Outdoor sports can recommence on 29th March as England’s lockdown restrictions start to be lifted. This is great news for shooters who will be able to go clay target shooting from this date. Shooters will likely be required (and really should) use hand sanitiser after touching the remote controllers of any clay pigeon traps. However, could hand sanitiser damage your gun?
The World Health Organisation advises that hand sanitisers should contain a minimum of 60% alcohol to be effective against COVID-19. But often the percentage of alcohol found in these products is higher. Most alcohol-based hand sanitisers use either ethanol, isopropanol, or a combination of the two. Both of these could damage your gun if they come into contact with it.
Metal Parts
Whilst the metal itself would be ok if it came into contact with hand sanitiser, the same may not be true of the finish that is on the metal parts. Repeated exposure will damage the bluing/blacking and other finishes found on your gun.
Wooden Stocks
Most often the stock on your shotgun will either be oiled or varnished. The alcohol in hand sanitisers will destroy these finishes if it is allowed to come into repeated and prolonged contact with them.
A quick search online and you can find numerous methods to remove or cover up any marks made by hand sanitisers. However, any damage will probably be best tackled with the help of your local gunsmith. Alternatively you could look at this as an opportunity to have your stock completely refinished by a professional stock finisher (such as Shane Scase who offers a range of gun stock oil finishing services).
Composite/Synthetic Stocks
Composite or synthetic stocks are built to be tough. They are a great choice for guns that will be used in harsh environments. However, they do not fare very well when it comes to the alcohols used in hand sanitisers. Constant exposure to these alcohols will lead to discolouration and weakening of the plastics used.
Leather Recoil Pads
Due to the early end of the 2020/21 game shooting season you might be itching to take out your favourite side-by-side game gun with a leather covered Silvers recoil pad.
But be careful not to allow your leather covered recoil pad to come into contact with any hand sanitiser as the high alcohol content will immediately breakdown the finish, dissolve any dyes and could even damage the leather.
Whilst we are specifically looking at the parts of your gun in this article, you should also be careful of your leather cartridge bag and gunslip too.
Rubber Recoil Pads
Unfortunately hand sanitisers do not mix well with rubber recoil pads. Repeated contact with alcohol will lead to discolouration and it could even turn sticky as the molecules breakdown and revert back to their original small molecular chains.
Conclusion
Whilst it makes sense to use hand sanitiser if you come into contact with equipment that other people have handled, it is best to avoid getting any of it on your gun. If your gun comes into regular contact with hand sanitiser it could damage not only the finish but also the integrity of the materials it is made from.
After you have used hand sanitiser for the recommended amount of time, ensure that your hands are thoroughly dry before handling your gun.
See eGunroom’s top picks for COVID-19 face masks HERE
