HELP !!! I was flooded

[SteveM]

Yes , I too was one of the unfortunate soles to have suffered from flooding here in the Baton Rouge area. I am fortunate in that I did not lose near as much as many others or my friends.

Fortunately and unfortunately is my situation. The majority of my S&W revolvers I had stored offsite in a bank vault while I am transitioning to / building myself a small cabin on a lake north of here. I had sold and moved out of my previous house that I shared with my Dad after he passed last year.
The bulk of my personal posessions and some of my guns I had stored in a secure facility and it got water that has never been seen in that location in my 60 years here. So now I have some problems to deal with.

Primarily I have about 4-6 S&W revolvers that suffered the worst and I need to decided what to do.

A 6" 24-3, 4"24-3, 6" 25 45 Colt, are the worst and to a minor degree a M-39, a M-27 and a few Rugers and one or two other ordinary Smiths.

The M-39 I can send the slide off to be blued, and the Rugers I can send back to Ruger for re-finish as they are rather ordinary.

The 24's and the 25 suffered the worst. We were unable to recover everything until a few days after the water went down. There is a fair amount of water damage to them. I need to decide what to do. I think the damage is enough that something has to be done although as a 35 year hobbyist accumulator and long time member of this chat forum, I do understand about the originality aspect. Their value as original is now gone, 2 were unfired, do I have them refinished somewhere, perhaps a change of finish is better than going back blue. Nickel, hard chrome ?????

What to do ??? please all of your thoughts are welcome - what would you do ?????

Additionally I had a bunch of grips get wet to the guns held in the bank vault. They have been drying slowly on a towel here in the house and appear to not be as bad as I expected but the finish on them all needs attention. Can DWFAN help with this ?? HEY - DWFAN ARE YOU THERE PLEASE.

Please, all your suggestions are appreciated, what would you do considering the damage keeping in mind that value is now lost, want to preserve them somehow, possibly continue to enjoy them once fixed, sell off now and replace sometime later.

HELP !!!!!!!!!!

Thanks
Steve

[Steely85]

I'd either spend the money to refinish or not. Pretty simple.

[old bear]

Steve, sorry to hear about your mess.
Understand I’m NO expert, if you have not get everything cleaned up and totally dried up, do so. Then soak on a rust preventive of some sort. I may be tempted to put each gun in a Tupper-ware container, cover each with oil. Tightly seal each container. This should stop any rust or other damage. This will allow you too take your time and make a non-rushed decision as to any final repairs.

Good Luck

[steelslaver]

I am sorry to hear about your problems. Must be disheartening all around down there. Sorry I can't help out.

Understand though. Once had a house fire, complete wiith firre hoses and not being able to enter structure till oked by fire Marshall. Never lost any guns but they did lose some appearance value.

[Goblin]

Will the insurance pay the cost of finding identical guns, or only the restoration? Likely won't pay both, and only if you have insurance. However, they may pay you 75% of replacement value and let you keep the guns. If they pay 100% replacement value they'll likely want to keep the guns, and your decision has been made.

Is this all being done at your expense?

[Muss Muggins]

Originally Posted by Goblin

Will the insurance pay the cost of finding identical guns, or only the restoration? Likely won't pay both, and only if you have insurance. However, they may pay you 75% of replacement value and let you keep the guns. If they pay 100% replacement value they'll likely want to keep the guns, and your decision has been made.

Is this all being done at your expense?

Homeowner's insurance won't cover damage from floods. The OP hasn't mentioned flood insurance (or any insurance), and I suspect that with his possessions being stored in a third party facility, he doesn't have it. Even if he did, flood coverage is different than homeowners, and it is unlikely that it would cover the firearms. Flood insurance is a racket. I have to have because our home is in the 100 year flood plain, although the Mississippi River is 25 miles east and the world would have to essentially end before we got any sort of water here. Costs more than my homeowners, which is why many people without a mortgage opt not to carry it . . .

[jimmyj]

Strip, dry, clean, lubricate, reassembly, and shoot and enjoy.

[lawandorder]

Don't forget if you are a member of the NRA there is some small insurance coverage there for your firearms.

[C Broad Arrow]

Prayers and thoughts are with you as you sort this out. I know I do not need to tell you that the key is to drive the moisture out of every nook and cranny on the gun. Removing the grips, and disassembling, drying and using WD40 to displace water is a good first step. The next you be to use a protective coat after thoroughly drying like Conservators or Renaissance Wax to penetrate the metal and wood to provide a protective layer. Good luck!

[silentflyer]

It's not something that gets much love on the site, but WD40 is a water displacement agent which is what you need ASAP in this case, then strip,disassemble and clean each one quickly. then re-lubricate with normal gun oils.

[vigil617]

I can't add anything to the discussion of what to do with your guns, but I have to say that your experience and that of all the others affected by the terrible Baton Rouge flooding is so tragic and heart-rending. I pray for His mercy on all of you.

I remember all too well the widespread, terrible flooding in my own part of Eastern North Carolina from Hurricane Floyd back in 1999. I saw firsthand, for the first time, what a particular hell is left by flooding of areas that had never seen it before. Floods are ruinous in an especially horrible way because what they destroy is often left behind for the owners to have to live with and deal with. Recovery takes an awfully long time.

[H Richard]

This is one of the few times I would recommend WD40. Remove stocks, spray liberally inside and out. Or, let soak in a tub of Kroil, wait a day or two, then clean with a brake & parts cleaner and then re-oil. Assess the actual damage. If caught early enough "hopefully" the damage won't much. If it is, then you have to decide to refinish or use as shooters.

[jmace57]

Steve -

I asking those with better knowledge. Would putting those damp stocks in rice help? I know putting wet electronics in rice can help. Just wondered if that might help.

Just MY opinion if it happened to me - I'd refinish them. Especially if they are in great condition otherwise. But, monetary issues are not the most important to me.

[Jim Watson]

I trust you have cleaned, dried and oiled the guns to stop deterioration.

Many of my guns were smoke and water damaged in a house fire, none flamed. Most of them I had refinished under homeowner's coverage, about $7000 all told. A few cleaned up ok, and some I just shoot with marred finish.

You just have to make up your mind a gun at a time.

Show pictures and you will get advice.

[JSR III]

Very sorry for your situation. It makes my stomach cringe just hearing stories like yours. I am in a very high and dry area but every time I am close to home and hear fire engines I experience a little pucker factor until I pull in the driveway and confirm that they are somewhere else. I can only imagine how terrible a feeling it must be.

Without seeing the guns it is hard to determine whether you are better off with a diminished finish or a refinish. Either way the value has dropped and there is no way to bring it back to what it once was. I would probably, if not cost prohibitive, have the guns refinished if just merely for my own piece of mind.

A very personal decision and one I hope that I never have to make.

[rct269]

And as you make up your mind, ONE GUN AT A TIME, these are your options (as I see them): Repair (Refinish) or Replace.

I'd replace. (It takes longer, but it gives you something to do---something worthwhile.)

Ralph Tremaine

And as an aside, counting on one's Homeowners insurance for your guns is other than a good idea. Given a stock, standard Homeowners contract, the coverage is limited (under certain circumstances)---and non existent under other circumstances. Gun collections are best protected by specialized coverage from specialized carriers. The coverage is typically broader, and the cost is ALWAYS less (than the specialized coverage tacked onto a Homeowners contract).

As another aside, given an investment in insurance for your collection, you MUST be prepared to provide a GOOD "proof of loss". A GOOD "proof of loss" is IRREFUTABLE documentation of the condition (and therefore the value) of your collection. A GOOD "proof of loss" gets you a check by return mail. ANYTHING less gets you a hassle you don't even want to think about. This hassle comes from folks who are doing their job----and they're good at it. Be good at YOUR job!!

[Inusuit]

Too bad about your shoes. And your guns. Sorry for your troubles.

[iskra]

Joining others in the 'no expertise' category and also in the lament for your loss! Such from varying sources a hazard to most all of us! In SoCal, wildfire one of the biggest danger. Flooding here... just misplaced humor! Just the 'lemonade' yet serious thought. If family spared, valuables a definite second! That said...

I'd first remove such as wood grips or anything obviously not consistent with the below described treatment. Then to suspend guns in a container of light oil lubricant. Lighter in weight than water; oil to displace water molecules with the water sinking to the bottom where the guns shouldn't be located. That perhaps to offer the best immediate 'first responder' protection to stabilize & mitigate if not halt further damage. Once 'stablized' to seek more professional guidance.
Just an amateur 'quick patch' concept.
Best of luck and...
My take.

[DWFAN]

I sent you a PM.

DW

[chud333]

Prayers sent my friend for wisdom and patience.

It'll take some time to get thru what you are going thru
but hang in there brother.


Chuck

[andyo5]

I would discuss with my insurance company, and ask for either cash value or replacement. Failing that, I would send them to the factory for an original style refinish. I would not change the finish.
My brother went through this in 1982, when his Model 19 was damaged by a water pipe that sprang a leak. He had S&W refinish it and he still has it. It looks great.

[Hondo44]

I can't advise without a description of damage or photos.

But don't bother to have refinished unless done at the factory or a very skilled refinisher in your observation. Otherwise they can be like a car with a cheap paint job, actually worse if over/poorly polished in prep for the re-blue! A cheap paint job can be re-done correctly, but not a bad polish job!!

[Old TexMex]

Sure sorry to hear about that mess up your way. This old Gulf Coast has a way of making trouble for those of us from here.
Hoping for better.
Jim

[fyimo]

Sorry to hear about your flooding and the damage it's done.

[Steve912]

Originally Posted by Muss Muggins

Homeowner's insurance won't cover damage from floods. The OP hasn't mentioned flood insurance (or any insurance), and I suspect that with his possessions being stored in a third party facility, he doesn't have it. . . .

Right, on homeowner's not covering rising waters.

I wonder if bank has some kind of insurance for safe deposit box/ secured storage contents (as opposed to FDIC account insurance). Seems like they should...

[Muss Muggins]

Originally Posted by Steve912

Right, on homeowner's not covering rising waters.

I wonder if bank has some kind of insurance for safe deposit box/ secured storage contents (as opposed to FDIC account insurance). Seems like they should...

Well, the way I read his post, he had the good stuff stored in a bank vault , which escaped damage, and the rest of his firearms and his personal property in a secure storage facility, which I'm guessing is a U Store It and Lock It with a fence. I could be wrong though. The bank probably has some sort of coverage. The storage facility on the other hand, probably not except for negligence on their part.