Surface Rust

[edmehlig]

My 16yr old grandson and my son used my two Renegades yesterday and hunted all afternoon in the snow storm. As luck would have it my grandson harvested a 4 point buck. The shot was about 50 yds. The only shot he had as the deer was behind a tree and heavy brush was the neck where it meets the shoulder. Luckily he had his rifle resting on a log and made a perfect shot. The buck never knew what hit him. The load was IdahoLewis recipe of 80gr Swiss 2F and his 50-415I conical.
Anyway he came to my house as soon as he got back to show me the deer. He then proceeded to take the Renegade’s out of the case and all I heard was “OH MY GOD”. With a look of fear on his face. I asked what was the matter and the he showed me both rifles. They were both covered with rust.
I told him to relax. It’s just surface rust and go get my cleaning kit and my package of 0000 steel wool. Just as I figured it was just surface rust. The steel wool removed the rust easily with no damage to the bbl. Then a good cleaning of the bore removed all of the other parts and gave everything a good coating of oil and the Renegades looked good as new.

Anyway this got me thinking of what would be a good coating for the bbls and hammers. I don’t think I want to do the lock mechanism with the springs and all?? So any suggestions and people you know who can do this?

Thanks Ed

 

[bronko220002]

Yeah pil and steel wool is your friend. I wonder if something like Duracoat would work.

 

[smokepolehall]

I use white Lithium grease on all of mine. Mo. is the pits with humidity. You just look at your ML out of a protected case n poof covered in rust !

 

[Whokalouie]

As a kid I was told to never put a dirty gun in a gun case and over the years I have witnessed many reason why. Humidity and sweaty finger prints just to name a couple.

 

[edmehlig]

As a kid I was told to never put a dirty gun in a gun case and over the years I have witnessed many reason why. Humidity and sweaty finger prints just to name a couple.

That was good advice that was given to you. However, that wasn't the case this time. Granted the guns were put in a case for transportation home, but the guns were only in the case for about 20 minutes. I'm sure the rust started forming from being exposed to snow falling on them for hours in the field.

 

[Whokalouie]

Our local area is classed as high desert with very low humidity. I have carried many different rifles hunting in snow and wet conditions all day and never got surface rust on them. Of course they are wiped down and put away dry and clean. It could very well be due to our dry climate, but snow and rain are moisture. So I really think it has more to due with being cased where moisture cannot escape as fast??

Side note: Years back friends of mine went hunting in Colorado. The day before the opener one took his gun from the case and to his surprise it was a very rusted 12ga shotgun. Then he remembers his son had used his shotgun hunting doves a few months before. It is a good thing his buddy brought a 257 Roberts for a backup weapon!

 

[gle3105]

Ballistol .

 

[deermanok]

I always have a cotton towel in my gun case and give whichever gun I'm hunting with a quick wipe down before I pack it up for the ride home.

 

[anonymouscowherd]

Yes you could always cover the steel with some coating like duracat, cerakote etc. Or just a good tough rattle can

Another "traditional" option would be to keep it well oiled, or to have barrel completely dry, clean and oil free and coating it with beeswax

 

[Ole Creek Boy]

I have used Renaissance wax with great results. I use it sparingly and also on the wood.

 

[WP79Vet]

I discovered CLP in the Army, and have used it ever since with GREAT success. For example, the .45 I was issued when I took command of my 8 inch Howitzer battery in Korea in 1988 looked like it had seen action in the Phillipines and every theater of every war since then - covered with rust, and not a speck of bluing or parkerizing anywhere. I went to work with steel wool and CLP, got rid of all the rust, and then wiped it down thoroughly with CLP. After that, it could come through being in a water-saturated leather holster for weeks at a time without a single spot of rust.

Ditto for the Weatherby Orion O/U that I've used for all of my duck and goose hunting since 1995. It has come through many, many days of pouring rain and snow, fine sand, being leaned against wet and gritty reeds or Russian Olives or canoe gunwales while I worked the calls, getting dunked in sloughs when I tripped and fell - and all of these things followed by long rides home in a gun case inside my truck. Hardly ever a speck of rust through all that abuse over all those years.

These days there are several products marketed as "CLP." Get the genuine milspec stuff - usually called "Breakfree CLP."

 

[Shorty]

Ditto above x 2

 

[Bkusch53]

Ballistol .

Corrosion X works wonders

 

[Bad Karma]

Eezox or Barricade.

 

[edmehlig]

I use Eezox all the time. I think the rifles being exposed to being snowed on all day caused the rust to accelerate on the bbls? I'm sure not being wiped down and put in the cases for about 20-25 minutes didn't help. In any case, a lesson learned for my grandson and son. The rust came off quickly with 0000 steel wool and everything was cleaned and oiled and everything looks good. I'll be checking the bore and bbls in a day or so to make sure all is still well. As of now, everything looks good.

 

[rangerod]

I have used Renaissance wax with great results. I use it sparingly and also on the wood.

I've used the same wax on a number of things. Very versatile. Just never on a muzzy. Hafta give it a try.

 

[HV-Muzzleloaders]

Find out if your local gunsmith will Parkerize it for you. It is the same Manganese Phosphate finish found on many AR-15s. It does a much better job of preventing rust when compared to Bluing. It is also a much simpler process, so the cost is normally much less than Bluing.

 

[Shorty]

Find out if your local gunsmith will Parkerize it for you. It is the same Manganese Phosphate finish found on many AR-15s. It does a much better job of preventing rust when compared to Bluing. It is also a much simpler process, so the cost is normally much less than Bluing.

Is this process something that you can do at home?

 

[fubar22]

222

Is this process something that you can do at home?

Yes. I use it occasionally on carbon steel knife blades (see photo) and a couple times on guns badly damaged by surface rust. Doesn't work on stainless steel. Treated metal comes out with a very dull gray finish. Sometimes dark gray, sometimes lighter depending on the steel. The process leaves microscopic pits on carbon steel surfaces that traps any oil you apply, so you need to keep the surface lightly oiled for it to prevent rust. Parkerized steel finishes also work very well with epoxy-based gun finishes like Duracoat because the microscopic pits give paint something to grab onto.

I imagine it would work pretty well on exposed sidelock parts. Make sure you plug barrels and cover sensitive parts of actions with nail polish before treating.

I have had good luck with both Zinc and Manganese solutions sold by Lauer Custom Weaponry.

 

[HV-Muzzleloaders]

Is this process something that you can do at home?

It requires a stainless-steel container big enough to submerge the part in the solution and a way to heat it to about 185 degrees F. You could use a gas grill to heat it. Brownells, Inc has the chemicals and the instructions.

It is much simpler than Bluing.