Parking the Enfield
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Category: Enfields
Forum Name: Info for New Enfield Owners
Forum Description: Are you new to Enfields? Check out some of the how-to's submitted by our members!
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4808
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 8:19pm
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Topic: Parking the Enfield
Posted By: raubvogel
Subject: Parking the Enfield
Date Posted: October 05 2011 at 9:29pm
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Let's say you came from the range after shooting your Enfield, or any rifle for that matters. You spent time cleaning it and oiling its barrel. Now you might end storing on its end, muzzle side up. And so stays the rifle for a while for whatever reason. And maybe dirt/dust and small animals decide to get into the barrel. Is there a good way to prevent that to happen? One morning you see the birds chirping, the cows flying just right above the clouds, an decide it is a good day to go shooting. Do you do a quick barrel cleaning/gun inspecting before taking it for some family friend shooting? |
Replies:
Posted By: raubvogel
Date Posted: October 05 2011 at 9:31pm
Er, I really meant family friendly shooting, but I think I will leave it as it is... 
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Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: October 06 2011 at 12:23am
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Just cut a finger off of an old rubber glove & drop it over the muzzle. If it's a #1 then it's a tad harder as the barrel is inside the stock. "the cows flying just right above the clouds" Remember to shout "PULL!" before aerial cow shooting. 
------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Ed Hill
Date Posted: October 06 2011 at 2:08am
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Gun socks are long uh, socks that slip over the rifle and keep it clean. Buy at gun shows or easy to sew. If I oiled the barrel heavily for long storage I run a patch through before shooting. Ed
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Posted By: raubvogel
Date Posted: October 06 2011 at 6:59am
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You just made me picture using my old socks over the muzzle side of the rifle ;) I talked about heavy oiling a gun and he said problem is if you have gun standing nose up, the oil will make its way down past the breech and then wherever it wants to. |
Posted By: Smokey
Date Posted: October 15 2011 at 6:43pm
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The main difference between oil and grease is, grease generally stays where you put it.
For long-term storage I use RIG (tm) or the equivalent.
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Posted By: saffer
Date Posted: October 16 2011 at 11:03pm
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You could always put a large patch in the chamber to catch any oil. Just make sure you run a rod through to get the patch out and take off the excess oil. ------------- Not a complete idiot. Still missing a few parts. |
Posted By: DRC
Date Posted: October 17 2011 at 3:17am
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I use a condom taped to the end of the muzzle. They keep the dirt/mud/water out of the barrel and if I ever forget to remove it before use there's no real harm done. I get a few strange looks however....  ------------- We are the Pilgrims, master; we shall go. Always a little further: it may be beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow. Across that angry or that glimmering sea |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: October 17 2011 at 6:11am
There's things called "Finger cotts" Basically a finger-sized condom, but thicker. They're used in industry a lot where you need the dexterity of the hand, but can't have finger prints on the item being handled. We used to get a good laugh during safety orientations when we'd bring out the bags of a thousand or so, all marked as "Small", "Medium", or "Large". Large was to fit over the average thumb & small on a tiny pinky.  ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Lithgow
Date Posted: October 17 2011 at 6:57am
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I always store my guns muzzle down.
Storing them muzzle up allows the oil to run down and soak into the wood. Gun oil will eventually destroy the wood around the action.
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Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: October 17 2011 at 9:10am
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I usually store muzzle down for the first couple of days. By the time I flip the rifle muzzle up any oil that's going to run has. Right onto the wad of newsprint the muzzle is standing on.
------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: SW28fan
Date Posted: October 17 2011 at 10:33am
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Heresy, I know but I don't leave a film of oil in the barrel just clean them and put them muzzle up in the gun cabinet. I shoot them often enough not to worry about long term storage but there is a container of silica gel on the floor of the gun cabinet. I have been know to open the door to admire them from time to time. ------------- Have a Nice Day If already having a nice day please disregard |
Posted By: LE Owner
Date Posted: October 17 2011 at 2:29pm
The Regulations for Musketry recommended cutting the toe from an old sock and pulling it down over the action as an action cover to keep out mud. This was in 1915, probably before the canvas action covers became a common issue item. A sock sounds about right for the bulky nose cap of the SMLE. Storing muzzle up will allow oil to impregnate the end grain of the rear of the fore end, softening the wood and resulting in oil perishing. I prefer to hang a rifle upside down on long screws covered with old sparkplug cable ends or surgical tubing.
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raubvogel wrote:Posted By: DRC
Date Posted: October 17 2011 at 7:44pm
In my youth I bought many condoms. Now as I get older and still have most of them, I realise what an optomist I was!  ------------- We are the Pilgrims, master; we shall go. Always a little further: it may be beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow. Across that angry or that glimmering sea |
Posted By: White Rhino
Date Posted: October 18 2011 at 12:21am
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Any one ever use petroleum jelly for gun storage ???? old Man down the street ,( Cotton Mouths Grandfather) used Petroleum jelly on his guns !! I have also heard it called carbonated petroleum jelly , but have never been able to find it ...I have heard this from several older Gentlemen from around here to New Orleans !! Whats great is that a light film will last forever ..and unless the heat gets excessive it wont run ... ------------- "White Rhino" "Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer." --W. C. Fields |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: October 18 2011 at 12:45am
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I always thought "Petroleum Jelly" was a generic term for "Vaseline"? Then I found this: "There used to be Carbolated Vaseline, it came in a brown colored jar and looked the same as the regular Vaseline except for the jar color and the color of the product. It was the best stuff for chafing and rashes. It would eliminate a rash overnight like a rash from clothes rubbing against skin. I have been trying to find it for quite a long time but have not been successful. I assume they no longer manufacture it but I can't imagine why (making carbolated vaseline involves working in a very toxic environment) . I came on this question when I was searching the internet for a Chese-Brough Ponds web site; can't find that either. http://bbs.goodolddaysonline.com/cgi-bin/goodold/board/webbbs_config.pl?read=832 this link takes you to a letter response from the Vaseline people about why they discontinued the product http://www.millersrexall.com/webstore/product_info.php/products_id/282?osCsid=e8d97dc99ac5351f72f59bc7ab8890df this link takes you to a company that sells Carbolated (ie medicated) Vaseline but it seems pretty expensive - $12.99 and I can't tell how much you get for the money; looks good though - I may give it a try" I guess the carboLated, not carboNated refers to the same stuff (phenol to give the jelly additional anti-bacterial effect) that used to be used to make "Carbolic soap"? Supposedly it's also known as "Brown Vaseline", "Medicated Vaseline", or "Brown Petroleum Jelly" as well. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: White Rhino
Date Posted: October 18 2011 at 1:09am
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That could be it ...You know how some things got pronounced by the people in the past !!!
------------- "White Rhino" "Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer." --W. C. Fields |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: October 18 2011 at 5:34am
Not just the past & not just the pronouncing either. Remember "Tincture of Arnica"? How about "Blue bags" for insect bites & stings, or WHITCHAZEL for swellings & sprains? All in those (highly collectable) ribbed blue & green bottles that said WARNING! POISON! ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: LE Owner
Date Posted: October 18 2011 at 4:49pm
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Vaseline or petroleum jelly is the same as Mineral Jelly. Three grades of Mineral Jelly were used by the British as protective coatings and lubrication for the SMLE. Red Mineral jelly (more a reddish brown) was used to coat metal parts that were covered by wood. The other grades were White and Yellow. I forget which of the last two were used for what. One was used to lube bolt parts, the other to coat the bore and chamber if the rifle was to be stored for any length of time. Of course all lube was to be removed from the bore and especially the chamber before firing.
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