Were Your Firearms Exposed To The Floods? 4 Ways To Prevent Permanent Damage

Now that storms are over, it's time to tackle the cleanup. If you own firearms, they may have been exposed to the floods. You've invested a lot of money into your firearms. The last thing you want to do is lose them to a flood. Just because they got wet, doesn't mean you necessarily need to discard them. In fact, depending on the severity of the water damage, and the length of time your firearms were submerged in water, you may be able to salvage them. It will require time and effort, however. If you've returned home to find out that your firearms were exposed to the flood waters, here are four steps you should take:

Disassemble and Dry Your Firearms

If your firearms have been exposed to water, the first thing you need to do is disassemble it. Breaking it completely down will allow you to access those small areas where water and silt could be collecting. Once you've disassembled the firearm, you'll want to start drying each piece individually. Pay close attention to the firing pin, barrel, and all other metal components. As you dry each piece off, set it aside on a clean towel. This will allow the air drying process to continue. After you've dried each metal piece, move on to the wood, or synthetic pieces. These pieces can suffer water damage, as well. After the pieces are dried, leave them out overnight to air dry.

Get Rid of the Hidden Moisture

Once you've dried your firearms by hand, as thoroughly as you can, and left them out to air dry overnight, you'll want to apply a moisture-displacing lubricant. Applying the lubricant will serve three purposes. First, it will get rid of any hidden moisture pockets that you might have missed. Second, it will lubricate the moving pieces so that they don't fail. Finally, the moisture-displacing lubricant will help prevent rust. After you've applied the lubricant, reassemble your firearms.

Obtain a Professional Inspection

The final step in the process will include a professional inspection by a local gunsmith, who's qualified to identify water damage. The last thing you want to do is fire a weapon that has sustained significant water damage. Your gunsmith will give a top-to-bottom inspection of your firearms, to look for signs of rust, or infiltration of silt or sediment to the areas of the firing pin, or other internal mechanisms. If the gunsmith gives you the go-ahead, you'll be safe to use your firearms again. However, if the inspection identifies significant damage, you'll need to have your firearms repaired, or destroyed.

Discard Your Wet Ammunition

When it comes to your ammunition, if it was exposed to water, you'll need to discard it. Take your wet ammunition to your gunsmith and have it destroyed. Using ammunition that's been exposed to water could lead to a misfire that could have devastating consequences.

Contact a company like BluCore Shooting Center for more information and assistance. 

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