High Desert Gun Care

roy reali · December 15, 2006, 08:12 AM

I now live in what is high desert in Nevada. The temperatues get quite cold here. However, it is very dry here. There is hardly any snow or rain. Five inches a year is the total here. The air is also extremely dry.

What is the proper way to clean and store guns in this type of climate? Are there any special precautions or reccomendations as far as oiling and cleaning guns? The locals here tell me that rust is unheard of.

DesertShooter · December 15, 2006, 11:18 AM

Moisture and humidity aren't the culprits of rust, it's SALT and other corrosive chemicals!

For the most part, you should be okay to routinely clean your firearms as you would in any other environment. After handling your firearms, wipe them with a slightly oily rag before storing them. You should also run an oily swab through the bore before storing them, for some gunpowders and/or primers may happen to be "mildly" corrosive with Mercury salts.

By the way, there isn't much of a rust problem in extremely cold environments. Back in the 1960's, a buddy of mine was stationed at Minot AFB, ND, and while on perimeter guard duty during the middle of winter, he slipped on some ice and his M-2 Carbine went flying. There was a search party that looked for the weapon, but were unable to locate it. When the spring thaw came, my buddy was assigned to that same perimeter post and found the weapon....encased in solid ice. After thawing it out, there was NO rust whatsoever!

Desert Heat · December 15, 2006, 11:30 AM

I always clean my rifles and leave a thin coat of protectant oil the surfaces. THen, store it in a silicone gun sock in the safe. Keeps rust away and funtions great.
If you have a swamp cooler it requires more time and effort.

Abndoc · December 15, 2006, 06:52 PM

Just use a paintbrush to remove the majority of the grit and dust from moving parts and then clean as you normally would like when you lived in Ca. Do not over oil, or next time you could have sludge!

If you hunt in the desert, near any streams or other water supply, be aware of salt cedar bushes. They pick up the alkali salts from the soil, and exude them from the leaves. This residue will pit and rust your firearms if it is not cleaned off, much like salt water. Clean it, then clean it again. Pay particular attention to where the stock and metal meets. You may want to pop the stock off to make sure you get it all.

Dry lake beds also have a high concentration of alkali salts.

December 15, 2006, 08:12 AM	#1
roy reali Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2005 Posts: 2,670	High Desert Gun Care I now live in what is high desert in Nevada. The temperatues get quite cold here. However, it is very dry here. There is hardly any snow or rain. Five inches a year is the total here. The air is also extremely dry. What is the proper way to clean and store guns in this type of climate? Are there any special precautions or reccomendations as far as oiling and cleaning guns? The locals here tell me that rust is unheard of.

December 15, 2006, 11:30 AM	#3
Desert Heat Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2006 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 341	I always clean my rifles and leave a thin coat of protectant oil the surfaces. THen, store it in a silicone gun sock in the safe. Keeps rust away and funtions great. If you have a swamp cooler it requires more time and effort. __________________ Zombie Defense Squad

December 15, 2006, 11:18 AM	#2
DesertShooter Member Join Date: September 19, 2006 Posts: 67	Moisture and humidity aren't the culprits of rust, it's SALT and other corrosive chemicals! For the most part, you should be okay to routinely clean your firearms as you would in any other environment. After handling your firearms, wipe them with a slightly oily rag before storing them. You should also run an oily swab through the bore before storing them, for some gunpowders and/or primers may happen to be "mildly" corrosive with Mercury salts. By the way, there isn't much of a rust problem in extremely cold environments. Back in the 1960's, a buddy of mine was stationed at Minot AFB, ND, and while on perimeter guard duty during the middle of winter, he slipped on some ice and his M-2 Carbine went flying. There was a search party that looked for the weapon, but were unable to locate it. When the spring thaw came, my buddy was assigned to that same perimeter post and found the weapon....encased in solid ice. After thawing it out, there was NO rust whatsoever!

December 15, 2006, 06:52 PM	#4
Abndoc Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2006 Location: Kalifornia Posts: 702	Just use a paintbrush to remove the majority of the grit and dust from moving parts and then clean as you normally would like when you lived in Ca. Do not over oil, or next time you could have sludge! If you hunt in the desert, near any streams or other water supply, be aware of salt cedar bushes. They pick up the alkali salts from the soil, and exude them from the leaves. This residue will pit and rust your firearms if it is not cleaned off, much like salt water. Clean it, then clean it again. Pay particular attention to where the stock and metal meets. You may want to pop the stock off to make sure you get it all. Dry lake beds also have a high concentration of alkali salts.