I had mine sort of lock up on me during late season last year... it was just because the hot vehicle, cold stand conditions back and forth got the oil to migrate out of the lockwork. I put off oiling it because I did NOT want to deal with an oily shelf throwing off a long shot (never got one anyways!), but I had to about a week prior to the end because I could not open the gun unless I held the latch depressed and bopped the topside of the barrel with my fist a couple of times. I took off the barrel, oiled it up, wiped it down, stuck it and the forearm back on, good and slick as new. you want the SHELF dry, the rest of the stuff (especially the trigger contact point and extractor stuff on the underside of the barrel) lightly oiled. don't run a gun dry.