[Hoopie]

Just got done shooting some reloads in 30-06. Loaded up 5 rounds and when i pulled the trigger on the 3rd one click...nothing happened. Cycled the action and checked out the round. It had a nice deep dimple from the firing pin; i shook it, and there's definitely powder in there. Why does this happen? And what do you do with one? All the rest fired and shot pretty darn well.

Almost forgot. Was shooting 50.0 grains of H335 over a CCI large rifle primer, was about 20 degrees outside if that matters

[Funderb]

bad primer. Happens to everyone at least once!

Just toss it, or pull the bullet and keep the hull and the bullet.

[The Bushmaster]

Remove bullet. Dump powder after inspecting it for contamination. Resize and decap case. Inspect primer to determiner if there is an obvious reason for it to fail. Inspect inside case for contamination. Reload and go for it again...

[243winxb]

about 20 degrees outside if that matters Yes it matters. Old oil, gunk can slow a firing pin in cold weather.I have seen this in brand new rifles from the factory also. Take bolt apart and clean it, or spray with WD40. Story guns muzzle down in gun racks after cleaning.

[rcmodel]

Another likely cause to check is the primer wasn't fully seated.

It takes all the firing pin energy to finish seating it before it can crush the primer mix against the anvel and set it off.

rc

[ambidextrous1]

I agree with rcmodel; a high primer won't ignite. To test for this, rechamber the round and 'fire' again; if it ignites, you most likely had a high primer.

WD-40 is a water dispersant; I can think of no practical reason to use WD-40 on or around a firearm.:scrutiny:

[rcmodel]

The best thing I have found for lubing the insides of bolts is Remington Dry-Lube spray.

It won't dry out over time and get hard or sticky, congeal in cold weather, or run out and soak the wood or bore.

It also doesn't attract and hold dirt like any oil will do.

rc

[243winxb]

http://www.wd40.com/uses-tips/ 2000+ Uses for WD40. When people bring a gun into the shop, a 760 rem pump and you can hardly move the action because they put gun away last season without cleaning and its now a day before opening season of the next year you need a quick fix because the gun smith is busy with more important work. Within 15 minutes the gun is back in action, customer happy, and the repair only cost $25. This has happen a few times in 18 years. Different guns, different people, but all gunk, light rust, dirt. FIXED FAST.

[The Bushmaster]

Besides. It will cause a gun to rust...

[woad_yurt]

Thumbs up on teflon dry lube. It doesn't cling to dirt like oil or grease and it's fine in -20 degrees because it doesn't thicken like oil or grease. When I get a dud, I try shooting it again. For me, they've always fired on the 2nd hit.

[33rowdy]

The 30-06 is VERY common and I have one of those too in my gun cabinet too. I don't understand everything but; your brass is not in spec (the shoulder of the bottleneck is out of place somehow). I was told to only neck the brass with the die. People in here and 2 gunsmiths told me the above.

As I read in my #12 Speer manual page 87;
Full-length resizing is recommended for any reloaded ammunition used in semiautomatic and pump action rifles. Small base dies are recommended for loading ammunition for Browning Lever Action Rifle. Occasionally, Surplus military 30-06 and 7.62mm NATO (308) brass may need a small base die for the first sizing, even if it is to be used in a bolt action. Surplus brass fired in machine guns may be more swelled than cases fired in a rifle.

Any way...I don't understand why our guns will not work using Remington brass in a full length die like its ment to do. I am using a Redding die.

[scrat]

Agree with the shell casing and sizing. Also next question is what kind of primers are you using. What was mentioned already about the primers not being seated all the way. A quick way to find out if that is the problem is by loading up the round again and pull the trigger. If it goes off this time then thats the problem.

[Idano]

WD-40 is a water dispersant; I can think of no practical reason to use WD-40 on or around a firearm.:(

A full day of hunting in heavy snow followed with a four hour drive back to camp before you can strip down rifle, dry it out, and re lube everything. By the way pull all ammo out of the magazine before you bath the gun in WD40 or kiss those rounds off as duds, trust m. Been there done that.

Back to the OP question; I have found on an occasion the anvil missing from the primer. This has happened to me on one factory load and two reloads.

[Steve C]

Most of the time a round doesn't go off as others have said its because the primer wasn't seated to the bottom of the primer pocket. Primers must be seated to the bottom of the pocket and the primer given its "set" to ensure proper ignition.

If there's a good dent in the primer and it doesn't go off the force of the firing pin will usually seat it the rest of the way and if fired again the next firing pin hit will set it off.

An overly shortened case or shoulder set back too much wouldn't allow a good primer strike.

Bad primers are really rare. In 35 years of reloading I've used every major brand or primer and several off brands and can only remember one bad primer. That bad primer was in new unloaded .357 mag factory primed brass. It just kind of fizzled and the back side of the primer opened up with a little smoke coming out of the space between the cylinder and recoil shield. I thought it may have been a round without a punched flash hole but it was there after I pulled the bullet and could get a look down the inside of the case.

[moooose102]

it happens. like the other guys have said, when you tear it down, try to find out if it was something you did, or if it was a faulty primer. i have had 2 cartridges not fire in my life, one was a factory round, and one was mine. i could not find a fault with what i had done, but the primer fell into a bunch that i had already deprimed, and i just didn't fell like digging through all of the other ones to try to find it. so i just wrote it off as a bad primer. when a company makes a million or so of them a day, you are bound to get one ot two a day that will not lite. if you ask anyone on the board here that has any amount of experience, they will also tell you it has happend to them as well. if it is something you did, you need to find out what it was, and correct it. look inside the case with a light, see if there are any grains stuck to the wall, or on the end of the bullet. if there are, ESPECIALLY DOWN IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CASE, that means there was some kind of contaminate in there, and it most likely killed the priming compound. sometime, primers are hard to kill, other times, even the slightest amount of anything will kill them. rest assured, that when you are trying to kill them (to discard them) nothing in the world will disable them, but, when a charging lion is attacking you the dust from a mouse fart three doors down will kill the darn thing !

[Hoopie]

Thanks for all the replies. I did try to shoot the round again and again nothing. It'll be a few days till i can take it a part but at least now i know what to look for.

[Remo-99]

Don't sweat it too much, one time is maybe a freak event possibly something out of your control.
2nd time is, hmmm interesting.
3rd time, Ok theres definately a problem.

[The Bushmaster]

Remo-99...After over 22 years of reloading and not having not one failure to fire in all those years If I have just one failure to fire. I sure as hell would want to know why and would investigate to find out.

I don't even want to get to the "Hmmm interesting" phase...:D

[Remo-99]

Bushmaster
I've seen a few reloaders with a single fail to fire and not being able to source a problem, but after a second ftf makes ya think, theres something going wrong.

Anything like improperly stored primers or powder for one, I've seen people show me primer packets that looked like they have been stored underwater for decades, and I was amased that any of the primers fired. ;)

[ranger335v]

The only FTF I'ver ever had or seen, factroy or reloads, were due to poor pin stikes. The reloads all either fired on the second click, indicating the primer may not have been properly seated, OR they fired properly an another firearm.

I and a buddy shot some of my .45ACP stuff in his new Glock last summer. He had maybe a 5% failure rate, including the factory ammo he had. Some fired on the second effort, some didn't. I ran them through my 1911 and all went as planned.

Before his purchase, a quick look at some factory ballistics tables had proved to him that the 9mm he started looking at was/is no more than a .38Spec.+P loaded with light bullets! He IS a fairly good shot so he really didn't feel the need for a huge mag capacity that would let him maybe miss any potential "targets" to death with high speed ammo, nor would he need to use a lot of light bullets in hopes of pounding them to death with something like a small hammer.

I TRIED to get him to look at some 1911s after he setteled on the .45 but the Glock's safety and legend of working with any ammo without jams drug him the wrong way. Well, at least he listened to me about the right cartridge for his new home/self defense pistol. In an hour or so of shooting, he had a couple of stove-pipe jams, factory stuff, not my hard cast SWCs. And none of the dozen VERY expensive "Black Talon" rounds he had bought would feed. Those big, wide open HP bullets hit the feed ramp and just stopped but the ONE I tried in my GI 1911 fed fine.

Ok, ok, it's all just a personal point of view! You use what you wish and be happy with it. I just hope you never really have to defend your life or family with a 9mm OR a .38, fancy +P HP ammo or not! If you do, I hope the goblins are wimpy. Or that you get a .45 first. :)

???? How the smell did I get here from fail to fire duds? Oh, well....

[snuffy]

Take bolt apart and clean it, or spray with WD40. Store guns muzzle down in gun racks after cleaning.

WD-40 is the absolute worst thing you could possibly use on any thing firearm related. It starts out as a liquid, then starts to evaporate the solvents in it. They keep evaporating as time passes,(months), then eventually become a sticky varnish like glue. Put it on or inside a bolt for a rifle or semi-auto handgun, it'll slow the firing pin to a crawl.

I worked in a gun shop for 6 years. A labor of love, but NOT of high pay!:banghead: Most guns brought in for failure to fire, were a victim of the owners using WD-40. They'd use it, then a couple of months later, they'd stop working, gummed up. SOOOOoo what did they do?:confused: Yup, spray some more WD-40 in there. Sure the new stuff dissolved the old stuff enough to get it working again. But not for long.

I had to soak those actions in harsh solvents for days sometimes to even start to get them clean. You say, "how did I know they used WD-40"? THERE'S NO MISTAKING THE SMELL OF THAT CRAP!

I had a failure to fire with my then new 8mm mauser. Failed to fire at all! While the outside had been cleaned of the heavy packing grease, the inside of the bolt hadn't. I was a teenager at the time, sighting in my new rifle for deer hunting.(circa 1962) An old timer at the gun club took the bolt apart, using the table to hook the FP and put a dime in to hold it. Packed solid with heavy grease! A rag and a little of the lawnmower gas got it de-greased, I happily got to shoot it and got 'er done!

[351 WINCHESTER]

Years ago when wd40 came out a lot of us thought it was an answer to our prayer's. Little did we know that it would gum up the mechanism. It was pretty good at displacing water on guns and distributor caps, but a lot of us found out the hard way especially in cold weather.

[bodab]

dont bash WD 40 to bad, it does have its uses! i admit a gun is not one of them but i cant live without it!

[The Bushmaster]

It's GREAT on rusty bolts and nuts, And that's all it's good for.

[jcwit]

Don't bash WD-40 as far as causing rust - check out Brownells newsletter regarding a test they did for protecting bare steel, they used 6 or 8 products all the way from motor oil, gun oil cosmoline, BC Seatch, and /wd-40. Check it out for your self here www.brownells.com/aspc/NS/GunTech?NewsletterArchive.asp?p=O&t=1&t=503

It didn't fare to bad, I just wish we could still get RIG yet. I've been using Inhibitor, V80, by Van Patten Industries, in Rockford, Il

[fguffey]

Hoopie, friend called about a trip to the range, he came home with 5 rounds of new Remington 30/06 that did not fire even after an attempt to fire in another rifle, he called with all kind of questions about Remington Ammo, I suggested someone call Remington, he informed me they said they were not having trouble with primers and or ammo not firing. He said he was curious as to why 15 fired and 5 did not, I explained to him if I was curious I would have already found out. He came over and we pulled the ammo down and weighed, compared, gagged and measured, there was not a .01 grain or .001 thousands difference, I removed the primers, checked and weighed each etc., I then seated the primers back in the cases, chambered them in a P14/30-06 and fired everyone of them without powder, without bullet. The rifle at the range was new, the ammo was new, I believe the Enfield P14 Winchester with the M1917 Eddystone barrel would have fired all 20 cases the first time, there is nothing timid about the firing pin assembly and there is nothing mysterious about the head space.

Moving the primer forward (or) moving the anvil back, when the primer is struck I doubt the anvil moves forward with it, more likely the anvil does not move until the primer hits it, then there is the scary thought that some one would seat a high primer after loading a cartridge or use an inertia hammer to pull a bullet with a high primer, because of the 'trickel down' theory, powder can trickle down through the flash hole and fill the area between the primer pocket and primer, in this case the primer can not move forward without disturbing the anvil, as my friend from Arizona 'usta' say "That is some dangerous stiff". Then there is SLAM FIRE, the primers is seated, no dent, did the primer run into the anvil or did the powder in front of the anvil prevent the anvil from moving forward with the primer?

Trickle down (economics) does not work, the Government can give all of the money to the rich, it never gets to me, give it to me and they wound up with it every time, now there is something that works 'Trickle Up'

F. Guffey

[243winxb]

I suggest you do your own testing as i have. Degrease an old shotgun barrel. Mark off areas for each product. No stray stuff. Apply oils & WD40 (spray in a container and dab on bbl) Let it sit outside for months and watch. After you see what weather does, do the Ocean salt spray test. Get some salt water and spray, see what happens. Break Free CLP is the winner when i tested many years ago when CLP was new and first used by the Military. CLP will turn to gunk soon or later if to much is used, as most all lubes will. Do a 2nd test. Put all lubes in metal containers then slowly warm them till they become a solid or evaporate. See what ones turn to gunk first if at all. Then report your finding to us. Thank you.

[jcwit]

Was just reporting what Brownells came up with and I see the site doesn't work, oh well

[243winxb]

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/GunTech/NewsletterArchive.aspx?p=0&t=1&i=503 jcwit link , hope it works :D NOTE Note that raw steel is especially susceptible to corrosion and is not a true indication of how blued, parkerized, plated or painted gunmetal will react to different environmental conditions GUN CLEANING CLINIC: Knowing The Limits Of Rust Preventives
By: Steve Schmidt

What's Best?
Quite often, I'm asked to recommend the best rust preventive for firearms applications. I know this sounds like a fundamental request, but providing a good, comprehensive answer is not as simple as it seems. More often than not, my initial response ends up being a lot of additional questions like:

* How long will the gun be in storage?
* What type of environmental exposure will it encounter?
* How frequently will it be handled with bare hands? And…well, so on and so forth.


Modern rust preventives are similar to today's hi-tech, chemical gun solvents - no single product is perfect (or best) for all conditions, all the time. If you do a lot of shooting and cleaning, I'm sure you'll agree not all solvents are created equal. Some stomp out powder and carbon fouling with more authority than others, a few work particularly well on lead and copper – still others perform almost magically when it comes time to strip out stubborn wad fouling from a smoothbore.

Likewise, rust preventives are tailored to meet or exceed specific criteria established by the individual manufacturer. A good majority of them are multi-purpose formulas designed to lubricate and/or clean and condition in addition to fighting rust. Products with large percentages of lubricating and cleaning additives may or may not perform to your required level of corrosion protection.

On the other hand, products providing maximum corrosion-resistance may be too messy or difficult to remove for daily use. Understanding these properties is a must in order to select products that meet or exceed your particular application.

To help put things into perspective, let's compare two, very real scenarios. Nowadays, it's not uncommon for large stores, such Scheels and Cabela's, to practice a "help yourself" or "browse at will" policy that permits customers to "pick-up and fondle", leaving behind the remnants of sweaty, acidic fingerprints on every gun they touch. I'd like to believe most shops wipe down their inventory on occasion, but to assume this happens on a daily basis teeters on absurd. Obviously, this situation requires at least a medium-duty, rust preventive that guards against rust caused by daily handling for a full workweek or so. On the contrary, an antique arms collector, who keeps his priceless heirlooms in a humidity-controlled gun safe, and handles them only once or twice a year, can probably get by with something less protective, less messy, maybe even less expensive.

Developing A Test
Brainstorming for this months' Cleaning Clinic generated some interesting thoughts, opinions and speculation from some of our techs and other crew here at Brownells. Summed up, there appears to be an enigma surrounding the performance of different types of rust preventives. What works well for some shooters, could very well fall short for others. So, I felt the best way to assist you with product selection was to try and show the limitations of some of the more common products by subjecting them to a simple 72-hour, environmental test. Since I probably have more in common with Dr. Frankenstein than an Ivy League science graduate, I knew the toughest job would be keeping the test realistic, achieving some identifiable results, and not going too overboard with it. This is what I came up with.

I began by selecting ten products commonly used to protect firearms from rust and corrosion. These were: Birchwood Casey Sheath, Boeshield T-9, Break-Free LP, Break-Free Weapon Wipes, Brownells Cosmoline, Brownells Rust Preventive No. 2, Hoppe's Lubricating Oil, Rig Universal Grease, and Tetra Gun Lubricant. To curb my own curiosity, I also threw in a couple extra lubricants – Valvoline 5W-30 motor oil and the universally recognized WD-40.

The test-bed would consist of 1/8" thick, raw, flat steel plate cut into individual pieces measuring about 5" to 6" long x 1¾" wide. In order to achieve accurate results, each test-bed would need to be as consistent as possible, so I bead blasted the plates to a uniform surface texture. This process removed any pre-existing corrosion and exposed a fresh, unadulterated test surface so every sample would start on the same playing field. Bead blasting also produced millions of microscopic pockets in the metal that would help capture moisture and accelerate rust formation on what would otherwise be a smooth, polished finish.

Starting with the letter "A," I then hand stamped each plate with an identification letter to prevent mix-up during the three day testing process. Plate "A" would be the designated CONTROL plate, left untreated to weather the storm without the protection of any rust preventive whatsoever.

Applying The Test Samples
After designing and printing-out a datasheet, it was time to get down to business and kick-off the study. I wrote "CONTROL" next to the letter "A" on the datasheet and moved the plate stamped "A" temporarily off to the side; then, proceeded to record the name of each product next to one of the remaining letters ("B" through "L") on the datasheet. I made sure to check the datasheet twice just to be sure everything was correct.

Since it's not unusual to use rust preventives on a daily basis, especially if you shoot a lot or carry a concealed weapon, I do consider ease of application and odor to be important factors in the selection process. Therefore, I established a crude, four-level scale for rating sample thickness (or weight). These were: ultra-thin, thin, thick and heavy. Odor would be rated on a numerical scale of 1 to 5, one being no detectable odor and five being knock-your-socks-off, wife-kicks-you-out-of-the-house stinky!

To avoid contamination factors, each test plate was thoroughly degreased with its own, clean rag saturated with Brownells TCE Cleaner Degreaser, then allowed to dry completely prior to applying the rust preventives.

Each sample, with the exception of Break-Free Weapon Wipes, was applied to its respective test plate with a fresh, cotton bore patch to prevent cross-contamination. Weapon Wipes are pre-saturated cloths ready for use, so transferring the product to a patch was not necessary. Since the fluid consistency of the samples varied, I applied them with the mindset that I was protecting a firearm for six months of indoor storage, be it a cabinet or humidity-controlled gun safe. This meant one, even, easy to apply layer on the front face and edges of the plate – no puddling or extra thick coverage was allowed.

Let The Testing Begin
All test plates were positioned flat, sample side up and spaced approximately 2" apart on an unprotected picnic table in my backyard for three days. If you're at all familiar with weather in the Midwest, you know it's not uncommon to experience two or three seasons of weather in a single weekend -– this particular 72-hour period was no exception. We had high humidity, scorching heat, followed by some horrific thunderstorms that produced pounding rains and cool evening temperatures – perfect conditions to grow some serious rust and corrosion on raw steel!

The test plates were inspected at around 24 hours into the study with negligible results, but by day three, things had shaped up nicely.

The Results
After 72 hours of exposure, all test plates were brought indoors for evaluation and photographing. You will notice there are two photographs per plate. The first photograph shows the plate immediately after testing. The second depicts the same plate after degreasing with TCE to remove all loose corrosion. It provides the more accurate representation of overall protection. Note that raw steel is especially susceptible to corrosion and is not a true indication of how blued, parkerized, plated or painted gunmetal will react to different environmental conditions.

Plate A - CONTROL

The control plate was degreased and left unprotected for the duration of testing. As a result, it exhibits the heaviest amount of rust and pitting, covering nearly 100% of the surface area.





Plate B - BIRCHWOOD CASEY SHEATH
Brownells P/N: #167-016-400 (4.5 oz. can)
Thickness: Ultra-thin liquid
Odor Rating: 4 (moderate to strong)


Sheath Rust Preventive is a unique, oil-based formula featuring a special FPR (finger print remover) agent. Its ultra-thin consistency applies easily with a soft cloth and creeps into hidden crevices for thorough coverage. Excellent choice for general wipe down and long term, indoor storage of firearms. Suitable for daily protection in the field, especially in humid and salt-air climates. Factory recommended as a bore cleaner as well. Available in 4.5 oz. and 1 gal. containers, 2 oz. and 6 oz. spray aerosol cans.

Test plate examination shows the water displacing properties of Sheath. Mild pitting and staining is evident; overall metal condition remains good.





Plate C - BOESHIELD T-9
Brownells P/N: #686-900-004 (12 oz. aerosol)
Thickness: Ultra-thin liquid
Odor Rating: 3 (moderate)


Boeshield T-9 is a heavy-duty, rust and corrosion preventive developed by The Boeing Company for lubrication and protection of aircraft components. Specially formulated combination of solvents, waxes and lubricants coats and protects smooth and porous metals from rust and corrosion. Displaces moisture and lubricates at the same time. Dries to a thin, waxy film that will not harm paints, plastics and vinyls. Not easily removed once dried; requires mineral spirits or degreaser. For firearms applications requiring better than average protection against moisture indoors and outdoors. Good choice for long-term exposure to salt-air environments, areas with high humidity or extreme wetness. Available in 4 oz. and 1 gal. containers, 4 oz. and 12 oz. spray aerosol cans.

Test plates reveal minimal moisture penetration and negligible rust formation. Collection of some dust/debris on surface is present. Minor blemishes present after degreasing. Overall metal condition is excellent.









Plate D - BREAK-FREE LP
Brownells P/N: #102-000-001
Thickness: Thick liquid
Odor Rating: 2 (minimal)


Contains polymerized, synthetic oils for excellent lubrication at high temperatures and pressures, plus built-in preservatives to help guard against rust and corrosion. Reduces wear and resists thermal breakdown. Good, dual purpose, lubricant/preservative for the internal workings of semi-auto weapons that receive routine cleaning and maintenance.

Test plate shows moderate rust formation and shallow pitting.







Plate E - BREAK-FREE WEAPON WIPES
Brownells P/N: #102-000-006
Thickness: Ultra-thin liquid
Odor Rating: 4 (moderate to strong)


Weapon Wipes are soft, non-woven cloths pre-saturated with Break-Free CLP, a Mil-Spec oil with cleaning, lubricating and protecting properties. Convenient to use; offers good indoor and outdoor protection against rust when used regularly. Easy to apply and remove.

Test plate shows moderate rust formation, less pitting than Break-Free LP.














Plate F - BROWNELLS COSMOLINE
Brownells P/N: #083-033-016 (1 lb.)
Thickness: Heavy grease
Odor Rating: 2 (minimal)


Heavy weight grease specifically designed for maximum protection against rust and corrosion on all types of metal. Rated to protect polished steel panels from rust for one year in Open Shed Storage and 30 days, minimum, in a humidity cabinet. Thick grease consistency requires more effort to apply and remove. Apply with brush or rag at room temperature or melt in a double boiler for use as a dip treatment. Excellent choice for long-term storage in all environments, especially during shipping. Remove with chlorinated solvents like TCE. Available in 1 and 4 lb. containers.

First test plate shows collection of dust/debris on treated surface but no moisture penetration or rust formation. Slight darkening of the steel was apparent after degreasing. Overall metal condition is excellent.















Plate G - BROWNELLS RP2
Brownells P/N: #083-019-016 (1 pint)
Thickness: Ultra-thin liquid
Odor Rating: 4 (moderate to strong)


Special blend of petroleum distillates neutralizes fingerprints, displaces moisture and helps protect against rust and corrosion. Ultra thin consistency creeps into hard-to-reach areas for complete coverage. Suitable for all day field protection and long-term, indoor storage of firearms. Excellent choice for general wipe-down of all metals. Will not harm stock finishes. Available in 1 pt., 1 qt. and 1 gal. containers.

Test plates show the water displacing properties of RP2. Minimal rust formation and pitting is evident.












Plate H - HOPPE'S LUBRICATING OIL
Brownells P/N: #699-100-003
Thickness: Thin liquid
Odor Rating: 1 (odorless)


Lightweight, high viscosity, general purpose oil safe for all metals and woodwork. Lubricates moving parts while protecting them from rust and corrosion. Specially formulated to resist gumming and hardening; will not become rancid. Highly purified and odorless, so it's a pleasure to work with and safe for stock finishes. Applies and removes easily. Excellent, wipe-down and bore protecting oil for firearms stored indoors. Provides good protection in the field if re-applied daily.

Test plate shows significant rust formation and disruption of the bead-blast finish over the majority of the surface area. Obvious discoloration and mild pitting is present after degreasing.




















Plate I - RIG UNIVERSAL GREASE
Brownells P/N: #756-010-001 (1 oz. jar)
Thickness: Heavy grease
Odor Rating: 1 (odorless)


Clean, viscous grease designed specifically for heavy-duty rust prevention. Applies with a clean shop cloth or cotton swap. Wipe off all excess to leave a thin, protective film that fights rust indoors and out. Leave the application thicker for excellent protection in salt-air or extremely wet or humid conditions. Not easily removed, use degreaser. Available in 1 oz., 3.75 oz. and 15 oz containers.

Test plate on left shows the typical collection of dust/debris common with grease-based rust preventives. No evidence of rust formation or discoloration. The degreased plate shows the metal is unmarked.
















Plate J - TETRA GUN LUBRICANT
Brownells P/N: #316-006-001 (1 oz. bottle)
Thickness: Thick liquid
Odor Rating: 3 (moderate)


Fluoropolymer penetrating lubricant and conditioner designed to reduce friction/wear and fight corrosion. Thick, tacky consistency adheres well to all metal surfaces. Wipe off excess for a good, protective coating indoors and while in the field. Displaces water well. May discolor painted surfaces. Available in 1 oz., 4 oz. and 8 oz. squeeze bottles.

Test plates show uniform water displacement and generally good protection overall. Mild pitting is present.













Plate K - VALVOLINE 5W-30 MOTOR OIL
Brownells P/N: N/A
Thickness: Thick Liquid
Odor Rating: 2 (minimal)


#1 choice of top mechanics, but not recommended for firearms applications. In a pinch, new motor oil of any type/brand will offer decent protection against rust until the firearm can be thoroughly cleaned and lubricated. In emergency situations, I've used both motor oil and kerosene as rust preventives on exterior gunmetal without incident. However, avoid contact with stock finishes and optics.

Test plates show some water displacement value in motor oil. Pitting is present, but the metal is in better condition than CONTROL Plate A.















Plate L - WD-40
Brownells P/N: N/A
Thickness: Ultra-thin liquid
Odor Rating: 4 (moderate to strong)


WD-40 lubricates, cleans and displaces moisture to prevent rust. Manufacturer recommended for firearms and other sporting equipment. Easy to apply formula contains petroleum distillates that could affect certain stock finishes. May cause gumming on internal components and inside receivers. Long-term use on gunmetals has been thought to limit the effectiveness of certain bluing solutions. WD-40 has been around a long time and earned the reputation as an excellent rust preventive for exterior surfaces of firearms. A favorite among old timers.

Test plates show excellent moisture displacement. Minimal rust formation is present; almost no pitting is visible after degreasing.






Pick What's Right For Your Needs
As shown, the properties and limitations of different rust preventives vary dramatically. This allows gun owners to select products that best fit their maintenance style and demands, whether indoors or out in the field. Obviously, storage in a dehumidified gun safe does not present the same challenges as a pack hunt for black tail along the Pacific Coast. Keep this in mind when selecting the best rust preventive for your application. And, be open to switching between products as your firearms change environments.

[jcwit]

Yep that is it. Good report!

[deacon8]

Well, if there was a dent in the primer and you didn't even hear a "pop" of some sort, there is something wrong with the primer. Seated too deep, maybe. There are various other reasons a primer wouldn't go off as well. Primers, like anything, can have defects of some sort.

Point is, if all you heard was the firing pin (and there was a dent), the issue lies in your primer.

[snuffy]

I did not say not to use WD-40 as a rust preventative. On the outside of a weapon. The problem is KEEPING it on the OUTSIDE! It migrates inside all too easily, where it WILL gum up the action. Simple fact is; there is better stuff out there.

While I respect Brownells and their products, that was simply a test of preventing rust. Take those products, use them inside of the weapons, see if they still work after months.

The gunshop I worked at was a Remington direct dealer. He gave me a can of rem-oil to try for when we cleaned guns. Several of the semi-auto shotguns and rifles,(1100 and 7400), came back the week after opening day, which was heavy rain across the state. Although those guns were all very wet, none had failed to fire and function, and none were rusted. Those owners were smart to bring them to use to check over before they stored them till next year.

I just started to use a new,(to me) product. Called eezox. It's supposed to be a good cleaner, lubricant, and rust preventative. Time will tell, it dries to a light film, not sticky or slick to the touch.

http://www.eezox.com/

[fguffey]

If it is going to be parked in the drive way, paint it.

We were at the range when we noticed someone struggling with his pistol, if he had been able to pull the trigger he would have, seems he had purchases a new Dillon and was testing his first loads, he had some cases with a lot of powder, some with less and a few with no powder, it was explained to him what had happened, he wanted the bullet out, we wanted the bullet back in the cylinder, the cylinder was locked because the bullet was stuck between the cylinder and barrel, I thought he was lucky, The pistol was a S&W model 66, We talked him into using our ammo or purchase new ammo, he was surprised his scales would allow him to distinguish between cases that varied in powder amounts if he knew the weight of the other components, he claimed he did not hear anything like a primer going off, I suggested he repeat the test by loading cases with primer only and cases with primer and bullet (no powder), then fire both but get a dowel and small hammer to drive the bullet back into the cylinder.

F. Guffey

[Remo-99]

It starts out as a liquid, then starts to evaporate the solvents in it. They keep evaporating as time passes,(months), then eventually become a sticky varnish like glue.

I gotta agree with Snuffy on that one.
WD40 is great for starting wet motors/outboards, freeing up rusted bolts, displacing moisture etc.
Just like it says on the can, but when it does dry completely, it leaves a sticky residue.

[243winxb]

The Viscosity of WD-40 is so thin that its near impossible to keep it in a bolt of a firearm or any place else.

[33rowdy]

I shot my 30-06 today off of a snow bank. All 16 of them cracked off. All I did was use the new brass. So now I need to figure out what I need to do to the die to make the once fires brass work.