Preventing and minimizing sweat damage
I feel for you. Sweat is one of the most corrosive and destructive elements for a gun, as I have learned this from personal experience. My S&W 442 got damaged by sweat during Hurricnae IKE, where I was unable to clean it for a month due to being at work for a month and sleeping on a cot there. I could not reveal that I was carrying. Suffice it to say, it had to stay in my pocket the entire time, and I'd find a port-a-pot to change the set of pants I carried it in when changing. The cylinder experienced the same problems you are describing. I was able to remove much of it with elbow grease and gun oil, but there is still a small amount of visible damage. I'm happy to report that it has not affected the reliability of the weapons whatsoever, as I've fired thousands of rounds since then.
Immediately after I was released from work, I fired several hundred rounds at a range without malfunction. This confirmed my choice and confidence in my j frame and crimson trace laser grips. Many of my co-workers carried pocket/deep concealment pistols in .380, .40 .32, .25 acp, and 9mm etc and were not so lucky. Most of their pocket pistols could not make it through the first magazine. None made it through 3 mags of ammunition. Many had their actions bind shut with rust from the sweat. Many others were rendered non-functional by pocket lint. Only .38/.357 caliber revolvers from ruger and smith and wesson and a glock subcompact were able to stand up as small deep concealment guns and still fire reliably. My j frame survived a months worth of pocket lint, dust bunnies, salt water, rain, sweat, diesel fuel, jet fuel, oil and filth and was still 100% effective. This confirmed my confidence in j frame sized revolvers and glocks. All of the guns had some rust/pitting/and or other discoloration.
To prevent this from happening in the future I switched holsters and use more gun oil and do so more frequently. I switched from a galco leather pocket holster to a Mika's custom holster. I occassionaly use a Uncle Mike's pocket holster as well. Basically I went from using leather holsters where sweat could get through to materials that resisted sweat better. I definitely recommen an impermeable material for your deep concealment holster. Even then in a very hot and humid climate some sweat will get to the weapon as it evaporates and then turns to sweat condensation inside the pocket. I wipe my gun down every day now with some gun oil. It only takes a minute to do. I since have had no futher problems. Only a very close examination will reveal where there was signifigant amounts of rust/pitting.
Hope that helps.
Has anyone else had similiar problems or had to submit a weapons to prolonged exposure to sweat and or salt water? What were your results?
