Must Navy SEALs use waterproof covers or do they carry firearms capable of operating after long immersion in salt water?
by 
Jim in a Nautilus COAT
ANSWERS: 5
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They clean their weapons a LOT.
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They carry weapons, etc. in waterproof containers and covers to protect them from water (any kind). They often clean their weapons to keep them in top no-fail working order.
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Both, actually. Some items, like optics or laser designators, usually require some sort of waterproofing and would be carried cased. These items would be uncased when they reached land. The bulk of what SEALs carry is waterproof, including firearms. A long swim in saltwater will not affect firearms designed for marine environments. Salt water corrosion only hits hard when you take the weapon out of the salt water and expose it to air, where the oxidation process goes a bit faster than under water (free oxygen in air is easier to find than free oxygen in water). Most firearms will start to rust with days of being dunked unless it is cleaned soon after getting wet. Marine-environment firearms resist rusting for much longer, giving a SEAL time to get the job done, leaving the clean-up for post mission. No time to whip out the cleaning kit when you're H+10 on a mission, y'know.
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I'm a Force Recon Marine that served in Vietnam, so my answer is somewhat dated. :-) When I took BUD/S in 1969 we used condoms on the end of the rifle to insure that it wasn't fouled. Nothing more elaborate than that. Operationally in the jungle, we didn't even have that. As long as the water's drained, you're good to go.
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There's not a lot out there that CLP can't fix with a good scrubbing. As with any weapon, they require constant cleaning. As long as they kept the non-waterproof gear stowed, they're good to go. I think you'll find that most of the gear used by the military, especially the hi-speed bubbas, is waterproof.
Moongrim 
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