Water in Rifle / Scope

[.308winguy]

Sig Cross .308
After shooting PRC in a really heavy rain, I got home, pulled the bolt etc., stole my wife's hair dryer and dried the gun and scope as best I could. 2 months later, I decided to remount my scope, took the rig out of my bag and a string of water came from "nowhere". I couldn't find the source. Do any of y'alls have any thoughts on where water might accumulate and on how to remove it?
Thanks in advance!

 

[saddlerocker]

Could it have been in the stock/Chassis and just laying in the bag?

I assume you dried the bag out at the time?

 

[MK20]

1
Buy a cheap air compressor that goes up to at least 150 psi. Worth every penny.

2
After a rifle has gotten wet, dry it off, oil it, and let it stand against a wall or something overnight in a warm room with the bolt open if you can. Oil the bore too.

 

[ma smith]

Sig Cross .308
After shooting PRC in a really heavy rain, I got home, pulled the bolt etc., stole my wife's hair dryer and dried the gun and scope as best I could. 2 months later, I decided to remount my scope, took the rig out of my bag and a string of water came from "nowhere". I couldn't find the source. Do any of y'alls have any thoughts on where water might accumulate and on how to remove it?
Thanks in advance!

The couple of times I shot 22 matches in "real rain" (like hours on end...) the entire rifle would need to come apart. Water would pooling in to the stock, and under the action itself, under the optic rails, etc...

The cross also has similar areas around the bolt trakc/trigger, rail, handguard, tirgger etc. Its a once piece action so theres less issues there. Also the oem barrel is stainless. But you should keep the bolt out and get the thing dry ASAP, including running dry patches down the bore to get crud and any moisture out of there.

 

[Baron23]

Sig Cross .308
After shooting PRC in a really heavy rain, I got home, pulled the bolt etc., stole my wife's hair dryer and dried the gun and scope as best I could. 2 months later, I decided to remount my scope, took the rig out of my bag and a string of water came from "nowhere". I couldn't find the source. Do any of y'alls have any thoughts on where water might accumulate and on how to remove it?
Thanks in advance!

In addition to what was said...never put a wet rifle (even just damp) back in a soft case. Never put a rifle into a wet bag (even just damp). Its no bueno.

 

[Rob01]

Bags and cases are a terrible place to store rifles. Especially wet ones. If it gets that wet it needs to be torn down all the way, dried and oiled inside and out. Barreled action comes out of stock and trigger comes out and bolt comes apart and scope base comes off. Then as mentioned leave it in a dry room. Get it dry.

 

[xciapup]

Bags and cases are a terrible place to store rifles. Especially wet ones. If it gets that wet it needs to be torn down all the way, dried and oiled inside and out. Barreled action comes out of stock and trigger comes out and bolt comes apart and scope base comes off. Then as mentioned leave it in a dry room. Get it dry.

Its not just rain that is an issue.

I had a buddy who hunted mule deer in CO with a $1000 leupold on a blued 30-06 Browning bolt action. He put the gun in a Doscosil plastic case with foam lining when he left CO. Fast forward to blacktail hunt in CA about 2 months later.

We get all our gear ready to start the hunt. The last thing are the rifles. He opens his case and his gun is rusted from end to end. The bore being the worst. It was shocking. That was 20 years ago and I still see the scene in my mind like it was yesterday.

Rain or condensation, take care of it on the spot, and cases are only for travel.

 

[Rob01]

Yup coming in from the cold and dropping it into a case in warm weather is a recipe for sweating, condensation and rust.

 

[.308winguy]

Eureka! I found the water. 2 of my cap screws had worked loose. The water had "pooled" in the lower thread cavity. I dried it out. Checked for any "rust", lightly swapped with Remington oil, a light application of VC-3, torqued to 15 lbs. I think I dodged a bullet, so to speak. Thanks for all the feedback!

 

[.308winguy]

Eureka! I found the water. 2 of my cap screws had worked loose. The water had "pooled" in the lower thread cavity. I dried it out. Checked for any "rust", lightly swapped with Remington oil, a light application of VC-3, torqued to 15 lbs. I think I dodged a bullet, so to speak. Thanks for all the feedback!

*swabbed