So far my PMags have held up well in the cold - I have probably only gone through 3-400 rounds this winter though... been a slow winter shooting wise.
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So far my PMags have held up well in the cold - I have probably only gone through 3-400 rounds this winter though... been a slow winter shooting wise.
I left some Pmags and some ammo in my car trunk for about a week. The weather has easily been in the single digits at night for a few of them. I brought them in because I wasn't sure if the cold weather would have an adverse affect on them.
All my gear has held up fine this winter. Temps have hovered around 81.
I might be repeating some of the stuff that has been said, but I do have some experience in this field.
1. Try to keep the weapon as snow free as possible, especially the muzzle and fire control. We issue a clothing brush like this:
http://www.maske.no/itemImages/5431041_m.jpg
We use this to remove snow from gear and weapons.
2. Do not use tape or muzzle caps to protect the muzzle. It makes to tight of a seal, condensation will form and the barrel will rust. The best solution is a piece of white cloth/nylon attached with a rubber band.
3. We use Break Free CLP. I know this is shunned like the plague by many guys here, but it works pretty well for us in temperatures down to -50 celcius. Important parts to lubricate are the selector switch, trigger group, mag release, bolt catch, dust cover spring assembly, as well as the normal internal working parts. I am pretty generous with oil, in order to prevent ice from forming. This may be from water beads getting into the mechanism etc.
4. We never bring our weapons inside the tent when bivouacking during winter. We build weapon racks outside, where we hang our guns and LBE gear, after doing field maintenance. We cover this with a Jervenduk or tarp, to keep them protected from the elements.
Jervenduk:
http://www.skittfiske.no/Media/Cache...213072110.Jpeg
This practice allows us to avoid the warm-cold-warm-cold routine, thus ensuring operational weapons at all times. Ensure that proper field maintenance routines are followed.
4. Keep batteries close to the body, to ensure they are not drained. Lithium batteries are best for temperatures below freezing.
5. For hand wear, we recommend using winter mitts for long time exposure. If you need to perform a task requiring a bit more dexterity we recommend that you use a thinner glove. Switch back to the mitts when done. We use a two layered system consisting of a wind proof outer layer and a wool inner layer:
http://4.sp209.rbit.no/thumbs/sx/e/20/sxe2084b.jpg
http://www.milrab.no/DataImage.ashx/10504178/150/150
Might not look fancy, but it works. Our conscript soldiers, and my unit receive new batches in January, practice weapons manipulation with these on.
6. Be aware that condensation from you breath can fog up optics, so close lens covers when you can.
Here are some documents and lectures from the Norwegian Army on winter warfare:
http://coe-cwo.org/index.php?option=...d=56&Itemid=68
http://coe-cwo.org/index.php?option=...d=94&Itemid=80
Fantastic post Arctic1 - I particularly like the tip about the muzzle cover. Snow is alot easier to keep out than water, and those muzzle caps do tend to encourage rusting, I have only noticed it around the compensator so far but rust nontheless.
I can second the lens covers on optics, I am particularly happy with my Aimpoint PRO. The rear lens cap is clear, so I can leave it down all the time, if breath fogs it up I can just pop it off and be good to go.
Range day coming up here in early January, I will try some of this stuff out and be back with a report. Temps will hopefully be in the low single digits or minus numbers.....
This thread is excellent. Thanks for the great information all, especially the excellent posts by Sinister and Arctic1.
Nice post Arctic 1!
I really like that Lichen-O-Flage!
Anyone have experience using Froglube in subfreezing temperatures yet?
Yes, with the paste about 2 months ago in temps around 18*F (member Antlad's rifle), Also fired my pistol using the liquid today in 20*F, Seemed to do just fine on cold weapons.
I will have a better report in mid January, with a higher round count and longer exposure to cold. The previous outings were pretty informal and round counts under 200 each.
For those interested - The rifle fired was a BCM 16" mid length, and the pistol fired today was a Glock 23.