How do you get frozen guns unstuck?
I just received 3 guns from my uncle who died last year. His wife, my aunt, called me and told me that she found 3 handguns in her late husbands shop. She asked me if I wanted them and I said yes. One is a cowboy style in 45 LC but it is fozen up due to moisture. It is loaded as well! One is a 9mm auto that is a S&W that is in the same condition, I can not even get the magazine out. The other is a S&W 38 swing cylinder, loaded as well, and it will not open or cock as will any of the 3. I am assuming the 9mm is loaded as well. What can I soak these guns in that might help break them free? I do know a little about handguns and do know how to treat a gun that is loaded, keep it pointing in a safe direction. I want to see if I can get them "un-stuck" so to speak. Any ideas as to what to soak them in?
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A penetrating oil named "KROIL", is highly thought of in the gun trade. Brownells, www.brownells.com sells it. 
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Kroil!!
why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?0 -
I left out: welcome!
I'm sure some of the guys here can make suggestions on solvents, but in this condition, I'd enlist the assistance of a good gunsmith. You will need to take these down to parts, remove the rust from each piece and then re-assemble. Except for the sentimental value, this may not be worth the expense, although perhaps you can work out a deal with the smith to do the cleaning yourself. If you can, Blue Wonder does a super nice job on rust removal.
"There is nothing lower than the human race - except the French." (Mark Twain) ". . . And liberals / DemoWipes" (me)0 -
The penetrating oil may solve both the stuck condition and the dangerous situation of messing with a loaded firearm. If you can , you might try to remove the grips. Probably, if they're as rusty as you describe, you won't be able to get grip screws loose. I wouldn't expect to end up with a shooter.
Mobuck0 -
If there isn't any places w/ Kroil around where you live start off by soaking them in Kerosene. Submerge 'em, wait a week or so and try to get them freed up. If they are still stuck, back in the kero and wait another week or so. Keep working at it and eventually you start to make some headway. Also you can order Kroil from Brownells or Midway, but it would be an expensive proposition to buy enough to submerge the guns, however to have some on hand when you begin to make progress would probably speed up the process.
Go slow and go carefully ...
If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!0 -
stick em in a freezer to shrink the metal, then kero soak them. do this with all the grips and wood off. the kero should help kill the live bullets. try to push or uncock it before the gun warms up. wear a glove so your hand doesnt stick to the metal! if it doesnt work....gunsmith time. 0 -
If you can't find Kroil, look for PB Blaster...Don't bother with WD40 or Liquid Wrench....Though if that's all you can find, soak, soak, soak...MOST critical is that you use gunsmith quality hollow ground screwdrivers...NOT the tapered hardware type...Good luck....And WELCOME!!!!!!!
The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.0 -
Automatic transmission fluid is also very penetrating.
Whatever you use, give them a long soak and forget about them for a couple of weeks.0 -
Diesel! soak it in diesel, its amazing what this stuff will do, and its cheap!!!! 0 -
The other guys have some good suggestions, in particular, don't get too impatient. The rust didn't all get there overnight, so give the stuff you use some time to work and keep applying/soaking it and nudge things a little at a time. The diesel or kerosene do work wonders. You might see if the auto parts has some stuff called MC. It's in a red and yellow can. Pretty much look for the ingredient
1,1,1-trichloroethylene. They say it causes cancer, so don't inhale or make a cocktail with it. Use it first and then into the diesel/kerosene.0 -
This thread will probably be locked soon--but it sounds like your question has been answered well.
I'd love to see some pictures of these (where were they stored to get that rusty?) if you get time/have a digital camera. You might want to post the pictures on the "General Discussion" board, as the post won't be locked after about 10 replies. I'm sure others would be interested to see the condition.0 -
PB Blaster can be purchased from Pep Boys, the auto parts store. It may be available elsewhere, but I suspect the "PB" stands for "Pep Boys".
Kroil is manufactured by a company called, KANO, if I remember correctly. Do a search for KROIL or KANO and see if you can find their web site. Kroil is used extensively in industry and may be available in gallon cans through a local industrial supply company, like McMaster Carr or Grainger. It can also be purchased directly from the company. I think the gallon can goes for $25 or $30.
"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
- Friedrich Nietsche
"Only the strong survive."
- Jerry Butler0 -
in those conditions, taking them to a smith is probably the best course, both for unsticking them, and preserving the material in the process. 0
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