Rust Prevention

[almrl]

I feel like Rip Van Winkle. :snore:

Just got back into muzzleloading after fifteen or twenty years away. Reading the posts on the forum points out how out of date I have become. Not on the mechanics of muzzle loading but on the new products available.

Rubbing down the barrel of my GPR with oil just results in finger prints in the oil when I put her away, no matter how little oil I use.

Fingerprints mean rust waiting to grow.

I have an interesting old book, An Encyclopedia Of Practical Information And Universal Formulary By Robert Bradbury M. D. Copyright 1888.

One of the methods of rust prevention is

Go over the surface with parafine

Another is to:

finish with a leather and a little beeswax and turpentine

All the old muzzleloading shops I used to frequent have gone away so if there is something I can make or use that is commonly available it would help.

Any recommendations, comments, warnings, etc?

Old Coot

 

Well - welcome back. Try using a rag with oil on it or a cheap paintbrush to spread the oil evenly over the metal insted of oily fingers . You were kidding about this, right ?? :winking: I recently read a short book about flintlocks and the advise the author gave was such nonsense that I could not finish it. The guy was trying to write like he was a caveman or something and not only was it bogus, but the advise was so far off that it was not even fun to pretend it was old. I would pick up anything by Sam Fadala just to come up to speed.

 

[Stubert]

I just picked up a book, written in the mid 70's that had advice so bad I threw the book out before someone got hurt. One of the chapters on finding loads said to use 225-275 grains 2f in rifles 58 - 62. Buy a book from Sam F.

 

[boar]

I used groundhog tallow and beeswax, mix 50-50, now use deer tallow, it stays firm in hot weather with out the beeswax, and one deer will supply couple years supply. You just heat white fat in iron skillet and pour off oil. Dilly

 

[Many Klatch]

Hey there Old Coot. For years I have been using 50% 2-stroke motor Oil and 50% kerosene for a gun oil. Haven't seen any rust after treatment with that combination. Recently I have been experimenting with 50% 30 weight and 50% kerosene, and it still seems to work well.

Many Klatch

 

[jaguarxk120]

Stop at your local heating and cooling supply house and get a quart of vacuum pump oil. No additives and the oil is dry ( no moisture in it). The stuff is used in vacuum pumps when service men recharge cooling systems. Not too expensive $5-6 for a bottle that will last a long time. Yes it is a mineral oil. And will work, Phil Sharpe recomends using the stuff in his book about rifles. TF

 

[renovato]

Try CorrosionX on it. It neutralizes skin oils and acids, so the fingerprints won't rust. Also, it clings like there's no tomorrow so it's not likely to wipe off and rust. The factory says it electrochemically bonds. It's the best rust proofing oil I've ever used. It's also an outstanding lube for your lock and trigger. It's the only thing that keeps my Ruger .22 pistol functioning flawlessly for 3 bricks of ammo.

 

[almrl]

Deaconjo,

I use a rag and very little oil, but I still get finger prints unless I use gloves.

The suggestions quoted are really in the book. It also has recipes for browning that include such ingredients as: Sweet Spirits Nitre and Tincture of Sesquichloride of iron. Whatever those are.

Thanks a bunch everybody for the suggestions.

Old Coot

 

[paulvallandigham]

YOu can get translations of those old cheimicals and ingredients in the back of Dixie GunWorks catalog. Everyone should have one.

 

[almrl]

Thanks Paul,

The formulas also include ingredients such as; Nitric acid and corrosive sublimate.

I don't think I want to mess around with them.

I'll stick to something commercial.

Old Coot

 

[Norskie]

That parafine they're writing about is most likely kerosene.
I use boiled linseed oil on my metalwork. A little goes a long way.
Rust from fingerprints is usually from salt. If you do not get the surface truly clean, salt will rust steel under any oil that you apply. As far as I know, there are no oils that will remove salt and there is no way to neutralize it.

 

You know there Old Coot, if you are determined to do this oil stuff in a PC type mode - there are a lot of good suggestions here. But maybe to solve the finger print issue you should add some moisture absorbing medium with your firearms. Another good rust inhibitor is linseed oil and turpentine. As for me - I am going to stick with Rem Oil and an old shaving brush. :hatsoff:

 

[Slamfire]

Furniture wax will water proof the outside of yore gun, and seal the stock against moisture induced swelling. Gotta reapply it after a couple days in the rain though. :hatsoff:

 

[sidelock]

3 in 1 off any shelf in town will work just fine. :v

 

[DanChamberlain]

Or do like me. Buy guns that you don't care if they have a few fingerprints on them.

Dan