Melted plastic on barrel

[Bruce H]

Last fall when I was deer hunting we were having a rain/snow mix one day, so I put a small baggie on the end of the barrel to keep moisture out. I shot a deer while the baggie was on and I see that I have a little bit of melted plastic on the very end of the outside of the barrel. Any idea how I can get this plastic off without hurting anything? Also, any other ideas for covering the end of the barrel for keeping out moisture? I don't mind cleaning up a little melted plastic once in a while if I can do it without damaging anything.

 

[Len Graves]

If I am hunting in very snowy conditions. I use a piece of masking tape over the muzzle. I usually get a wider tape and trim it to the size of the barrel once in place (remember you are trimming on a loaded gun). I don't always do this, but if there is a lot of falling snow from trees Etc..

 

[junkman_01]

Use some acetone (old style nail polish remover). It won't hurt the barrel in any way. Afterwards, re-oil the barrel.

 

[necchi]

Or Brake cleaner, a little soaking should do the job of breaking down the plastics grip on the metal.

I use the cut off fingers of Laxtex gloves. You can get'm at pharmacy's or grociers for a few bucks.
Cut a finger off and roll it up from the end like a little condom.

 

[gmww]

I like the acetone idea. For keeping out moisture as in rain or snow temp. Might try wax paper and tight rubber band. I'm guessing one could shoot with it on without issue.

 

[BrownBear]

For whole generations here in the land of mud, snow, sticks and clogs, a strip of electrical tape has been the antidote for muzzles. I keep the butt end of a roll in my shooting bag. We hunt brush so much, we even tape the muzzle on dry days.

Lotta testing has shown that the tape doesn't affect POI at all. It appears to blow out of the way before the ball even reaches the muzzle. BTW- Sometimes you need to add a wrap of tape around the barrel to hold the ends of the piece over the muzzle. The adhesive on the tape isn't all that compatible with many gun oils, so the second piece is needed to help keep it in place.

 

[Deadeye]

Small black balloons are available just for that purpose but any small balloon works just as well.
Deadeye

 

[Dean2]

Easiest way to remove the plastic is to just heat it with a hair dryer. It will come right off. Acetone works good too but don't get any on the finnish or painted surfaces. It may also lift some kinds of browning or blued finishes if you leave it on too long.

Best barrel cover I have found is black electrical tape. Remove ramrod, wrap five or six inches around the barrel in a couple of spots and you have enough pieces for most of the season. I do it with centrefires too.

 

[junkman_01]

It may also lift some kinds of browning or blued finishes if you leave it on too long.

Acetone won't remove rust (bluing and browning are rust). It will remove paint.

 

[ericb]

What a great high speed photo that would make, i.e. the ballon inflating just before blowing off. If balloon was pink it would look like your gun was chewing DoubleBubble....

 

[mooman76]

Eventually it will wear off on it's own through normal cleaning.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Use a wood stick, like those flat sticks given out by paint suppliers to stir the paint. Any alcohol, gun solvent, or heat will loosen the plastic's grip on the barrel. I have used sticks I have whittled with my knife in the woods to do this, with no marring of the barrel's finish. I actually have had more trouble removing the adhesive from using duct tape than removing the plastic.

The air between the muzzle and the PRB is what pushes on the muzzle barrier, and blows thru it, or pushes it out of the way, long before the PRB gets near it. The melting of the plastic comes from the proximity of the plastic to the muzzle as the flame of burning powder exits the muzzle.

The column of air in the barrel is being compressed at a tremendous rate of speed, that is accelerating as the PRB travels up the barrel. I doubt that using a balloon would allow enough time for the balloon to "blow up" or expand into something recognizable in the fraction of a second it takes the the PRB to exit the muzzle. It would make interesting time lapse photography.

 

[Huntin_Dawg1215]

I use black duct tape. A piece over themuzzle ans then one around the barrel to hold down the ends. because of them coming loose wneh contact ing the oil, sometimes. I use to use blk. electric tape but found that duct works better.

 

[kenhulme]

Condoms. We used them as muzzle cover's on M-16s in 'Nam. One time use item, but hey...

 

[rafterob]

Ask for "finger cots" at the pharmacy. They used to sell the black ones for muzzleloaders but havn't seen them for many years. They are little rubbers for covering bandaged fingers to keep moisture and soil out. They blow right out the end and don't melt on the barrel.

 

[Black Hand]

Why did you feel you needed a bag on the end of the barrel? Unless you are carrying your gun slung with the barrel pointed up, there is little chance that moisture will enter the barrel. It was unnecessary.

 

[Bruce H]

There may be little chance of moisture getting in the barrel, but I want NO chance. I felt it was necessary. Also, I tend to carry my ML with the muzzle pointed up at about a 30 degree angle so that if I trip, I don't bury the muzzle into the ground. That's how I was taught back in the early 60's in gun safety classes. Do they teach something different now?

Thanks all for the input.

Hey buggyrifle, where in Nam were you? I was on 2 different firebases outside of Pleiku in the central highlands.

 

[BrownBear]

Why did you feel you needed a bag on the end of the barrel? Unless you are carrying your gun slung with the barrel pointed up, there is little chance that moisture will enter the barrel. It was unnecessary.

Boy, around here you're "damned if you do, damned if you don't" on deciding whether to carry muzzles up or down. Up, and you have rain, snow wads falling from alders and alder branches themselves to worry about. Down, and the steep, slick countryside easily results in mud, grass and berry stalks.

BTW- We tried the black duct tape here, but it's too easily punctured compared to electrical tape. Fine for snow or rain, but not so good with sticks and such.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I handle the moisture in barrel problem by running a heavily lubed (beeswax and lard ) patch down and out the barrel after loading. In Ohio deer season rain is more common than not.This protects the bore angives no problems. :idunno:

 

[FRJ]

As was already mentioned use a condom as we did in Nam or do as we do now in my hunting camp. We have a roll of masking tape that we cover the bore with. If you come in from a hunt with the tape blown off you better have an animal that you need help getting out of the woods!!!!!
As for the plastic heat of any kind will take it off and the suggestion of the hairdryer is a good one. FRJ