Remove packing grease or not?

misterE · December 15, 2018, 10:31 AM

Hey guys, about a year ago I bought a new in box Remington 700 BDL in 308. It was manufactured in 1991 and still has packing grease on it. My plan is to have a really nice rifle to give my oldest son when he turns 21 (he’s 10 now), and this one fills the bill for me. They are pretty rare in 308 too. I’ve got one I picked up about 10 years ago and it’s my favorite hunting rifle.

So, question is: should I go ahead and clean all that 27 year old grease off now? Then lightly oil and store in safe with the other rifles - Or would it be better to just leave it be? Only reason I ask is that it’s gotten pretty gummy in some spots and I don’t want to discolor the blueing in any way; but- the shipping grease still proves it’s a brand new in box rifle if I ever had to sell.

Any thoughts?

T. O'Heir · December 15, 2018, 01:46 PM

Leave the grease on until just before his 21st birthday. Grease will not bother the bluing. Greased is how one stores a firearm for the long term. Oil can and will drain off under gravity. Grease does not.
Mind you, by then a .308 BDL might have some collector value and he'll have to decide what he wants to do.

RC20 · December 15, 2018, 04:11 PM

If its going to be shot it makes no difference. I don't know grease makes any for value but if there is non shot collector value then grease can be a provenance type of thing, ie. proves its not been shot.

As for follow up care, how Humid is Arkansas area you are in?

You can oil it once a year in some places, Gulf Coast probably need to do it quarterly and have desiccant pads in the safe.

The longer the grease is there the worse cleaning gets but at this point the grease is 27 years old. Its going to be a bit of a cleaning job regardless.

You can wait and make it a project with your son. It won't hurt to leave it in at this point, but unless you are really humid and have rust issues with guns (of which you have at least one to compare) then cleaning it has no downside either.

Dufus · December 15, 2018, 04:21 PM

^^^^^^^^
Damn, is there an answer in there or am I missing it??

RC20 · December 15, 2018, 08:02 PM

Yes there is but its pretty obscure because there is no real (or right) answer.

It tends to if not spot on for not making an iota of difference.

T O Hair drops in confusion as he seems to think it will rust (my mil surplus sit in a cabinet open to everything and do not)

So the next step is to shoot down the rust aspect.

I would have my son clean it but that is me. More satisfying if you have worked form something even if its not the labor vs cost direct.

brajen1 · December 15, 2018, 08:05 PM

I would go ahead and take the old off and the apply a new coat. You still have 11 more years and could be a pain to get off by then.

skywag · December 15, 2018, 09:02 PM

Give it to him now.

**4V50 Gary** · December 16, 2018, 12:16 AM

Leave the grease on.

December 15, 2018, 10:31 AM	#1
misterE Senior Member Join Date: March 3, 2009 Location: Benton, Arkansas Posts: 196	Remove packing grease or not? Hey guys, about a year ago I bought a new in box Remington 700 BDL in 308. It was manufactured in 1991 and still has packing grease on it. My plan is to have a really nice rifle to give my oldest son when he turns 21 (he’s 10 now), and this one fills the bill for me. They are pretty rare in 308 too. I’ve got one I picked up about 10 years ago and it’s my favorite hunting rifle. So, question is: should I go ahead and clean all that 27 year old grease off now? Then lightly oil and store in safe with the other rifles - Or would it be better to just leave it be? Only reason I ask is that it’s gotten pretty gummy in some spots and I don’t want to discolor the blueing in any way; but- the shipping grease still proves it’s a brand new in box rifle if I ever had to sell. Any thoughts?

December 15, 2018, 01:46 PM	#2
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Leave the grease on until just before his 21st birthday. Grease will not bother the bluing. Greased is how one stores a firearm for the long term. Oil can and will drain off under gravity. Grease does not. Mind you, by then a .308 BDL might have some collector value and he'll have to decide what he wants to do. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

December 15, 2018, 04:11 PM	#3
RC20 Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 7,014	If its going to be shot it makes no difference. I don't know grease makes any for value but if there is non shot collector value then grease can be a provenance type of thing, ie. proves its not been shot. As for follow up care, how Humid is Arkansas area you are in? You can oil it once a year in some places, Gulf Coast probably need to do it quarterly and have desiccant pads in the safe. The longer the grease is there the worse cleaning gets but at this point the grease is 27 years old. Its going to be a bit of a cleaning job regardless. You can wait and make it a project with your son. It won't hurt to leave it in at this point, but unless you are really humid and have rust issues with guns (of which you have at least one to compare) then cleaning it has no downside either. __________________ Science and Facts are True whether you believe it or not

December 15, 2018, 08:02 PM	#5
RC20 Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 7,014	Yes there is but its pretty obscure because there is no real (or right) answer. It tends to if not spot on for not making an iota of difference. T O Hair drops in confusion as he seems to think it will rust (my mil surplus sit in a cabinet open to everything and do not) So the next step is to shoot down the rust aspect. I would have my son clean it but that is me. More satisfying if you have worked form something even if its not the labor vs cost direct. __________________ Science and Facts are True whether you believe it or not

December 16, 2018, 12:16 AM	#8
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,829	Leave the grease on. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

December 15, 2018, 04:21 PM	#4
Dufus Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2014 Posts: 1,965	^^^^^^^^ Damn, is there an answer in there or am I missing it??

December 15, 2018, 08:05 PM	#6
brajen1 Junior Member Join Date: December 14, 2018 Posts: 8	I would go ahead and take the old off and the apply a new coat. You still have 11 more years and could be a pain to get off by then.

December 15, 2018, 09:02 PM	#7
skywag Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2011 Posts: 254	Give it to him now.

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