Keeping my rifles rust-free

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nrgetik

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I cleaned my Mosin-Nagant of cosmoline about a 3 weeks ago and have been keeping it indoors, however I took it out the other night for some compare & contrast (my cousin bought one), and noticed some light rusting at the base of the bolt handle, as well as around the collar slots.

Given, I live in Florida so the humidity is probably a factor here, but 3 weeks? It made me wonder what might happen after only a year.

After I cleaned it of the cosmoline I did give it a good spray down with CLP, but apparently that isn't going to be sufficient.

So what are my options here for protecting these things? I've since purchased another Mosin and while I'm open to the idea of buying cases for the guns, at the same time it could wind up being cost prohibitive for me. Maybe some kind of solid grease? Any suggestions welcome
 
A light coat of oil should do it. if you have a safe, consider getting a "dryrod" that creates just a bit of warmth to keep humidity levels in the safe low.
Did you oil all the metal parts after cleaning the cosmo off?

p.s.
make sure to check the chamber and bore if the bolt handle is showing signs of corrosion.

p.s.2 -- if you fired corrosive ammo through it did you clean it enough to remove all the corrosive salts from the primers. I always run a couple of patches soaked with windex, and wipe the bolt down also, before leaving the range. The ammonia neutralizes the salts, just clean as normal when you get home. if left uncleaned after firing, the salts will eat the thing alive.
 
How are you storing them?

If they are inside a safe of any sorts get a golden rod (low voltage heated rod that helps keep humidity down) fairly cheap.

If you putting them in a gun case, than don't. Find another method for storage, or at least do not seal the case.

Browning also has a little deal that supposed to put some kind of chemical into your safe to prevent rust. Don't know the name of it off hand, but it's around 10-15 bucks and lasts a year or two.
 
Yes, I oiled the metal parts after cleaning the cosmo

I did fire corrosive ammo through it, but I already knew about the Windex trick and I sprayed some through it immediately afterwards

They aren't inside anything. I don't have a safe. They were leaning up against the wall in my closet.
 
me to good old W-D 40 on all my guns. machinist threading oil works good to it will also help hide any scatches on your wood
 
corrosion x and eezox is great stuff. also keep them in silicone socks. then keep them in rifle bags. last but not least, and maybe the best, look for vci emitter liquid, or discs. Carters Country in Houston sells them in cloths, and cardboard chips. vci liquid has been around about 40 years, the military-army used to coat the inside of 'elephant rubbers' with this stuff, and then you put in your ar, no rust. i throw a couple of cardboard pieces in my rifle bags, none of my rifles ever rust. You can order straight from the company as well, just type in vci emitter discs, they are about the size of a silver dollar, and have a peel off sticky side on the back. the emit the vapor, that coats all your metal parts. no rust. I once did an expirement with these, on a 70 year old marlin 22, that had no bluing whatsoever, just bare steel, in a fur lined bag, in the back of a leaky trunk, in Houston, from February, when it was rainy and cold, up through April. Pulled rifle out of bag, no rust.
 
check your local Wal-Mart in the housewares section for closet desicant. It comes in about a 1 quart box, you put it in the closet for about a month and then dump out the water and throw it away. It's way less expensive than a dehumidifier.
 
Are you positive it wasn't already there?

A Mosin ain't exactly a new rifle, nor were they typically in the hands of collectors who slaved over keeping it clean before they got their Cosmoline bath. Most of them have some surface rusting and blemishes.
 
clean with water, not windex.
Click to expand...
+1
First time I used Windex was the last time. After a week, there was rust in the bore. Since I've been using plain hot water, the bore has never rusted on me. Get the metal hot enough, there is generally no need to wipe down left over water droplets. It will just evaporate.
 
I've had guns in extremely humid conditions. Never had an issue as long as I made sure there weren't any fingerprints on it.
 
Another vote for Corrosion X; they sell it direct, google it.

It's got a real affinity for metal as well- it tends to creep across the metal surface, even against gravity.

My winter car is a used Subaru, a 98. The previous owner probably took it to a quick tire change place who crushed the welded ribs at the bottom of the rockers, cracking the paint and exposing metal. As I live in Michigan, and other parts of the car are already showing corrosion, I sprayed the rockers down with CX. By the next day, the overspray I got on the bottom of the doors had crept up to the character line on the body, mebbe 20".

It also keeps the rust off my SIG 228; they're rust prone.
 
Ok guys, I'm definitely buying some Corrosion-X since it's fairly cheap, and while I was looking into the gun socks and the VCI emitter discs (which are way too expensive by the way), I stumbled across this:

"4 - Pk. Beretta VCI Gun Socks"
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=405038

For $10 less I could get the standard silicone socks (because I'm going to need 4 anyhow), but the general consensus seems to be that VCI is best - what I'm wondering is, will this sock perform just as well as the discs do? There aren't any reviews for these yet which is why I'm sketchy on buying them; anyone have any experience with them?

Thanks again
 
Wax. Paste wax that you use to protect cars, others have had success with Johnson's wood wax but I've never used it so I dunno.

You want something that will stick in place and form a moisture barrier. You've seen how water balls up on a just waxed car haven't ya?
 
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