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firearm rust prevention

what do you guys use to prevent rust on your firearms? I ask because I finally retrieved my rifle Saturday from the in-laws. It had been sitting in a gun case in their basement under a bed, and with temperature fluctuations it wasn't the ideal location. Of course, when I got home I noticed the outside of the barrel had some light pitting. I gave it a good wipe down with some Rem Oil which seemed to do the trick. I also took out the magazine and gave that a light cleaning with Rem Oil as well as parts of the breech. I didn't over-do it, I just applied a couple of drops here and there to a rag, wiped away the dirt/residue and then re-wiped with a clean rag. I know there are mixed reviews of Rem Oil so I was curious what you guys use to wipe the outside of your guns with to prevent rust. I do have a can of breakfree CLP but i've heard good things about Hoppes #9 as a cleaning agent/lubricant.

I plan on buying more cleaning supplies, such as a single piece rod, bore guide, jags, gun vise, etc., but since i've never cleaned a bolt-action rifle before I don't know where to begin. Are there any decent youtube videos out there that give a detailed tutorial on how to clean a bolt-action rifle?
 
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On a cleaned gun, if you wipe down all metal parts with the CLP and let it set for 18-24 hours before a final wiping down it will do wonders for preventing rust. It's like an invisible, non-oily/greasy magic coating. Seriously.

Take that gun case your in-laws had the firearm in and either 1) throw it away, or 2) try and clean out and dry/air out the inside and then put it away with no gun in it. Those cases are only for transport for brief periods. Never store your guns in them. They will hasten rust.
 
If you ever buy electronics or tools that have the silica gel packs keep them. Open them up and keep them in a container with holes in it.
Even better if you work at a place that throws them away.
Silica can be dried out in the oven on a baking sheet. Even better if you get the ones that have the little bits of cobalt in it. Cobalt turns colour when it's aborbed water. that's a good visual indicator of when the silica needs to be dried.

I've heard of guys using bearing grease for long term storage.

I don't know what my brother uses on the guns, but he has a big safe with an electronic humidity control and each gun goes into a gun sock.
 
If the case has open-cell foam (common on cheap cases) keeping the case shut is like locking a pedophile inside a school full of kids.

While Rem-Oil and CLP wipedowns will work, this is no longer 1972. A Sentry Solutions Tuf-Cloth will bond with the metal and prevent rust except in extreme situations. They run about $11 from Amazon or Brownells. The kind that comes in a little screwtop jar is easier to store. I've used them for over 10 years on all my guns in the most extreme situations without any issues, the stuff was reputedly designed to wipe down heavy machine guns and other gear for maritime use that couldn't be "magic coated' (Cerakote, Roguard, etc) because of the size of the guns. You literally just disassemble the gun (in the case of a bolt action, unload it and remove the bolt, nothing else) and wipe down every part of the gun you can get to. It won't hurt plastic or wood, so it's idiot-resistant (nothing is idiotproof, they'll find better idiots) then let it sit for a couple minutes til it doesn't look "wet' and you're fine.

If you need to store it in a case, put some desiccant packs in there with it, and make sure it's closed-cell foam. Keeping the case cracked open helps.
 
There are a lot of choices in gun oil. Just about all of them are fine as a wipe down.

What I do is keep a piece of cotton sheet (about 8" square) that is soaked in gun oil folded up and stored in a zip lock bag. I use this rag to wipe down any firearms that get handled. After a while the rag has enough residual oil in it that it can be just pulled, used, then replaced without adding any more oil to it.

You don't need to "soak" your firearm in oil, you just need to remove any fingerprints and leave a oil "film" on the metal parts.

For storage you can get Bore Store ® silicone treated storage bags from Brownells.

http://www.brownells.com/shooting-a...-stores-long-term-storage-cases-prod1850.aspx

Even if you put your rifle in a treated storage bag you should wipe it down.

As far as a video on cleaning I looked and saw quite a few that were very wrong (shoving in a cleaning rod at the muzzle end is a big no no if you want to retain accuracy)

The one below gives the best advice

 
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Parker-Hale Express Gun Oil: pretty oldfashioned in its orange tin but also pretty effective. Used all kinds of lubricants/cleaners in the past but settled on this a couple of years ago. Might be available only online.
 
I think what you treat it with is not NEARLY as important as not storing it in a case in a basement.

I think that storing a gun on the floor in a basement is going to get you rust no matter what you treat it with, given enough time.
 
Crixus and Neognosis have it right. Take care to consider storage conditions and allow the firearm to "breath."

Look no further than R.I.G (rust inhibiting grease). An old product (even older than I am) but is still whipping up on most all of the relatively recent rust preventative "newcomers." Not a lubricating grease at all but strictly a preservative grease. I've got firearms I've had over 35 years, using RIG and with nary a speck of rust, even though some have seen harsh use in the inclement conditions associated with waterfowling. Also good long term protection against sweat on blued steel. Keep a "RIG-rag" handy for a brief wipe-down at the end of the day and one's steel concealed carry handgun will remain rust-free. Excellent for long term firearms storage.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=...nic__Knowing_the_Limits_of_Rust_Preventatives

http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleani...n/rig-reg-universal-gun-grease-prod31842.aspx
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
I ironically had tufglide for my straights, now it's on my gun. Although it seems the Glocks are a little more rust resistant than traditionally blued firearms.
 
RIG is supposed to be good.

What Ive done with tools, guns, and plan to do with razors is heat them then apply a coat of wax, then apply couple more coats of wax over that when the metal is cold. You can use a hairdryer, or an oven on lowest temp if you get all the wood and plastic off. I really haven't had guns go through strenuous conditions, but it works great on tools and such left outside, and wax applied normally has taken care of all my straight razor rust. I do plan to heat them and apply it, just haven't gotten around to it. I use ren wax or PURE (non polishing) carnauba.

But, as has been pointed out, those foam lined cases are supposed to be horrible for long term storage. They are usually pretty cheap, though, so wrapping the gun in a rust preventing cloth and sticking it in the case should work fine if you want to use one. Gun socks work pretty well, too, and they're cheap, academy has silicone ones for like 5$ each. They usually only fit normal type rifles, though, no pistol grips, big optics, etc. Or at least the ones I've bought don't fit rifles like that. Maybe they sell ones that do.
 
what do you guys use to prevent rust on your firearms? I ask because I finally retrieved my rifle Saturday from the in-laws. It had been sitting in a gun case in their basement under a bed, and with temperature fluctuations it wasn't the ideal location. Of course, when I got home I noticed the outside of the barrel had some light pitting. I gave it a good wipe down with some Rem Oil which seemed to do the trick. I also took out the magazine and gave that a light cleaning with Rem Oil as well as parts of the breech. I didn't over-do it, I just applied a couple of drops here and there to a rag, wiped away the dirt/residue and then re-wiped with a clean rag. I know there are mixed reviews of Rem Oil so I was curious what you guys use to wipe the outside of your guns with to prevent rust. I do have a can of breakfree CLP but i've heard good things about Hoppes #9 as a cleaning agent/lubricant.

I plan on buying more cleaning supplies, such as a single piece rod, bore guide, jags, gun vise, etc., but since i've never cleaned a bolt-action rifle before I don't know where to begin. Are there any decent youtube videos out there that give a detailed tutorial on how to clean a bolt-action rifle?

$50.00 for an Otis Tactical Cleaning kit will give you just about everything you need to clean weapons from .17 cal to .45 cal. Shotguns, pistols, and rifles...the whole mix.
Nice thing is it allows you to clean them PROPERLY, from chamber to muzzle, not the other way. Also saves you having to screw around with bore rod guides. I'm told Otis kits were issued to certain detachments of the USMC. Can't say that's true or not, but nonetheless they make a super cleaning system. http://www.otisgun.com/
 
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