I have a good friend, Geoffroy DeGentille, a ph in Cameroon who uses a Kreighoff 500 Nitro Double.The constant rain and high humidity has made a mess of the wood stock and the metal. I need recomendations on either getting a laminated stock or synthetic stock made and getting an extremely waterproof metal finish. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Mike

MLindsley
Some rust proof finishes are not proper for a double rifle because of the way the bbls are joined together [Solder]. I do not see why a good quality paint for wood and metal would not work. You do not even have to paint the wood and metal the same color. When the finish becomes worn just repaint.

Maybe a Searcy SS double would suit you...It is practical but Lord I'd hate to live with one..I could never respect it in the morning

The low-grade stainless is not much better in this regard, especially in tandem with salts from sweating. I think 450No2 is on the right track. Removable paints, such as the various "Camo Paints", hold up pretty well. I use a quality car wax (5 or more times) and then spray on a few coats of paint. Rifle bores are another problem, altogether.

You may want to talk to George Caswell at Champlin Arms in Enid OK. I recall him talking about using a double rifle in extremely wet conditions, even up to the point of putting rig (a VERY small amount) over the base of the cartridges after they were in the chamber. George has also tinkered with different metal coatings to see what helped barrels hold up the best. Good guy - worth the phone calls.

For the metal on a double rifle, you can use the shellac that is used to coat color case hardening. It is clear,so the origenal finish shows through, and will last for years! It is available from Brownell's. barring that a real good coat of a good car wax, on both metal, and wood. A daily cleaning, and drying will help, but nothing will stop the humidity of the rain forest, and mateing surfaces will pit quickly, so must be cared for daily! A lot of folks in Alaska use the silacone empregnated stocking like gun slip to place ther rifles in, after cleaning, over night! The laminated stocks that are made by sandwiching with poly-urethane under great pressure, would be the best wood to use if the rifle is to be used in the rain forest for extended lengths of time, but though ugly, and declared as a sin, by Ray Atkinson, a well made and fitted synthetic stock, that takes into consideration the ballance of the rifle,would last as long as the rain forest!

Double rifles have been used in the rain forest for ions and some survived with dignity...Those that were cared for, that extra effort that goes with owning a double..as follows:

Some wear a glove or wrap the barrel in a handkerchief while carrying..seems to work. Keeps the hand salt off the metal...

Clean and oil every night, use a good grease and on the face and inside parts, also WD-40 seems to work well in copius amounts but not dripping..

Rig inside the barrel lightly coated...It won't change the POI that much at rainforest ranges...

It worked back when and I'm betting it still will. Many PHs are lax on gun care I have noticed...

tupperware on a DOUBLE?

GET A ROPE

jeffe

[ 10-04-2003, 00:33: Message edited by: jeffeosso ]

I have a friend who has been hunting on Kodiak for 20 years, and also has a degree in forestry. He refuses to hunt with plastic stocks. What he does is to heat an unfinished wood stock in a 150 degree oven, then rubs epoxy into the wood. As the wood cools, it draws the epoxy into the poors. After it hardens, you block sand down smooth. Add as many coats of handrubbed oil as you want. He's only had one stock move on him in 20 years, and it was one he opened up the barrel channel on w/o putting epoxy back in to seal the wood.

On used that finish on my 350 Rigby stock, and can attest to how well it handles wet conditions.

As far as protecting the metal, I use multiple coats of a paste floor wax. Water simply beads up and rolls off. It is not as durable as an enamel, but works well.

Stainless guns rust also, it just takes a bit longer. Most of the stainless alloys used in gunmaking are not highly corrosion resistant. The are chosen for their mechanical properties more then their resistance to corrossion.

If the gun was cleaned you could use a clear epoxy finish on the gun and wood. Ballistol would work as a temporary stop gap for both wood and metal.

Aleko