Rust Prevention Tips

[hirocker]

As any museum conservator would say, an armory wax is the only way to go for long term storage. See a good link on rust prevention:

http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/mlexperiments/corrosion/corrosion.html

 

[Zonie]

I just came up with an idea - probably not a very good one as no one has mentioned it yet. But has anyone ever tried that Liquid Glass stuff they use to wax cars on their guns? You would think if that could protect cars so well it would work on guns. I mean you probably wouldn't want to put it down the bore, but for the exterior metal. Is there somthing in it that would harm your gun? Has anyone ever tried it?

Thanks

Being a Johnsons Paste Wax sort of guy (both outside on the stock, and barrel, and inside the bore without harm of any kind), I would think some of the new Automotive Waxes would work well.
My only caution is one would NOT want to use any of the Automotive waxes which contain abrasives.
If the Wax is made for Clear Coat Paint, it is abrasive free and should do a good job of protecting the finish and barrel of your gun.

As a side note, I have used Meguiar's Gold Class on my Electric Guitars with excellent results.

 

[ploeg]

WD-40 is a water displacing oil, it does not attract water. I use it to hose down my barrel after I clean it with water, or the whole gun if I get caught in the rain. I also use it to hose dirt and crud out of the locks and other hard to clean places, such as the actions of blackpowder handguns. I also use it as a cleaner and for temporary protection on parts as I build a gun. WD-40 will evaporate quickly and the protection it provides is temporary. I've used it for probably 30 years on hundreds of firearms, both modern and blackpowder and it works fine, just don't depend on it to protect long term.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Olive oil is the only vegetable oil that will not go rancid.

Beg to differ. :master: Subserviently & with much grovelling, of course. :master: Castor oil will not go ransid, either. It's just as vegetable as an olive, maybe more so.

I like boiled linseed oil rubbed over everything and an occasional good rubbing and buffing with beeswax. I had an in-the-white musket that went 14 years without rusting using only these. If I started to get a discoloring I would rub it with "Flitz" and then bronze wool to remove the polish (Flitz makes it too shiny). Don't use raw linseed oil - it will remain gummy eternally.

PS - I don't think jojoba oil goes rancid, either. But Olive Oil may be the only "edible" or cooking oil that lives on for years.

 

I'll agree on the castor oil- and perhaps on the negative press on WD 40 now, see- old dogs can learn new tricks- BUT I still maintain it is a good flush for water removal after cleaning. I've been using it for 30 years and won't stop using it now. The METHOD I use, doesn't leave any after effects that are negative - so, I'd be a fool to stop using it. WD40, a long term rust preventative - NO - RIG is meant for that chore and is VERY good at what it's meant for.

 

[roundball]

An observation:

It strikes me as very odd, if not improbable, that a product like WD40, which has been around for decades, would continue to advertise one of it's primary purposes being for use on firearms, without some sort on instructions, disclaimer, cautions, etc, related to the claims of varnish, gummy buildup, etc...yet all indications are that it continues to be one of the largest voluume purchased products of it's type on the planet.

Does anyone know why that would be?

 

[Stumpkiller]

Did you know the Q-Tip box says: "Do not use in ears" .

Who can say why "people" do what they do. Probably more gunstocks have been damaged by WD-40 that any other chemical. It soaks into wood and displaces the 7% desireable moisture with solvents and volitile oils, driving gun oils and crud into the wood's pores..

None of my muzzleloaders see WD-40, ever. The only time I use it on firearms is when my semi-auto shotguns have been out in the rain or melting snow; and even then they get a thorough disassembly, cleaning and light oiling after draining onto newspapers for some time.

It is a great moisture displacer and oil solvent, but a poor and temporary lubricant and limited rust preventer.

 

It's a good fouling degummer for a Ruger 10-22 action. When the action starts getting gummy with built-up .22 fouling, invert the action and spray onto the bottom of the bolt, and inside top fo the action where all the fouling accumulates then cycle the acton several times, then continue shooting - works just great for another couple hundred shots.
: Is it even advertized as a rust preventative? It's certianly a poor lubricant, but great for the above useage in loosening up fouling & for driving out moisture from the barrel after cleaning.