Best remedies for drowned handguns?

I use Wd 40 all the time on guns, knives, and lots of other stuff. Never had a problem.
Boiling water, dishwashers, etc. can not hurt the temper of springs. Even simple carbon steel can withstand 300 degrees with no effect. It doesn't matter how thick the metal, temperature is temperature. I have never seen a dishwasher get to 300 degrees, except in a burning house.
 
I used to sharpen tools and knives professionally, I do believe that repeated exposure to even mild temps does affect the heat treat. I used to see clear differences in knives that went thru the dishwashers and knives that were hand washed.

temper is a progressive thing. there is no spot where the steel is not affected in some way. it may be minute, but I used to be able to tell in five seconds if the knife was a DW knife or a hand wash knife.


Don't believe me? fine ask Mike Stewart at Bark River Knives or Bos at buck.
 
Guntotin fool
I don't need to ask anyone. I know a little bit about knives.
Temper is not progressive. As long as you don't exceed the original tempering temperature, steel does not soften. Anyone who tells you otherwise does not need to be in the knife business-and I doubt Mike Stewart or Paul Bos said anything like that. They know better.
I understand why one would think that thinner parts are more affected by temperature, as they do get hotter quicker than thicker parts-but they can't get any hotter than the overall heating temperature, and as long as that stays under the tempering point, no harm is done.
If the heat SOURCE is hotter than tempering temp, and the item is too close, it can be affected. Gradual heating will have no effect, though.
 
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(A) Remove grips, place entire gun in pan of mineral spirits (preferable) or gasoline (be careful!), swish it around for a minute or so, remove and then let dry, either by evaporation, wiping or blowing out with compressed air.

(B) WD40, especially in a warm climate, dries to a hard brown varnish after 6-8 months, under which rust can (and has) formed. It will (and has) also stain a nickle gun if left on to harden.

For an immediate remedy to water immersion, it is a good product as it has excellent water displacing characteristics, but don't use it for long-term protection.
 
Dam I thought the end of the world's coming, all the this for a wet gun ? The military must have a field day during a conflict when there weapons get wet. Ovens, blow dryers, WD -40, drip drying. DAM WEATHER !!:rolleyes:
 
Good grief. You people never hunted in the rain? You did have it oiled in the first place didn't you? If you did that oil didn't go anywhere. You've got a wet gun. That's all. We're talking about rain here. Not being at the bottom of the lake for years. Dry it off (I prop my shotgun in a corner), oil it again, and go on about your business. Y'all make it sound like it got soaked in battery acid, or something.

Treat your leather holster the same way you'd treat a pair of shoes that got wet. Let it dry out slowly.
 
I was thinking.... if you live in the South and Carry... your gun gets wet..

with Salty water all the time... good gun oil is your friend.

as for the ammo... my only 'negative' experience is; if it's been submerged over 30ft down for over an hour... throw it away unless you want to find out what squib loads are like.
 
as for the ammo... my only 'negative' experience is; if it's been submerged over 30ft down for over an hour... throw it away unless you want to find out what squib loads are like.

No need to toss even then as long as it isn't corroding. Spear fishermen down here frequently carry bang sticks (mine is 30-06). We'll use one cartridge for diving all day, then toss it away. The only reason we toss it is because the salt water gets into the primer pocket and starts to corrode the primer. If it was fresh water, we would just hit it with the air hose and be done.
 
Time for a bath

ammo can: add Marvel oil, diesel fuel, Wd-40, Mobil 1 ATF; remove shoes, field strip gun and mags and soak (immerse) em over night. Blow em off with compressed air and lube.
 
srt 10

tell me where exactly it is.
id be more than willing to dive 100 feet without air for any 1911, let alone a Colt :)
 
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My Brother dropped my Dads Colt 1911 army , in Bear Lake in 1974 in Mannatoba Canada. Was like 50' deep. It's still there.

I'd probably still be out there with a magnet on a rope....

Too bad GPS wasn't widely available then (if at all) so that you could have had a good position fix on the gun.

Some of my guns have been dunked. As others have said you just have to dry, clean, and re-oil 'em.
 
I think I would go at it like this:

1. Disassemble as far as you are comfortable.
2. Use compressed air to blow off/out as much water as you can initially.
3. Use a chemical drying agent that is safe for your gun. I would use something that leaves no residue.
4. Get rid of the (remainder of) drying agent with air.
5. Re lube.

I would NOT use heat or an oven to get rid of the water from the gun because that is essentially an accelerated version of letting it evaporate on it's own. I think that kind of step may promote corrosion formation.

That's how I would handle it anyway, until and if I become aware of better ways.
 
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Hair dryers work fine, but IMHO, the simplest thing would be to fill a bucket with diesel or kerosene and dunk the gun. A spare piece of capped PVC pipe will work for long guns.
 
If you dunk in salt water, stop the galvanic action by making up a simple green solution and immerse the gun sans grips in that. After a day or so, disassemble the gun and blow out the solution with compressed air. What ever corrosion took place prior to the simple green dunk will still be with you but further corrosion will be stopped.

A friend go in several hundred guns after Katrina. He removed stocks and soaked as many as 30 at a time in a stock tank with several gallons of simple green concentrate. It took over a year to get around to refinishing the some of the guns but no further corrosion took place after a bath in the solution.
 
I was a patrol officer in Washington state for several years. I can't count the times that I'd come home after a shift, field strip my Beretta 96, and dry it with my wife's hair dryer, taking care to heat the components to help evaporate water. That was all I usually did. Never had a problem with it.

I let my leather holster (Safariland SSIII 0705) air dry.

My Beretta was directly exposed to the elements - rain mostly but also snow, sleet and very cold temperatures.
 
I didn't read all responses. . .

. . .so I hope I'm not double-posting.

Anyway, don't over-think it, just clean it thoroughly. Remember, soldiers' weapons get soaked often, and we dry 'em off as best we can, lube 'em, and "repeat as necessary.":D We don't use compressors, hair-dryers, etc., although we would if we could!

Dry off the ammo & shoot it--shouldn't be a problem, but of course don't rely on it for HD/SD now.
 
Anyway, don't over-think it, just clean it thoroughly. Remember, soldiers' weapons get soaked often, and we dry 'em off as best we can, lube 'em, and "repeat as necessary." We don't use compressors, hair-dryers, etc., although we would if we could!

It's easier not to take as much care when Uncle Sam bought the gun, and will buy its replacement too. Things can be a little different when you foot the bill yourself.
 
ssilicon...

... what do you suppose are the relative odds that you'll actually use a weapon to protect yourself, as opposed to a front-line troop having to do so?

You're worried about monetary value of a gun; the troops are worried about their hides.

Tell me again how they care less than you do, because Uncle Sam buys the weapons....
 
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