Advice from Turnbull on what to do to firearms after a fire

[hso]

From the incomparable Doug Turnbull

https://www.turnbullrestoration.com...Damage,+See+You+in+Allentown&utm_medium=email

Fires are one of the most devastating things that can happen to our families and our homes. When the fire has died down and it’s time to sort through the ashes, what do you do with your fire-damaged firearms?

We get a lot of emails and phone calls from people who’ve had guns go through a fire. Questions like what to do immediately after a fire, if a firearm is safe to shoot, how much it would cost to restore, and how to deal with insurance. We asked Doug Turnbull to answer some of your most frequently asked questions.


Photo: Core-Vens Insurance

What’s the first thing you should do after your firearm’s been in a fire?
As soon as you’re able, you need to get your firearms in a bath...

 

[AlexanderA]

Dumping them in a bathtub of hot water -- scope, wood, and all -- seems counterintuitive. I would think that disassembly would be a good idea first. Immersing optics -- especially anything with electronics, such as a red dot -- would be particularly bad.

 

[Walkalong]

Wow! He has had some great results.

 

[FROGO207]

I used to do marine electronics recovery after fires or sinking in salt water. The neutralizing and flushing soon after the incident is paramount. Not leaving it in long enough to rust further is the art though.