What is a "Rain Gun?"

I’ve been talking about a rain gun here. I’ve been getting email from folks wanting to know what I mean, and asking if this gun or that qualifies as a rain gun. Let me explain.

For a lot of people, there is no such thing. They take a rifle, take it out in whatever, and when they’re done, they clean it up and take it home. Rain, snow, whatever.

My situation is a little different. I have several nice pieces that have wood stocks. If they get out in rain the wood is probably going to warp enough to change the point of aim. When I see rain in the forecast, they are probably going to stay home. I have others with synthetic stocks or stocks with detached forearms that don’t have this problem. I finally decided to designate my Rem 7600 in 35 Whelen as my “rain gun.”

What makes the 7600 so special? For me, it was changing out the leather sling for a nylon one, and putting a coat of Turtle wax on it before season. That’s all. Why did I pick the 7600?

1) Being a pump, the forearm is detached. I don’t have to worry about warpage.
2) I find that getting into the working of the rifle and getting them clean and dry is easy, and I don’t have to worry about changing the point of aim while I’m doing it.
3) It a rifle in my deer battery that really did not have a good reason for being there. I have a rifle set up for close-in treestand work, and another for longer ranges. I realized it wasn’t going to be my #1 pick for anything during deer season.
4) I had previously hunted with this rifle in some of the most extreme weather of my career– snow, cold, rain, you name it.
5) It has a wood stock but the previous owner boogered it a little. If anything DID happen to it, I’d probably spring for a Tupperware replacement. No big deal.

That’s my reason for picking a rifle and calling it my “rain gun.”
The thing with this “rain gun” idea is it’s probably not going to work for everyone. More and more guys are shooting all-weather deer rifles with synthetic stocks. However, I hate the idea of taking my Savage 99 or my Winchester Mod 70 out in the elements. The Rem 7600 doesn’t seem to mind, and neither do I.

I think it’s the last issue that’s most important. Part of this is practical– you don’t want a wet leather sling going back into the case with your rifle. You don’t want a wood stock warping or an old oil finish ruined. A stainless action and barrel ? A synthetic stock? Yes, this all works toward making a good rain gun However, most of all you ask yourself: Is this really a rifle I want out in the rain?

I used to think my M1 Garand made the ideal rain gun. Heck! Mine had been through WWII, one more trip in the rain wasn’t going to hurt it. Then I spent a winter going over the stock and turned it into a show piece. All of a sudden I didn’t want it out in the rain again. It also is probably the most expensive piece in my collection now, so that right there is a good reason to only bring it out when the sun is shining.

My Mosin Nagant M44 will eventually be a good rain gun. I lopped off an inch of stock so Angus could shoot it. I have another stock to put on it, so I could bring it back to as-issued condition. On the other hand, I can glue that stump back on and then spray bedliner on the wood and make an ultimate who-care’s banging-around rain gun.

The other part of this is pure laziness. Over the course of the season, I probably hunt with 4-5 rifles, and the kids account for another 3-4 between them. If I’ve got to keep going over every rifle with the Works, it’s a lot of work. On the other hand, if all I have to do is worry about 1 rifle that’s going to get the brunt of the weather and all the others get babied, it makes it a LOT easier. If I have a lever action or a semi-auto that I know is going to cost me a half-hour to an hour to tear down every time it sees a little weather, that is the rifle I’m probably leaving home.

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