is worn out, scratched, and dinged up, that is just a sign that you have a favorite. I get it, mine is not a 5 k custom, but I treat it like one.
971521F3-F1EF-4699-8225-8DE3B854ED5C.jpeg
 
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How do you think all these blued steel/wood stocked guns survived the last hundred and fifty years? Battle, settling frontiers, etc. I wouldn’t worry about salt air on your stainless/composite custom for a second.
 
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BANG...ping said:
Just after this muddy prone stage my bolt would barely close because there was so much grit in it. The safety crunched when I flipped it. Mud on the scope lense? Check. I washed entire gun down with bottled water. When I got back to the hotel, I cleaned the bolt under the faucet. The day after (second day of the match) it ran flawlessly. I had a blast. When your gun is worn out, scratched, and dinged up, that is just a sign that you have a favorite. I get it, mine is not a 5 k custom, but I treat it like one.View attachment 6938100
Click to expand...

Hey, I’ve done that with my RPR too! Rain got most of the mud off for me before the pic. Rusted like a MF on the drive home so I painted it.
 
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These pics of dirty precision rifles are badass (and shout out for that Sig Legion!).

We should start a picture thread for dirty rifles after a long day of shooting in tough conditions! Complete with reliability and performance reports!
 
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No just keep it in the safe and tell everybody how great it is.
It"s a tool use it clean it when done.
I shoot a custom rifle in all sorts of weather it works all the time, yes it gets dinged and dirty.
I shoot a 10k Perazzi In all sorts of weather.
As my Dad said (may he rest in peace) " Use it or loose it"
 
I'll be the one to differ. I wouldn't take an expensive custom in that environment regularly (would consider doing it once in a blue moon though). I'm an engineer who works on airplanes, so I know what rough environments do to bare metal when exposed regularly.

I would be much more likely to take a mid-priced gun out there and shoot it than my prized possession that I have several thousands in. But I'm a cheapskate and I take better care of my stuff than most folks.

I am taking notes of who not to buy used stuff from by posts on this thread though. :oops:
 
Go forth & conquer! As others have said, if your gear doesn’t hold up it needs to be replaced. Think of it as a gear test at the range while you’re shooting.
 
It is like the Mekong Delta without the whole 12 month bug-a-boo. Take a Savage like my bro in gator country. It's only for 15 minutes. Buy shit for the shit. Save the good shit for the real shit only to find out your shit don't work. That's the ticket.
 
BANG...ping said:
That is strange, I saw no rust on my gun. Did you transport it in that soft case?
Click to expand...

If I remember right, the case was wet so the rifle just went on the back seat.

Here is a pic that you will hate me for posting... rust under the hand guard nut. I didn’t pull it off immediately when I cleaned it so it had a few days to go. I wiped all the rust off and painted it. Ruger’s finish blows on these things.

38B876D8-EC7E-4786-B275-C048E181DD83.jpeg
 
This is my girl. She likes it rough. Sometimes she kicks and fights back, but I know she loves it. Sometimes we get rough multiple times a day. The best thing is that she has lots of friends. Sometimes her friends like to come out and play too. It doesn’t take long but I am a the man and it does not take me long to get them heated up and screaming. No worries though. When I am tired of one I just push her to the side and grab another. But in the end, just give ‘em ten minutes to cool off and they are ready for round two. I love dirty girls.
Bang
45473362-4A88-49E4-8CF1-EEF8E7278DC8.jpeg
 
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Dirty8404 said:
If I remember right, the case was wet so the rifle just went on the back seat.

Here is a pic that you will hate me for posting... rust under the hand guard nut. I didn’t pull it off immediately when I cleaned it so it had a few days to go. I wiped all the rust off and painted it. Ruger’s finish blows on these things.

View attachment 6938168[/QU
Dirty8404 said:
If I remember right, the case was wet so the rifle just went on the back seat.

Here is a pic that you will hate me for posting... rust under the hand guard nut. I didn’t pull it off immediately when I cleaned it so it had a few days to go. I wiped all the rust off and painted it. Ruger’s finish blows on these things.

View attachment 6938168
Click to expand...
I had no rust anywhere on my gun. These are mass produced and some are better than others. Did you ask Ruger to refinish it? If it rusted under normal use you probably could convince them to make it right. I have dealt with a Ruger for years and their customer service is top notch.
Click to expand...
 
@BANG...ping

No, I didn’t contact Ruger. My experience has been good with their customer service as well but I knew I was either going to paint or cerakote so I just scrubbed off the rust, degreased, painted, and problem solved.
 
pitdog85 said:
I was mainly worried around salt and rust and maybe salt on the scope
Click to expand...
Rifle scopes are made of anodized aluminum, brass/bronze, and glass (silica). Probably some of the most corrosion resistant materials commonly available. Of all the things to worry about corrosion-wise, optics would be at the bottom of the list.
 
Shit, I live within 1/2 mile of a few billion cubic yards of salt water. <1/4 mile from the inland waterway. Rust happens but can mostly be prevented with a little oil and a wipe down.
 
patriot07 said:
I'll be the one to differ. I wouldn't take an expensive custom in that environment regularly (would consider doing it once in a blue moon though). I'm an engineer who works on airplanes, so I know what rough environments do to bare metal when exposed regularly.
Click to expand...
The concern would be justified if nothing was done to the rifle after the exposure.

British game shooters routinely take shotguns costing anywhere from a couple thousands to over ten thousand dollars in the rain and snow to shoot pheasants, grouse, and partridge every year. Guns seem to take it just fine if they're given some basic care.
 
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We used to throw our weapons (M4, M16, etc.. Parkerized chromoly) in the bottom of a zodiak and do beach assaults for training. Completely drenched in salt water.. followed by several days of field/range use. Do what you can to dry it off, rinse it off with clean water, and oil it and you won't have problems. If any light surface rust shows up just bust it off when you get back to civilization. It takes a lot of neglect for serious damage to happen-- There are still US tanks/tracks sitting on jungle islands in the Pacific that haven't completely rusted through yet.

The only thing I will say is, "Don't put anything in a boat you can't live without"...
 
Ledzep said:
We used to throw our weapons (M4, M16, etc.. Parkerized chromoly) in the bottom of a zodiak and do beach assaults for training.
Click to expand...
I was gonna mention Marines in there somewhere too.......
 
I have an uncle who’s hunted all over the world with a Sako safari .375. Once while on a brown bear hunt in Alaska he leaned the rifle agains a rock in a large cove. He turned his back on it while doing other things for a half hour or so. When he went to get the rifle, he saw that the tide had come in a completely submerged it. He managed to find it after feeling around in the water. He simply walked inland to a freshwater stream and dunked it to get the salt off. He serviced completely when he got home. He’s pretty anal about keeping things nice, but would admit that if he had to choose to stay home and not mess it up, or drag it halfway around the world to go kill something, he’d certainly do the latter. I’d have to agree. I’ve handled that .375 somewhat recently. While it has some handling wear, the gun looks fantastic imo. His hunting days are mostly over, but that gun has a few lifetimes left in it imo.
 
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I've stood in the rain with an AR for hours...........granted it's not salt water, but dry it off, clean it up, put some oil on it........trust me, it will be ok.......
 
Dirty8404 said:
@BANG...ping

No, I didn’t contact Ruger. My experience has been good with their customer service as well but I knew I was either going to paint or cerakote so I just scrubbed off the rust, degreased, painted, and problem solved.
Click to expand...
Just keep an eye on it. The heat may cause the paint to fail.
 
Go for it. I already lost all my guns in a similar fashion anyways.

On a serious note. I pay insurance so wouldn’t take a huge hit on a catastrophic loss. I live on a delta a stones throw from the Pacific Ocean and a salt water river. I also waterfowl hunt with a blued steel shotguns. And while I have never done it ? I have heard other people that had to use their shotguns for a wading sticks a few times as well as a boat paddle once. All in saltwater and there is absolutely no rust anywhere. A good clp goes a long ways. I am partial to froglube. But spraying things down with WD40 anti-corrosion will keep just about anything from rusting too.
 
Zcorr makes light weight inexpensive rifle sized bags that seal and are lined with a rust inhibitor.
 
If it doesn't work; before, during, or after, it's not a rifle. It's a glorified bat. I take pride in getting my weapons dirty, and using them in all conditions. Cleaning is half the fun. Not much you can screw up on a bolt gun. Being an enthusiast should keep you in the know of how to fix any field issues. Just my opinion, but if ANY weapon of mine cant/wont function under harsh conditions, I dont want it. I dont just have these things for fun.....
 
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Of course! Just take proper precautions. Seems like you care about your rifle so you should be fine.
 
I would put in my prison purse
 
My range is 3mins from the Gulf of Mexico, on the Rio Grande, everything rust here even the plastic. Humidity is 80-90% year round. If your fancy customs can’t handle a little outside air, buy a shadow box and store them under your coffee table.

Maintain your rifles and they will do fine, if they don’t, learn what fails and upgrade to better quality.
 
Used to live on a small boat off the southern FL coast and Bahamas before NAFTA when all the drugs used to get run up through there. Plenty of boats and planes floating out there at the time stripped down and abandoned as a reminder of where you were. Probably just used for a run. Had plenty of guns and even a small cannon out on deck sometimes for fun. Never did anything special. Use them and clean them no issues. Plenty of salt on everything all the time. Not a big deal.....
 
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