Thread: No more rusty firearms

Originally Posted by Hermitage

It is perfect for that. My firearms get condensation over them during these winter months when stored in my gun safe (in a motorhome with no power for a dehumidifier). This stuff holds the rust back even if condensation is running down the barrels.

We’ve got a gun safe dehumidifier that doesn’t require power. It’s full of little beads that change colour when they soak up moisture. Once a week or so we take it out & plug it into the wall (this bit does need power), & it dries out, then just pop it back in the safe & repeat. Seems to work well.

When I was meat hunting I used to coat the underside of the barrel and action of a new rifle with car polish wax to prevent rust. I can't recall if it worked or not, but it seemed like a cool idea at the time.

What's it like for heat resistance when strings of firing?

Originally Posted by Hermitage

Is your rifle showing signs of rust? Does it rust during a hunting trip?
Well, I've got a late model Rem 700 in 6.5 CM that 'attracts' rust.
You see, Remington in all their cost-cutting glory, put on a surface/finish bluing that is destined to rust. It is rough, thinly applied, almost porous and starts to rust when subjected to any moisture despite any oil application I have put on it (except lithium grease and Valvoline Tectyl 506).

I have been fighting this ongoing rust problem for a couple of years and I've finally given up. End of last year I stumbled on the solution (you won't find this method on the internet). I degreased the barrel and action and then applied some 'Penetrol' to all the outside metalwork. Now, this is not a 'paint' but a clear oil-based rust-preventing primer/sealer and it seems that very few know about it.

It's not only great on metalwork but I've restored many faded wooden furniture with Penetrol, as it will penetrate, cure and stabilize most woods short of the most highly resinous tropicals. So there is no downside to using this product on the rifle metalwork and getting it on the wooden rifle stock.

It was designed as a paint conditioner that was targeted toward painters/brush applicators wanting a 'wet edge' extender for better flow and handling. But Penetrol also turned out to be great at preventing rust, corrosion, and oxidization. And it works.....6 months since I used it and my Rem 700 has had no sign of rust and I do not need to apply a coating of oil when in the safe.

Here it is:
https://www.bunnings.co.nz/flood-pen...rimer_p0151613

Huge thanks mate...im fed up re-bluing my Baikal shottie....will give it a go....

CRC Soft seal spray or hand applied chassis grease on the metal under the stock. Synthetic engine oil on the bolt extreme pressure grease on the cocking bolt lobe... and wipe liberally with an oily rag once a week. Plumb a pipe from A/C heater box into gun cabinet in the motor home to keep it dry. In the trenches my Great great grandfather cleaned his 303 every day! It was an offense not to keep it cleansed

Originally Posted by mimms2

"Bluing" is black iron oxide. which holds oil in a micro-porous way.
"Rust" is red iron oxide. You can convert red to blue by boiling the part. This would be my step 1 in this situ, to give an actual proper blue to the thing so it will rust less anyway.
With any coating (as opposed to surface treatment) there's the risk of trapping water under it, against the metal.

But yeah. I'd set a proper blue, acetone/degrease, then go ahead and coat with oil/penetrol/lanocote

The point of blueing / phosphating is they are tough porous layers which provide a hold for oil so it does not get wiped off. On their own they don't help much. A final step of blueing processes sometimes demonstrated by gunsmiths online is applying boiled linseed oil. Linseed oil does not just dry but polymerises like epoxy which makes for a more durable coating.

Here is a test of different surface finishes vs 5% salt water spray pH adjusted down to pH 3.2 with acetic acid. A severe test. Only sorry they didn't also test a pure nickel finish rather than the nickel-boron finish. But hey, ceracoat wins for the oil-free finishes.

I suspect they did not oil the blued / phosphated parts or passivate the stainless steel part.

https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com...-salt-chamber/

Shit. I have purchased some damprid for the safe once I have my licence. Will be keeping that well away now and will buy some silica gel instead.

Oops. Some context needed. I read this thread which I found when searching for dehumidifier options: https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....idifier-37652/

Seems Damprid is not good for firearms safes due to the salt.

@Cordite Thanks for that info very interesting .When l was working in Alaska & the US we relied a lot on the great little Cub flying machines & Float planes bringing clients,supplies etc into remote camps operating in extreme conditions & l was really surprised that the same Linseed oil mix was used to coat their gear as well .

I found the fact that Lanolin oil had been used & applied by the Vikings & Romans to their weapons etc to stop rusting really interesting as well & like l say found it worked really well & is my preference .The Lanotec had the advantage over the linseed mix of not leaving the varnish type finish, although l had a 1932 Beretta SXS that l could not resist using on the clouds of Teal in the salt swamps & it still had it on it when l sold it after over a decade of coating .

Might need to get some for the old .44 and Brno .22, only blued guns I have these days.

Anyone tried Renaissance wax? Recommended on swords etc as well as wood surfaces. Synthetic product I’ve been impressed..

Originally Posted by HandH

Anyone tried Renaissance wax? Recommended on swords etc as well as wood surfaces. Synthetic product I’ve been impressed..

@Frodo used/uses it on wood blued rifles. Now he’s sick though, and prefers carbon fibre and stainless


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Originally Posted by MSL

@Frodo used/uses it on wood blued rifles. Now he’s sick though, and prefers carbon fibre and stainless


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Carbon fibre and stainless steel aka Tupperware and fairy dust

When I get a new gun I coat it with motor oil every day for the 1st week
Just coat it then wipe off Excess
You’ll find it’s dry again when you get it out the next day
Just keep doing it till it stays looking like it has a light coat of oil on it

Had a brand new gun built and it was a blank steel barrel that was freshly blued by the gunsmith
That thing would turn pretty much light brown overnight when i 1st got it
Nothing that wouldn’t just wipe off
Coated every day for a week and absolutely no rust since I pulled it out yesterday after about 2 months of not shooting it and it was completely fine

Took my wood blue hunting rifle out in the rain all day last week
Left it infront of my heater beside my bed overnight and put it away in the morning
Just had a look today to make sure but yep no rust

Will definitely try the bunnings stuff though might be an apply and forget unlike the motor oil trick which is quite labour intensive pulling it out every day for a week or so to check on it and apply another coat of oil some rifles even need it twice a day for a couple of days

Originally Posted by Arthur McBride

I have put Vaseline on the metal parts that are under the stock.

A thin coat of Lanolin is what I use Vasoline is also awsome just that extra layer of protection on parts you don’t go into often

Great wisdom, cheers all : )