Well Vince you must not have been watching those rambo or chuck norris training films on the m-60 in " aqueous environments"!In several flicks that I can recall-one of those guys would come out of nowhere from a watery environment(ocean,frog pond, or canal)with the water still running off or out of the gun-running thru a 200 round belt on full auto-vanquishing all of the evil bad guys with one long sustained fire!
Suz and I live in a rain forest here in western oregon and can attest to,or have had experience with the effects of rain/immersion effects on firearms.On ar's it is really nothing due to construction and easy flushing,now on my bolt guns-I like to at least keep them in my poncho like punkin was saying,then strip them completely down when home and flush with wd-40 to chase the moisture away,let get up to room temp,wipe dry,then put on some type of quality lubricant before reassembly.Bushy probably knows about this as well-if he can remember where oregon is?

True true true and I use finger cots, they're just the right size or sometimes I use the cut off fingers of nitrile exam gloves from work, bring a glove along and you have several fingers you can swap. My lever gun gets under a poncho to hide the works but when hiking up a hill and the gun on my back I put the scope caps on and the finger cot to keep the water out. Too many trees and shrubs to tangle with dripping when you're hiking around, so you have keep things sheltered. I even take the stock off the gun when I get home and make sure everything's dried out. Rain sux but it's actually better hunting weather cause there's no crunchy leaves and sticks, just mushing along.



Suz

Hey Troubles...reason I felt sorry for the gunner was because with all that weight in the water he really struggled. Apart from that, I follow a similar regime to you mate.

Suz, finger stalls or the "finger frangas" as we called them is a damn fine idea mate...I must remember that one. Next time I go to the Pharmacy I'll get hold of some. Probably cheaper than dingas too.

I have boxes of nitrile gloves and I have never thought to use them for that purpose. Thanks Suz! There are always some fingers left when the gloves get torn and that is a great use for them.

I hunted for four hour last week with rain on and off all day(along with my rain jacket) all solid bush stalking that puts most people off in dry days let alone when its persisting down.
my old .270 bolt action just kept plodding along with her nose in the air looking for a deer,spent majority of day cradled in arms or in right hand,but when raining hard was upended under left arm.
had scope on 4 different deer during day,all were within 50 yards and none would have blinked again had I chose to squeeze off shot,hunting in light rain is AWESOME.

Elvis wrote:

hunting in light rain is AWESOME.

Elvis, so you came up dry? Guess that is a subject for another thread.

slimjim wrote:

Elvis wrote: hunting in light rain is AWESOME. Elvis, so you came up dry? Guess that is a subject for another thread.

Very much so Slim. Wet weather clothing is something that many, myself included, have little knowledge or understand of...especially what works and what doesn't.

came up dry.....heck no Mates..just finished epic hunt report for you lot in another thread.
and typicle 1960-80s Kiwi bush hobbit would stalk in swannie and shorts with footwear of some kind often lace up gummies with drainage holes burned through instep with a hot wire/nail to allow water out
now its more likely to be polyprop under garments/base layer with rugby shorts and polarfleece top of some type I use Tshirt and a light rain jacket that is non sctratchy...but only when actually raining as other garments are quick to drain/dry and its too hot with outer coat on.

When the Canadian Forces had the old FNC1A1 7.62 there was actually a rubber muzzle cover for the rifles both the C1 and the C2(automatic).

When I was in US Army we didn't use anything usually but then again when we were down range I always carried my rifle (now this is a Canadian term referring to our Canadian Rangers (Arctic) mostly Inuit, trappers in the NWT, YT, NU and northern BC) RANGER STYLE muzzle down sling on top. If we got into the water or were doing water crossings I would have my breach out of battery with the dust cover open to drain the barrel.

ranger style rules...also know as deer cullers quick draw.

I have always carried my rifles that way. You can get it to your shoulder and on target faster that way than any other. You do have change up a bit when climbing though.