Stupid newbie questions?

Paddy Diver

Hi All,

A load of newbie questions coming here now, hope you can help.

The bolt of my rifle (cz) can I use Vaseline on that to lub it up or is there some specific gun lub I should use? Do you ever lub/oil the barrel, should I put gun oil down the barrel or is it fine the way it is?

Bore-sights- what excatly do they do? are they for zeroing the gun without firing and bullets? or do you still need to fire some bullets?

I had one more question but have forgotten it so no doubt it'll come to me later and I'll post it.

Thanks,

Ian

Hezz700

Vaseline would be to thick and gooey and would be prone to collecting girt and dirt. stick to oils with a very light viscosity.:)

Clare gunner

Nope,there is no reason to use Vaseline on the bolt.Vaseline or it's more common brother Cosmoline is used for protection if you are storing the gun for along period of time.IE Military rifles are coated in that stuff before they are crated,as it is not know how long they will be left in a crate,or where.
A rub with an oily rag is plenty of protection.
Bore sighters,are devices you slip over/into the muzzle of the rifle to zero in the scope.They are either optical or laser.They are zero shot devices,but you will have to fine adjust the sights to the ammo type you are using if you are really needing match grade accruacy.They will give a good enough check to see is the scope zeroed,and holding a zero,and are fine for hunting rifles,but not for target sub MOA groupings.

Jonty

I wouldn't put oil through a barrel for the following reasons:

1.If you leave the rifle standing on its stock, the oil flows down the barrel through the receiver and onto the stock. This is annoying if the stock is plastic, but it will damage timber stocks.

2.If you oil a barrel, and then fire a shot, you're fouling the barrel asthe oil burns, also your first shot out of an oiled barrel will have a higher velocity.


When cleaning the barrel use a good quality cleaning rod, which won't score the lands or damage rifling.

Vegeta

Also Vasoline is petrolium based isn't it which eats rubber (is there any rubber in the bolt).

Which is why its not recommended for lube for other activities as it eats condoms.

If storing a rifle for a long time it is fine to give the inside of the barrel a wipe of fine oil (but as Jonty points out too much oil and it runs down the barrel so a fine wipe is enough) Make sure to clean out the oil prior to firing other wise what Jonty says will happen but also a barrel is designed to fit a bullet not a bullet surrounded by a film of oil.

peter-pantslez

god veg didnt know that about the condoms better stop:D

Vegeta

peter-pantslez wrote:

god veg didnt know that about the condoms better stop:D

get a water based one and you'll be sorted

freddieot

Paddy,

Don't use vasleline or any greasy stuff on your rifle. As the guys said it will only collect dirt. Some people use special grease, called slide glide , on pistols but that's only beause the slide moves at very high speed and can dry out etc. (Then again, not everyone uses it either). Grease should never go on a rifle.

For a rifle, just clean it regularly, after cleaning then pass an oil soaked patch through the barrel. Then a couple to dry it off. Oil should never drip from a gun but the gun should never be bone dry, if that makes sense.

Also oil the bolt and then again wipe off the excess with a cloth.

If it's a new gun, especially a fullbore, then you need to be very careful about cleaning so if that's the case, start another thread !

If you need to zero, then start at the closest safe range available (50,100). Support the rifle on sandbags or in some way that it can't really move that much. Put a target out and make the centre big and noticable. I often go around the black bull area with a black marker when I zero. You need to remove the bolt and look through the bore. You should be able to see the target bull through the bore. Then without letting the rifle move, look through the scope and adjust it until you can see the bull through both (cross hairs on the bull). Then take a couple of shots and make your final adjustments. Sounds crude but it does work.

Good luck

Paddy Diver

Thanks All, sound advice. Now, another question, what kind of oil do ye use? do you use a specific gun oil or something like 3in1 oil??


Ian

Vegeta

Paddy Diver wrote:

Thanks All, sound advice. Now, another question, what kind of oil do ye use? do you use a specific gun oil or something like 3in1 oil??


Ian

must gun shops will have decent gun oil.

if you cant get gun oil get a thin light oil for the workings and internals of the gun for all the reasons pointed out above.

Jonty

Paddy Diver wrote:

Thanks All, sound advice. Now, another question, what kind of oil do ye use? do you use a specific gun oil or something like 3in1 oil??


Ian

3in1 oil is fine, the important thing to remember is not to have the rifle swimming in oil. I'm sure 100% of the guys here will agree on that one thing. Also if you are using cleaning agents to clean copper fouling of the barrel its vital that the agent be thoroughly removed from the barrel. Oh, and remember to put on lense caps before cleaning your rifle;)