If the executor of your grandfathers will has informed you that you've inherited his favorite lever action rifle, then you should be pleased but also prepared to take care of the rifle. This can be especially problematic if you are not someone who is not accustomed to dealing with weapons. You might love the fact that your grandfather left you something he cherished so much, but you might not know how to care for or store a rifle. This article is going to help you out by giving you a guide on what to do.
Get the Rifle Tuned Up
The first thing you need to do is get the rifle tuned up. You will bring it into a gun repair shop and have them break down the rifle, oil the barrel and action, and realign everything. This will help the rifle stay in functioning shape. Your grandfather might not have used his rifle for many years. Perhaps it sat over his mantle or was in a closet. If that's the case, the whole rifle will need to be stripped down. The barrel will need to be cleaned out. Everything will need to be oiled. The lever action component might have gotten tight or loose, which will necessitate new hardware.
Once the repair shop is done with the tune up, you can consult them on what upkeep you need to do. They can give you a brief primer on oiling and barrel cleaning with a brush and will oftentimes even sell kits that you can buy and bring home which contain the cleaning equipment. Talk to a company like Razorback Armory for more information.
Set Up a Safe Place to Keep the Rifle
You also want to have a safe place in your home for the rifle. This is especially important if you have young kids. However, even if you don't have kids, it's important to keep the rifle safeguarded from guests, handymen who might be working in your house, or burglars. So, instead of laying it on a shelf in your closet, do one of the two following things.
Get a small case, either nylon with a locking zipper, or made of hard plastic with lock. This is great if you don't plan on owning multiple guns and, therefore, don't need a large safe. You can store the rifle in the case and then lock the case so that it cannot be opened by a nosy guest.
If you do plan on getting more weapons, or you already own some, then a stand up gun safe is perfect. These are large and can accommodate multiple rifles. You can also store the cartridges inside the safe. The main advantage of a safe over a case is that the safe is big and heavy and some burglar won't be able to easily carry it off.
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