Fire damaged guns?

poldet148

Have opportunity to purchase some rifles which have gone thru a house fire. Some melting of scope parts, and plastics. All need cleaning, possibly re-blueing. How can I tell if I'm getting a deal or an expensive group of boat anchors? Don't appear to have been actually on fire, supposed to have been in a safe.

sed

captkirk3@dslextreme.com

Thats a tough call to make...I'd have to see what they look like and then I'm not sure I'd bother even considering the possible purchase of same.....Some times You can make out like a bandit and other times its was'nt worth the time and or effort...This is going to have to be a decission on Your part.....You seem to have a working knowledge of guns....Whats your Gut Feeling.......

Captain Kirk, Tech Staff<P><BR>

Contender Man

Each gun needs to be inspected thoroughly and that's something we just can't do here. If there is no charring of the wood chances are good that the rifles will be good, but, if you are not comfortable with making this call, get the seller's agreement to have them inspected by a gunsmith.

Your comment about some of the scope parts melting, if those parts are metal, is a little confusing as there should be charring or at the minimum bubbling of the stock finish.

Lastly the combustion byproducts of a fire are very corrosive, I don't know how long it has been since the fire, but it has been a while and they were not cleaned you may have problems in that area as well.

Comming full circle ... even with experience the rifles have to be physically examined.


If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!

cbxjeff

First off you need to be getting them cheap since you don't know their condition. Second they should be something you really want. Next, look at the plastic carefully. Is it distorted and sagging out of shape or does it look like a burger that you forgot on the grill until the next day. Distorted plastic is a good sign. Are these name brand pieces that you can buy replacement plastic parts? One other thing is that few parts are hardened steel so if they are not distorted they are OK. Also remember that even though that stainless steel melts at a not much a different temp than carbon steel, it maintains it's strength at a much higher temp. This means that if your plastic doesn't look like charcoal anything stainless will be fine. As Capt said, you are taking a chance. With that said go back and read my first sentance!

I'm a risk taker. I would buy the lot if it were at a good price. The thrill of a real bargin is just in my blood!

Good luck ... and that is what it is!

cbxjeff<P>It's too late for me, save yourself. <br>

p3skyking

My rule of thumb is if the springs are still good, the weapon is okay. I would also take the lot because even if the gun is ruined, there are enough non-critical parts (triggerguard, sights, trigger, etc.) to break up for parts. Only the barrel, receiver, and bolt need be trashed on a burn out.

It doesn't sound that bad on these so you're probably okay. Still, since you are not experienced, take someone who is.

What men call a hero...is merely a man who is seen doing what a brave man does as a matter of course.
A man who is in love with learning is a man who is never without a bride, for there is always more. L'Amour

v35

What rifles are you talking about? Can anyone estimate the interior temperature? The safe could have acted as an oven and given critical hardened parts an anneal or partial job. High strength aluminum (as in scope tubes)gets soft at about 900f and melts at about 1100f. These are fairly high tempering temperatures. This is an important consideration in estimating whether such exposed rifles can safely be put back in service. It's a pig in a poke.
Bolt lugs and receiver rings of high powered rifles should be hardness tested and the rifles be proof tested.
Look in the barrels for scale which cannot be removed.

brimickri

v35, I have to agree, I work with and around heat treating furnaces all day, and I have seen 4140 steel, which is common in firearms, lose their case hardness and tempering at temps BELOW 400 degrees farenheit!! I would be VERY weary of ever attemopting to fire a firearm that has been subjected to fire. I would take them to a metals lab and have them test the hardness before I'd buy them. It is quite easy to test the hardness, and the firearms manufacturer should be able to tell you what it should be.

Good luck, whatever you decide!

bobski

other considerations to keep in mind are the chemicals used to distinguish the fire and all the other things that were melting in the house. fumes from the extinguisher powders or dousing agents do strange things to wood and metal. heat metal and spray it with cold water? not good. i had a fellow reblue all his guns after a house fire, just to have them rust up again because at the moleculer(sp) level, the metal was permenantley effected by the fumes. dont forget, if the house was on fire, everything in it was too. plastic, cleaning fluids, carpet, etc... its why firemen wear masks! anyway, odds are the seller has already recooped some with insurance and now he's trying to make a little more. treat it like its a flee market gun, because by the time youre done, you will have spent the same amount fixing it, as you would have buying a new one. and you still wont have a promise that it wont rust up again.

former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.

Grasshopper

Agree with post, safe can act as a oven AFTER it has been exposed to heat for x number of minutes, depending on what brand of safe. Even though just some "melting" of plastics, I would be very careful of purchasing them. IMO. nambu