Brrrrrrr!

[grymster2007]

Seems I’ve read that ammunition works fine in cold weather, but how does the whole shooting experience work in extreme cold temperatures? With Fairbanks at around -50F, do people still shoot? Do their guns freeze up? Do their four pairs of mittens hamper firearms operation?

Just a thought from sunny California!

 

[kraigwy]

I spent a lot of time in Alaska, 22 years to be exact. In the NG and APD. Guns work in the cold.

I was a company commander from one of the Scout BNs out of Nome. We did most of our training in the winter, including weapons qualifications.

I learned a lot about the M16 Winter use, firing at 30 below and blowing snow.

As the gun heats up, the blowing snow would imediatly freeze on the rifle as the snow hit, melted and frooze. It still shot.

One problem with all guns, you keep them in a warm tent at night, the sweat. Then take them outside the next morning, they freeze. But most still work.

As a LE Sniper I kept my rifle in the trunk of my patrol car. It was cold and the scope would fog over like eyeglasses, (not fogging the scope but the lense). When I got a call required the use or possible use of the rifle, I'd immediatly take it out of the trunk and put it in the warm car. When I got to the scene it was normaly warmed up enough it just took a sec to wipe off the lenses.

I learned a long time ago weather effects the shooter a lot more then the gun and ammo.

 

[USAFNoDak]

While deer hunting in the far north of Minnesota one year, we got some heavy freezing rain. I have a Model 70 and typically when I'm traveling to/from my stand I put the three position safety in "bolt lock and safe" position. I've carried in the position of "safe only", but occasionaly, going through brush and trees, I've had the bolt get kicked open and eject a good round. We can argue about this all we want, but that's not the point of my post.

When I got back to my vehicle, the freezing rain hitting my gun had frozen the safety selector lever. I could not get it to move. Thus, I could not unload the chamber as the bolt was locked. I sat in the vehicle with the heater on and the barrel pointed towards the passenger window (no one was in the passenger seat). Eventually, after about 20 minutes, the safety lever unfroze and I was able to cycle to bolt to empty the chamber. Now, anytime we get precipitation, I move the safety to the "safe only" position and am very careful about how I carry the rifle to ensure the bolt doesn't get kicked open in the brush.

 

[Beretta16]

3 or so years ago on opener for deer here in Northern Minnesota, the temperature was over 20 below zero (before windchill), my gun functioned. Guns sound cool when it's cold as hell out.

 

[indy245]

It was -40C = -40F here yesterday and I took a shot out at some birds at the end of the fence line. That gun is normally out in the barn so the gun was -40 when I took the shot. The one thing is that whatever you use to lubricate the bolt must be fairly viscous at the colder temperature or else the actions won't cycle very freely.

Indy.

 

[absolute0]

Yeah....we Minnesota boys CAN tell ya some stories about hunting & shooting in extreme cold

I can recall a few morning deer stand sessions where I seriously questioned just how bad I wanted to be out there but I've never had my equipment fail due to the cold.

 

[USAFNoDak]

With the exception of the safety lever freeze up, I've never had a firearm fail to fire in cold weather. I know what those -20F mornings are like on the stand. It's tough to stay in the stand for very long. Besides that, the wood in the stand gets a lot more noisy so you can't move too much or you make lots of noise.

 

[Beretta16]

I normally use synthetic motor oil on my guns when it's going to be that cold out, it has always performed well.

 

[justanegg]

i have had magazines freeze in winnipeg MB.
about 33 bellow before windchill.


gun still worked but you have to place the bullet in each time...this was just plinking a .22, so we didn't bother. brought the mags in and to temp and the gun functioned afterwards.

i think in a hunting situation i would keep the mags in your coat to keep them warm, thats the part that's goingto freeze up. it is the #1 reasons why the 30.06 i am shopping for needs ot be bolt action.