[2377]

Ive owned firearms for several years now, and never had a problem with storage until now...RUST. I went shooting about a week ago, yesterday I open up my rugers case and its peppered with rust. Check my Marlin bolt action and its got rust on the bolt as well. I swallowed real hard, to keep the sceams down that is, and tried to remember what I had done that could of "caused" this. Southern California is a desert, so humidity is never too bad. It appears that rust formed mostly where I had "touched" my guns, and I must admit I don't remember wiping them dow before putting em into storage. Gulp.

My questions gentleman (and ladies)...

How do I know the rusting has stopped? (I immediatly rubbed the spots out of both guns...but there is still a "discoloration" on the blueing where the spots were...and put under a thick coat of oil)

Is there anything else I can do to prevent this?

Would a thorough hand washing before handling my firearms cut down on the risk of rust from the salts on my hands?

p.s.-I forgot to check my ruger 22/45's magazines...they are the worst of all. I think im gonna cry.

 

[050]

I've always been of the opinion that certain people are WAY more prone to this than others. Seems like some people have a chemical makeup that just makes them rust magnets compared to other people. I know that isn't an answer to your question, but rather, just an observation.

Ron

 

[River19]

That's gotta stink

I wipe mine down with a the same cloth I use to oil the stock etc. so it gets a thin coat of oil on the barrel and all metal parts....then It ry to avoid touching the metal as I put it away.

Should be as simple as that.....seeing as how I don't think you are living in a moist area.

R

 

[Rod Blackburn]

Rust

Dave, Try gently rubbing the affected areas with 0000 steelwool soaked with wd40. This should remove any surface rust remaining.
You may wish to try & restore the damaged area with Brownells oxypho blue. Follow the instructions on the bottle. I have had very good results with this product.

Antlurz, I think you are right. I have this problem. Its most prominent on the grip area of my handguns. I think it is an abundance of acid in my perspiration.
I combat this by wiping my guns down with a silicone treated cloth prior to putting my guns in the gun vault.

Rod.

 

[eliseo]

Hi Dave,
I think antlurz may be right. i live in lake elsinore, and have stored my guns in a gunvault in my garage, and i (knock on wood) never got any rust on them. as dry as it is around here, it seems like it would be perspiration.

 

[English]

Dave B..............

Sorry to hear about the problems you have.

If its arrid and the guns havent got wet or damp because of the weather, then it is possibly the salt's in your sweat when you handle them that is causing the rust.

I learnt a similar hard lesson with an air rifle as a boy. I came into a warm kitchen and put it away after being out in the cold the resulting condensation meant it was badly pitted with rust 3-4 weeks later the next time the weather was good enought to get out and I pulled it out the cupboard.

I always allow the guns to heat soak to room temperature, clean and dry them and wipe them over with an oily cloth before putting them away now - indifferent of the weather or how long I've been out.

Similarly I have an industrial dessicant pack in the gun safe which I dry off in a warm oven once in a while.

The tip about the wirewool and wd40 can work if its not too bad.

Sorry to hear of your troubles.

Regards,

English.

 

[5438]

Possible cause of rust.

Any chance the rifles were in an air-conditioned environment (range, car, etc) then placed into a warm storage locker (say in late afternoon)? Might result in condensation. I would think that the condesation would form where the oil is thinest or where there are particles (blowback, dust from where you handled it, etc).

Just a shot in the dark.

 

[6167]

I have an old shaving brush that I put a few drops of fp-10 on.
Then I brush down the whole outside of the gun. This will allow
you to get into places you can't get with a rag. Never had any
rust .

 

[Moorespeedr]

I've always been of the opinion that certain people are WAY more prone to this than others. Seems like some people have a chemical makeup that just makes them rust magnets compared to other people. I know that isn't an answer to your question, but rather, just an observation.

Its funny you mention this, I have noticed it as well. I have even noticed that my sweat is bleaching some of my polo shirts, specifically around the collars. Really wierd.

As for the guns, the only answer is to wipe 'em every time you handle 'em.

 

[3240]

Dave:

You had your Ruger in a case? Not a good idea. I think that you will find that storing guns in a case is asking for rust problems. Good shooting. L.

 

[Gillie Dog]

Dave,

1.) Cases hold moisture in and promote rust.

2.) Antlurz is correct, some people (me) have a very bad rusting problem. I was a tool and die maker and I can put a thumb print on a newly turned piece of steel and the next morning there is a perfect rust thumb print. My Dad however, could rub the same piece of steel in his hands and it would never rust.

3.) Never put them away with out wiping down everything with light coat of oil. I must clean my guns after every day of shooting to prevent rust. And yes, the stainless ones will rust also. 400 series stainless has enough iron in it to rust if it is started by touching a piece of steel.

4.) Gun safe with Golden Rod heater prevents problems for me (after wiping down).

 

[DougJr.]

Gun gloves!

Dave,
Do you have a friend that might work in a meat packing plant or a supermarket meat dept.? If you do, see if your friend could get you a couple of pairs of the gloves they use when packing meat. They are 100% cotton and very inexpensive. I have been using these for years when I am handling my firearms at home. I never touch them with my hands because I don't want any rust to occur. I also put a very little amount of oil on the palms for extra protection. Good luck.
DougJr.

 

[5933]

Gun-kote....... you either like it or you don't ,but there will be no more rust
i like it and i can't wait for my 22/45 to start.....it's clips will have to
rust from the inside out
wipe it off with a dish rag, and put it away

 

[Zircon]

If you prefer a really heavy duty solution, one that will work even in a humid, salt-laden atmosphere (next to the beach in Florida) use Boeshield. Developed by Boeing to prevent corrosion on out of the way spots on their aircraft.

Zirc

 

[chundoo]

My son can rust a gun during a range session in dry weather. On the other hand I can shoot, sweat, and whatever without a problem as long as I get the gun/mags wiped down within a couple weeks...longer if I wasn't sweating heavily. Odd that there are those kind of differences.

We've learned that your choice of oil is important too. My son can cause rust on an oiled gun unless the oil is water displacing and it absolutely cannot be a spray. Seems the carrier in sprays can cause problems for my son after prolonged storage.

 

[Jaywalker]

Oil is an okay lubricant, but it's outdated as a protectant. It serves to coat the micro-pits on the smoothest barrel to prevent air from reaching the water and oxidyzing - rusting. When it fails, and it does, the water in the pits is free to turn brown and dig deeper pits. There's a little electrode action taking place.

WD-40, no offense, is just wrong for firearms; it's a kerosene-based (IIRC) penetrant that's fine for cleaning grease or loosening rusted screws. But think of the things on your firearm you don't want penetrated; primers, bullets, stock bedding. It initially does replace the water in the micro-pits, but doesn't hang around long. Also, I don't care for kerosene on my firearms anyway, and it's not a great lubricant.

Breakfree CLP (cleaner, lubricant, protectant) is much better, but it tends to be a bit tacky on external steel. It replaces the water in the micro-pits and stays, so wiping it on then wiping it off should be fine.

Personally, for external surfaces, I prefer Sentry Solutions cloth wipe - like the silicon rags you get for $2, but much better. It comes in two varieties, the stronger of which is too tacky for me, but the SEALs apparently use it to protect the submachinguns from saltwater. The more basic cloth is what the thousand dollar knife makers use to keep their finish. I paid $8 a couple of years ago, I think.

Jaywalker

 

[Joe Haller]

The common man's Midas Touch.

The Swiss have known for a LONG time that some people have a tendency to have the RUST touch.

In the Watchmaker's Guilds of Switzerland for the past 300 years a master watchmaker would look at a candidate apprentice's hands. If they had any perspiration on them, the young man was rejected for the apprenticeship.

Watch material supply catalogs list a special soap that helps prevent the rust problem.

Yea: I was a watchmaker before I became a clinical social worker.

Joe

 

[4948]

rust

I always wipe mine off, metal surfaces and stock with a silicone rag. You can get them at any sporting goods store. I've used them for over 30 years. Over time wiping the stock makes the grain in the wood really stand out.

 

[reddogge]

Don't store any rifle or handgun in cloth bags. I did years ago and ruined 3 minty .22 handguns in a heartbeat.

 

[5816]

dissimilar metals

Also, take a very close look at where your arms are stored and transported to see what types of dissimilar metals may be present. corrosion can be caused by two dissimilar metals in close contact, with one anodic, or inducing the corrosion, and the other cathodic, or the "victim". Find a guide to dissimilar metals, (like in a scientific chemistry text) to see which is which.

As far as "protecting" metals with oil or any other coating, if you have corrosion started, and do not completely stop it, or remove it, the thick coating of oil or protectant will create an electrolytic "cell" which will promote a deepening of the corrosion.

I have owned several early Mossberg .22s, and their manufacturing process sometimes produced barrels with a chemical makeup which produced chronic dissimilar material corrosion. Anyone who owns/owned one of these knows what I mean.