Katrina Guns

[samiam22]

I have a strange question for all of you. I'm going to look at a gun collection tomorrow and they are all Katrina guns (some of them are old military rifles including Mosin Nagants), what I mean by Katrina guns is they were submerged in salt water and salvaged from the owners house following hurricain Katrina (In the case of these guns 5 foot of water). He stated that he cleaned them up after he recovered them. He said they are starting to rust again. what would i need to do to remove any salt from the stocks and if they needed to be reblued should I mark on or under the but plate the resone they had to be refinished. why I ask this is the fact that they were recoved from the aftermath of hurricain is part of these rifles history. I would hate for these rifles to rust into junk.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I would be more worried about chemical, and human waste than sea water. Salt washes off with hot water, that will work for the metal, the wood can be cleaned with a product made for the job called Kotton Klenser, google it and you will find it for sale online. It's been five years, the rifles are starting to rust again because he hasn't been oiling them, if it was salt on them they would have been rusted junk in the first year. You can mark them under the buttplate if you want, just take care not to refinish them if they don't need it

[polymerase2]

I used to live in new Orleans and I would take a healthy dose of skepticism.
Any stock that was underwater for that long should be trash. there is usually no varnish or oil on the inside of the stock.

[BuckeyeSgt]

There is a reason flood damaged cars come with a branded title. Just saying....

[samiam22]

These guns where and still are in mississippi. they did not sit in polluted water for weeks like they would have in new orleans. the water went back down in a matter of days.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Before you get to worrying just take an oily rag and go over the metal to stop whatever rust is forming, why hasn't the rifles current owner done this? Pull the actions out of the wood, have a care with barrel bands and such as wood swells when it's been wet. You may have to dry the wood out to get them off, dry heat will do this, but it takes time. You can bake them in the sun on the dash of a closed up car for a week or so, stick them in a room with electric heat during the winter. Don't rush it, if bands won't move just pour oil around the barrel on top and it will penetrate underneath the wood line to put a stop to rust growth until you can get the wood off. It would help if we knew exactly what kind of rifles these were, Mauser's for instance can be a particular problem with the bands even when they have never been wet.

[samiam22]

I just got back from looking at the collection. I'm Interested in 4 of the rifles. A 1946 M44 with no rebuild marks. The barrel is cruddy but i can see the rifling under the crud. a Mk4 enfield decent bore No finish left on the stock Two early mausers. I dont know what type yet as one is scrubbed and there is no finish left on the stock the other one reciever marks are faint but had a 1914 barrel date he wants $100 each for these. He also has what looks like a 1866 rolling block that is in non fireing for $300 and a arisaka for $150. All the rifles are dirty and there is some surface rust on the blueing and the bolts But they are not seized.

[Junk Yard Dog]

What kind of rolling block? I just picked up a very nice one for $305 so there are deals to be had on these, if it has any US markings grab it immediately. With pics we could probably ID the Mauser's

[desdem12]

Maybe he will give you a nice bundle price If the rust is not too bad it can be removed. Takes a little work but is worth it in the end.

[samiam22]

I would be more worried about chemical, and human waste than sea water. Salt washes off with hot water, that will work for the metal, the wood can be cleaned with a product made for the job called Kotton Klenser, google it and you will find it for sale online. It's been five years, the rifles are starting to rust again because he hasn't been oiling them, if it was salt on them they would have been rusted junk in the first year. You can mark them under the buttplate if you want, just take care not to refinish them if they don't need it

These guns were in Mississippi 1/4 mile from the gulf they were cut out of his 800 lb safe that was found 20 yards behind were his house use to be. they did not sit In the filth that was in New orleans.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Must have been a safe with a electronic lock, shorted when the water hit it, I never liked that design.

[WeldonHunter]

I'm not sure without looking at them but it sounds like some decent rifles to be had. All depends on how bad they are I guess.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I have heard of far worse coming out of attics, and damp closets. Every milsurp has seen water, wars don't stop on account of rain.

[racerguy00]

I purchased an SCW dragoon that came with a panshin bayonet, it went through Katrina. It wasn't submerged but had lain on a damp shelf or something, one side had a lot of light brown surface rust that took a lot of solvent and elbow grease to remove. The bayonet was trashed. surprisingly the stock wasn't too bad. The rifle went through all that then was in a huge mega vehicle crash in a snowstorm on the interstate while in the fedex truck on the way here.

Submerged rifles will be a whole different thing I'm guessing.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Depends on how long they were in the water, what kind of water it was, and what damage they might receive while going into the water or hitting bottom. A few days and they might have some minor corrosion and wood swelling, more than that and they will start looking like something off the Titanic. Salt water however will work far faster.

[swoop85]

Great thread! I have often wondered about about firearms lost in Katrina and if any ever show up..... I was there doing recovery just after Katrina, and remember our instructions if we found a body or firearm we had to call the police....LOL, no electricity, hunker down at dark-dawn and the city workers keeping anything of value for themselves, if possible. The only firearm found was a bb gun in a closet.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I heard some horror storys about the filth from some Navy guys who were there.

[Celt]

I worked in New Orleans after Katrina cleaning up with a boom truck. I sat up in the seat running a grappler picking up huge piles of peoples lives in big soggy clumps. I found a pocket knife and a raven 25 acp Saturday night special. Sold it to a guy I worked with for 35 dollars. I didn't know if it had any bad deeds connected to it. It was New Orleans so I'd say chances were good. That was a real life experience working and living down there.
If they look decent, buy them.

[tjtM38]

Years ago, my father and law recovered a Model 70 Winchester from the gulf waters off of Biloxi MS. The metal and stock survived, but the blueing was never the same. Mechanically, the firearm was OK. I had it refinished and it gave me about 10 years of service. Katrina was not very kind to private gun collections in coastal homes.

[mrb7]

Katrina was not very kind to private gun collections in coastal homes.

Neither were the police.