Leaving one's gun loaded

[Brokennock]

I know the topic of leaving one's gun loaded has been discussed at length here. But, usually it pertains to loading the gun, not getting a shot, then leaving the otherwise clean gun loaded until one does get a shot. Well, what would you do if you loaded your smoothie up with a shot load, fired at a squirrel or other small game, reloaded, but didn't get another shot that day? Pull the load? Wait it out through Sunday to go back out on Monday?

Game warden was around so I didn't want to just discharge the load with nothing to show for it and be accused of target shooting in a State Forest. I have swabbed the bore with oil/beeswax from the load to he muzzle.

What say you?

 

[BrownBear]

If I can't shoot it out, it gets pulled. No leaving a dirty bore in my house.

 

[Katahdin]

I'd leave it loaded, one day isn't going to ruin it..if it did you could never leave a rifle uncleaned over night ,,ever done that,,I have,get back late cold,tired,hungry,to worn out to care.

 

[R.C.BINGAMAN]

I would pull the load and clean it, come from the school of take care of your weapons first no matter what the circumstances are. R.C.-AN APPALICHIAN HUNTER

 

[tenngun]

Another vote to pull the charge and clean. A ball screw will pull a wad easy. Taking a gun in will cause codinsation, and it's just waiting for a place to grow rust.

 

[jamesthomas]

I would leave it loaded and run a damp cleaning patch down it followed by a dry patch to at least get it 90% clean myself.

 

[wattlebuster]

If one of mine gets shot one time then it gets fully cleaned regardless. No exceptions. But thats just cause Im old an set in my ways :idunno:

 

[Spikebuck]

+1

 

[larry wv]

I would clean it around the nipple or vent and let it go. You already wiped the bore good.

Larry

 

[Britsmoothy]

I leave mine loaded all the time if it comes home so.
Olive oil jag down the bore and out. Damp cloth then dry cloth around the lock and breach. Home made lube around the lock and breach.
Vent blocked off.
Big notice in muzzle, 'loaded'.

If I know it will not be shot for weeks the shot is pulled and a note of 'charged' added.

B.

 

[hanshi]

If I can't shoot it out, it gets pulled. No leaving a dirty bore in my house.

What he said.

 

[necchi]

you loaded your smoothie up with a shot load, fired at a squirrel or other small game, reloaded, but didn't get another shot that day?

It's a dirty bore,, gotta clean it.

I have left loads in un-fired rifles and revolvers for months with no ill affect.
But shoot it once, and the fouling (being hygroscopic) will pull in available moisture and begin the rusting process even overnight.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Pull and clean. Overnight might not harm the gun but the burned bp residue will attract moisture like crazy and might not fire the next day. Not worth taking a chance. That's why those corkscrew wad pullers were invented.

 

[robinsroost]

I have left loads in un-fired rifles and revolvers for months with no ill affect.
But shoot it once, and the fouling (being hygroscopic) will pull in available moisture and begin the rusting process even overnight.
[/quote]

I agree with John........robin :wink:

 

[nhmoose]

I would say shoot it out and for the Fish pig say I missed. :idunno:

 

[Brokennock]

Most of our "fish pigs" are actually very good, I see no reason to make their job harder or attract their attention from a more pressing or legitimate matter. In fact a had a very pleasant encounter with one yesterday while out squirrel hunting.

 

[Brokennock]

Well,,, normally I would agree that a cleaned gun would be better. But, with a mix of opinions here, and some of them, while in the direction of my general line of thought, overly strong in their expression, I let curiousity win over. I just had to know if it would really start to rust "overnight" or get so wet from condensation it would fail to fire, that leaving it as is would bring hail, locusts, brimstone, and plague.

Besides, if I left it loaded all day Sunday, I would have No Choice but to go squirrel hunting on Monday. :grin:

And if I didn't go squirrel hunting yesterday I would not have had 3 separate encounters with 2 very cute playful bear cubs and their very large but surprisingly calm mamma.

So? Rust? Demons? Plague? Failure to fire?????
No. No. No. No. And, no. Went off fast as ever, no signs of rust or other damage. Would I make the practice a habit? No. If I fired one shot and hadn't reloaded I would definetly cleaned the gun when I got home Sat. night no matter how tired I was. In fact, if the gun has been fired at all and there is no charge in the bore upon return to the truck, cleaning starts right then.

But, in the his case, I just had to see for myself.

 

[Stumpkiller]

If it's been shot or rained on it gets cleaned that night. Whether I pull the load of shoot it out depends, but mostly I pull the shot and shoot out the powder & wads.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Well,,, normally I would agree that a cleaned gun would be better. But, with a mix of opinions here, and some of them, while in the direction of my general line of thought, overly strong in their expression, I let curiousity win over. I just had to know if it would really start to rust "overnight" or get so wet from condensation it would fail to fire, that leaving it as is would bring hail, locusts, brimstone, and plague.

Besides, if I left it loaded all day Sunday, I would have No Choice but to go squirrel hunting on Monday. :grin:

And if I didn't go squirrel hunting yesterday I would not have had 3 separate encounters with 2 very cute playful bear cubs and their very large but surprisingly calm mamma.

So? Rust? Demons? Plague? Failure to fire?????
No. No. No. No. And, no. Went off fast as ever, no signs of rust or other damage. Would I make the practice a habit? No. If I fired one shot and hadn't reloaded I would definetly cleaned the gun when I got home Sat. night no matter how tired I was. In fact, if the gun has been fired at all and there is no charge in the bore upon return to the truck, cleaning starts right then.

But, in the his case, I just had to see for myself.

You have come to the exact same conclusions as me. Except I have left mine for weeks in a fired state but loaded.
As I said before, an olive oiled patch down to the load and out and a wipe around the breach.
No oil must enter the nipple, vent, flint or frizzen face.

Most originals show signs of rust or a patina. These guns were used and not just ornaments. It is the nature of the materials being used and it really will be a long long timebefore a gun would need replacing through rust.
In fact most of us own several and they stand idol anyway. I mean replacing one is easy!

 

[Heavy Eagle]

:hmm: Was the game warden in sight of you? If not, if he ask just say you missed. Or unload it into at the ground and just tell the game warden you did to unload and if to show him where and beside a game warden should be able to tell the difference in sound of blackpowder and modern ammo.