Cleaning inside of water jacket after firing?

[MrMilo]

After a shooting session where you filled up the jacket on an 08/15 with water and drained it afterwards what needs to be done to the inside of the jacket to prevent rust?

[42rocker]

I would also ask the 1917 folks about this one. Good Luck

Later 42rocker

[bmg17a1]

Fabricate a rolled cone from aluminium flashing or whatever else you can use, with the small end to fit into the barrel housing and the large end to pass out of the end of the receiver with the grips removed. A hair dryer or hot air paint remover can be inserted into the large end and run on medium or high. If the jacket is painted, try not to leave it on so long that it gets hot enough to damage the paint.
Open up all ports on the jacket to allow the air to pass through. Water in jackets are subject to retaining all oils absorbed from the barrel packing and it is very rare that a jacket will suffer any internal rusting since there is always a thin film of oil ink the insides. If any lube is used in the water to lube synthetic packing when shooting the gun, it will remain in the jacket and further protect the metal.
Front packing usually also drys out sufficiently using this technique, but if in doubt don't reassemble the barrel for a few days or longer to ensure that it is dry enough to not rust the barrel.
After drying out the inside of the jacket with the hot air, spray in some lube and that will do the job.
Having seen hundreds of jackets of virtually every type of WC MGs, only a couple have exhibited damaging rust.
Hope this helps......

Bob Naess

[jmann]

Wow Bob, you make my meathod of pulling the barrel and letting it sit in the floor for a few days before I put it in the safe woefully inadequate. Actually I don't store my guns with the barrels in them. I like to continue to swab them for several weeks after the shoots as they tend to grow stuff in the bores if I don't, that and I can't get the 50's in the safe with the extra 2 inches of barrel sticking out of the water jacket.

[amafrank]

Clean the barrels out with hot soapy water before using regular cleaning solvent and they will tend to grow much less crap in the bore. Using soluble oil (machine shop coolant oil) in the water will keep the jacket coated with oil and that helps the jacket drain better. I still like Bobs hair dryer trick in addition as it gets rid of the water that hides in corners and crevices.

Frank

[42rocker]

Some good ideas here.
Thanks

Later 42rocker

[waterdawg]

Clean the barrels out with hot soapy water before using regular cleaning solvent and they will tend to grow much less crap in the bore. Using soluble oil (machine shop coolant oil) in the water will keep the jacket coated with oil and that helps the jacket drain better. I still like Bobs hair dryer trick in addition as it gets rid of the water that hides in corners and crevices.

Frank

Instead of Machine shop coolant oil for coolant in a water cooled beltfed, would Ballistol work? Instructions from the company says it is water soluble and it can be used with 10% Ballistol to 90% water for cleaning. After drying the Ballistol leaves oil residue. I have been using glycol based Prestone antifreeze 50/50 mix I get at Walmart, but the packing always drips anyway and it leave a mess at the range, anitifreeze on the ground, on the brass, on the gun, and on me.
Buck