Rust Prevention Tips

[insurrection1517]

Already see a little rust forming on my new gun, as it has no bluing. What do you guys do to slow down the process? Thanks

 

Clean the area the best you can, then rub wax paper in it. This will leave a light coating on your gun, and won't harm it in any way.

Another tip for the stock and ramrod, is to use mineral oil on it. It has no taste or smell, and won't go rancid like other oils will. It also doesn't have any salt in it to build up in the wood. I use mineral oil on all my wooden items.

Pare-

 

[Claude Mathis]

Already see a little rust forming on my new gun, as it has no bluing. What do you guys do to slow down the process? Thanks

If you want to stay with traditional ingredients, you can use bee's wax and or olive oil. I use a mixture of the two for all metal and wood. Olive oil is the only vegetable oil that will not go rancid. It was used extensively in colonial times. I don;t use any petroleum products on my muzzleloaders.

 

[Keith]

Along this line what about WD-40 as a rust preventative? I don't use it, because I have read somewhere, don't remeber where now, it attracts moisture. I think that is called hygroscopic. I don't understand how, because it is petroluem based. To be on the safe side I won't use it on firearms and I don't like petroleum products on a MZ anyway. Does anyone know if this is true and why it is or not? ::

 

[roundball]

Never heard of that...WD40 displaces moisture...drives it off metal...I don't know how many years it is that I've used WD40 now but I've used it ever since it came on the market.

I don't use petroleum oils in the bores of my muzzleloaders either but the entire lock assembly, trigger assembly, sights/dovetails, and underrib get power flushed with WD40 aerosol anytime after I clean a muzzleloader.

Then as you know, any good oil should do for the exterior surfaces...I happen to use Military medium weight weapons oil which has a trace of light grease mixed / suspended in a medium oil, has good body to it, good staying power, and is relatively inexpensive buying it at local gun shows or military surplus stores, etc...been using military weapons oil on all my firearms for a quarter century and it's been perfect so far

 

My birddog6 Jerager is in the white and shows signs of rust. I understand if you just wipe the surface rust off the metal with eventually "grey out" over time. It seems this woudl take years. Dunno. Never had one in the white before.
Rub the rust with 4 ought steel wool removes the rust and stains.
I use Stumpkillers "moose snot" bullet, and patch lube, also good for hemorroid itch, home brew of catsor oil and beeswax with a touch of murphy's oil soap.
It's a good patch lube and excellent (castor oil) metal protectant. Thick too, won't evaporate.
WD-40 is (W) water (D) displaceing oil # 40. It will NOT attract moisture, in fact gets uner it and protects the metal. It will over time varnish and coat delicate parts in hard yellow varnish, nasty to remove, awefull stuff, good in the short haul though. Lousy metal protectant as it evaporates over time. It has it's uses.
As a long term metal protectant it pretty much sucks.
Short term, o.k.
I've "blessed" the bore and outside metal with the stuff and NOT CLEANED in anyway. Left the gun for a week and NO corrosion. Clean up was super easy and the WD-40 got underneath everyhting ka-ka.
Like I said it has it's uses.

 

[Birddog6]

I use Ballistol on all of my ML guns & have no problem with rust on the ones blued or in the white. On the white ones if you go to NAPA and get some 600, 1000 or 1500 or 2000 grit paper (match the finish texture of the steel), just put a lil WD40 or Ballistol on it & rub it the same way as the existing finish is & it will remove the stains, unless you have let it pit.

Then reapply a good gun oil or grease & it will not rust. Ususally the rust is forming from contanimants & salts in you hands & fingers & you have contaminated the steel, be it blued or white. Blued doesn't show as promptly but it is there, you just don't see it as the barrel is blue. A microscopic look will show it forming...

I have a "In the White" Jaeger rifle I have been hunting with for 4-5 years now & it has to rust on the barrel. I do wipe it with a patch oiled with Ballistol every 3-4 month when I think of it. My son has hunted with the I.Haines on my web site for 2 years now & it has not rust on it, as he does the same. We prefer the Ballistol in the Non-Aerosol for the bore & barrel, aerosol for the lock & trigger & a squirt in the vent hole after cleaning.

I don't like WD-40 on anything.....IMHO is good for ONLY what it was designed for & that is water displacement. To me it is useless for anything else & a poor substitute for a gun oil & a lousy penetrate. If you clean the guns often, they will not rust with it on there simply because you are reapplying it ofter, but it is a poor long term rust inhibitor. If you put it away & leave it til next year, you may have a unplesant suprise when you get it out. I have used it in emergency, but I applied a good gun oil when I got home. It will gun, scum, built up etc in any semi-auto weapon & I have cleaned dozens of A-5 semi-auto's for people using that jumk & it makes one heck of a tary scummy mess.

I know some guy just love the stuff..... your mileage may vary.....

Next to Ballistol I like BreakFree, but prefer Ballistol in the ML's. I use BreakFree on the modern guns.

Custom Muzzleloaders & Custom Skinning Knives

 

[musketman]

CAUTION: funny post and picture below


Ol' Maxiball is so old, he remembers using WD-1... :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:

 

[roundball]

Ususally the rust is forming from contanimants & salts in you hands & fingers & you have contaminated the steel, be it blued or white. Blued doesn't show as promptly but it is there, you just don't see it as the barrel is blue.

A long, long time ago I saw an old gun somewhere with a completely rusted fingerprint on it that would make a police fingerprint guy envious from just what you say Keith...never forgot that and the last thing I do with every firearm I handled is completely wipe it down with an oiled cloth before setting it back in a case, cabinet, etc.

And for about the past 10 years or so I've kept a pair of those cheap, brown cotton "jersey gloves" handy and religiously slip them on while handling any of my firearms...being a fanatic about cleaning & lubing like I do, I've got the cleanest, newest looking used firearms that I know how to have

 

[Birddog6]

Bill, I even go as far as to have a oiled cloth & when I it it in the gun case I pick it up with that oiled cloth around the barrel, as I don't want my fingers on it. A pair of oiled jersey gloves is a good idea too.

When I build a rifle it is usually going to have a browned barrel, so I don't keep the barrel exterior oiled. Many a time I have seen a fingerpring rust come up & it will be a prefect thumb or fingerprint. But the bores of ALL of them I oil good & I plug the ends with a tightly rolled oiled patch. I have 4-5 stocks here that I have the barrels inlet into them (but not the tangs). I oil the bores & plug both ends & put them in the stocks & tie them in tightly with nylon wire straps to keep the stocks straight & conformed to the barrel, but the bores are oiled & plugged on both ends..

I the shotgun I shoot Sporting Clays with, I have a folded gun cloth in the case with it & when I am done I wipe the entire gun off as I take it apart & put it in the case.. About every 3-4 times I spray a light coat of oil on the cloth & put it bck in the case. The shotgun still looks like new though I have shot ? who know how many thousands of rounds from it.

Now as far as ease & maintenance of a rifle exterior, IMHO nothing beats a browned rifle barrel & trim. It is just so easy to touch up & keep in the same condition.. unless you are excessively abusive to it.

Custom Muzzleloaders & Custom Skinning Knives

 

[brian]

indeed, what would be best for a sword in a leather scabard? (1840 nco) I already have a tough time pulling it out, and I dont want to talcom it, for fear of moisture attractant,
I hate touching my army issue 1816, and 1842,springfield,
becouse there both in the white,
give em somor grape capn Bragg.
BB

 

[Keith]

Thanks for the dope on WD-40. It seems using it on guns is a bad idea, but for different reasons than I thought. I should have said I don't use oil in the bore. I do use a light oil on the outside.
The wearing of gloves is a good idea, I use cloths that are designed for wiping down metal when putting my guns away. I have a couple of them and they use different chemicals, one is silicone impregnated. This does not leave anything you can see or feel on the gun. I don't know what the other uses for sure, but when it dries out you just put mineral spirits on it and it works again. This one leaves a light coating that dries quickly, but still protects.

 

[insurrection1517]

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

 

[2172]

Keith, some years ago I was browning a bbl, and the instructions said that I could stop the browning/rusting process by washing with water, dry thouroughly, and then apply a coat of paste wax. I did, and it worked fine. Ever since, I've used Johnson's paste wax on both the wood and the bbl's...never had a rusting problem, and I'm not as careful as these other chaps in how I handle or store my guns...don't mean they're wrong, just that I'm not as dedicated...I've never thought of putting it down the bore, and don't believe I'll try...Hank

 

[roundball]

Thanks for the dope on WD-40. It seems using it on guns is a bad idea

:imo:
Uhmmmmmmmm...not sure I agree with that comment the way it's stated.

WD40 is not a bad thing at all to use on firearms, and I've used it successfully since it was invented...for the purposes for which it was designed.

I agree it's not designed as a long term storage 'oil' type product and I don't use it that way...but as a water displacement product, it works extremely well on firearms when used as intended
:m2c:

 

[Birddog6]

Hank: I think the concern was the "In the White" barrels rusting. On the brown barrels, after browning I pour boiling hot water with baking soda disolved in it, then rinse with hot tap water, then I coat the entire barrel, lock, parts, with Johnsons or Kiwi brown paste wax & rub it in real good. It works great on browned barrels.

Custom Muzzleloaders & Custom Skinning Knives

 

WD40- bad idea on guns- no way - I think you've misinterpreted what was said. IT works great for displacing moisture- absolutely perfect for that purpose an din moderate climates,for short term storage- or until I shoot again. I've never seen a varnish left by it, but then I don't leave puddles of it around. The last swipe done the bore is with a dry patch to obsorb excess oil, and a WD40 damp one on the outside of the barrel to preseve it until next time. This has worked since about 1986 on the non-browned barrel- in the white - no rust, but a dull finish now presides. It isn't a coating of any kind, just the natural aging process.
: When WD40's carrier evaporates, as it is supposed to do, it leaves a thin oil to protect the article, acording to their add onthe can. I suppose, over time, it might dry out to leave a hard coating but I also believe you would have to have it puddled to leave any sort of visible coating, it's so thin.
: I'll take maxiball's word that it leaves a hard coating, but I've nevr seen it and I've used it for after-cleaning-wiping of my guns since the 70's, without any problems at all.
: Another good one is Amsoil Metal Protectant. IT is even better at chasing off moisture than WD40 & also works well as a penetrating oil.

 

[cayugad]

I protect all my rifles and handguns with Birchwood Casey Sheath. Before I was turned on to Sheath it was Rem Oil. I am another one who is a fanatic about handling rifles. I have a white pair of cotton gloves that I sprayed down with Birchwood Casey Sheath and I keep in a gladware container right on the gun rack wall. All I do is slip them on and then handle the rifles.

I hate to admit this but when younger, I was a WD-40 person. All my guns were sprayed down and then wiped off with the stuff until I started noticing that they were gumming up and had no idea why. I then stripped them down and cleaned them and used Rem Oil after that.

 

[RussB]

I have been watching this thread with the yea's and nay's on WD-40, and thought I would throw in my two cents.
I am on the side that says no WD-40.
Why? Because it does leave a varnish base if allowed to dry and gells when puddled.
When I attended Colorado School of Trades / Gunsmithing. You were given one warning NOT to use WD-40. If you were found with it after that you got a two day suspension that had to be made up before graduation.
Anyone doubting this please call the school at 1-800-234-4594 and ask for Mr.John Stewart, the Chief Instructor. Tell him Russ Baker, a former Honor Graduate, sent you.
I have heard that Trinidad was a bit more harsh with a two week suspension. I don't know that to be a fact, but I do know that formal training in gunsmithing, at most accrediated schools, prohibits it use on firearms.
While I was working as a full-time gunsmith at the Firearms Service Center in Lakewood, Colorado, I had the opportunity to examine hundreds of rifles that were "lacquered shut" from the use of WD-40...To the point they no longer functioned properly. This Laquer, or Varnish, is not something you can easily see, but requires a complete DCOA (disassemble, clean, oil, assemble) to have the firearm function properly again. Prior to attending CST, I did all this (DCOA) and thought it was me that was performing the miracles, because the gun worked fine after I did my magic and put it back together "correctly".... I didn't have sense enough to know, because you can't see the varnish, what the real problem was.
Remember, it only takes a few .0001 to maximize tolerances on a firearm, and a light coat of residual varnish can do just that.
Now, having said all this, do I still use WD-40? Yes, Sir!
But, I have learned to not over use it, and to wipe throughly after using it. It is at it's best when used for what it was designed for...Water Displacement, formula #40! NOT a lubricant, NOT a fish attractant, NOT for Hemorrhoids, NOT a chrome polisher, and NOT a cleaner, albeit it does a fair job at about all of this....just remove it after using it.
Those who use it, and believe in it, without taking proper precaution to prevent build-up, you Sir, are looking for heartaches somewhere down the road.

Just my thoughts on this age old discussion. (I think it's as bad, or worse, than the .270 vs 30-06 discussion). Perhaps it's a healthy thing, and that's as it should be. We make our decisions, and we live with our choices, no matter what! And I like that.
Respectfully, Russ

 

RussB: I couldn't agree more!
WD-40 as directed is o.k. stuff, but nearly every smith I've talked with avoids in like the plague.
The stuff will varnish over in time.
My Dad was a fanatic for "blessing" his guns real good with WD-40. His Rem. 700 .222 mag. sat for two years afer a liberal coating of this stuff and the OUTSIDE metal turned brown with varnish and the trigger mechanism licked up tight.
The whole thing had to be disassembled, cleaned by SOAKING in solvent for DAYS, oiled properly and reassembled.
In the short term the stuff is fine, long term it's poison. Period.
I still use the stuff for certain purposes. It's great for busting rusted parts loose. I once soaked an in-line with it to free up a well stuck breech plug, worked great, and as a TEMPORARY rust preventive or a "flush" for the innerds of black powder revovlers, then I blast the manure out with break parts cleaner and oil properly with Rem Oil, Break Free, etc.