Most Corrosion Resistant Handgun

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zdc1775

zdc1775

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I am looking for a service sized handgun, that is still concealable, to carry while kayaking and backpacking. The main requirement for this handgun is that it be extremely corrosion resistant. It doesn't matter if it is a semi-automatic or a revolver as long as it is at least 9mm or 38spl+p.

I am just starting to look into this possible purchase so I really have no idea what I'm really looking for, just that I am tried of having to detail strip my 1911 every time it takes a dip in the river. That being said I don't want a Glock as I cannot shoot them accurately in a dynamic type situation.
 
Stainless XDm models come to mind, as well as a S&W 686+ or Ruger GP100 in .357. I guess if it was a beating around in a river gun, I'd probably go with the XDm.

What ever you choose, I'd go with polymer and stainless steel guns.
 
Any S&W M&P, any black slide Ruger SR, and any black slide Springfield Armory XD. All three have nitrided slides and bbls (as do glocks) which is much more corrosion resistant than stainless steel.

Supposedly the SIG P226 and MK25 sold to the public have same corrosion resistant coated / treated internals as the guns that Naval Special Warfare gets. Even though it's a big pistol it wouldn't be too hard to carry in a Safepacker holster from The Wilderness - http://www.thewilderness.com/safepacker-concealment-holster/.
 
I have always thought that hard chroming a stainless steel firearm, whether it be handgun or rifle, would be the most rust resistant.

Now days there are so many different finishes offered in addition to hard chrome such as NP3 and Black T it makes deciding what is best difficult.
 
The SEALs carry SW686s for sea operations, I'd take that as a good endorsement for a wet-weather pistol.
 
The trouble is that even stainless guns typically have carbon steel parts in the actions. And many have carbon steel barrels. Finding a truly stainless gun might be a real problem.

There's also the issue where "stainless" isn't. These steels should be more accurately called "rust resistant". And the degree of rust resistance is related to the alloy makeup. Sadly the more highly rust resistant alloys that are commonly seen used for making boat parts are the softest and worst grades for use as gun parts.

So..... I'm thinking that by all means look for a basic stainless gun but find one which is easily field stripped and flushed out and re-lubed. And alter your method for doing so in order to avoid the need for detail strip downs.

For example once field stripped the Tokarev action lifts out as a unit and there's no main spring sealed away in a separate housing like a 1911. So once the action module complete with hammer is lifted out the trigger bow, bow spring and magazine latch are exposed clearly. At this point a hosing down with WD40 and shake blow it out will flush away the water and leave a "good enough" lubrication to protect the workings until you get home. The whole thing shouldn't take longer than 3 minutes tops. Less as you gain practice.

The firing pin is in the slide on most guns which makes it hard to flush out any water. A spray tube size hole drilled through the hammer track would allow for easy flushing with WD40 to flush out any water. And the remaining light oil won't impede proper operation for a few days.

Now I'm not saying that you should get a Tokarev. But it's an example of a gun which is easy to clean without a lot of detail stripping.

Things to avoid for an easy to flush clean gun include such things as the sealed in mainspring that lives behind a piston/follower such as seen with the 1911. You want the spring to be fully exposed once the grips are removed so the area can be flushed clear of water with a spritz of WD40.

Any gun that will see this sort of treatment should likely be modified to give you a "flushing port" which is a drilled hole into the firing pin or striker area so once again a can of WD 40 can be connected and the firing pin or striker area flushed clear so WD comes out the firing pin openings on the slide face and rear of the slide.

One 9mm that I'm familiar with which fits this sort of description is a CZ75. Once the gun is field stripped and the grips removed there is nothing that you can't see and easily flush out with WD40 other than the firing pin. And the tube spout hole to allow you to pressure flush that area would not be hard to do.

Another option that I suspect would also work well is a S&W or Ruger revolver. Both have enough openings once you remove the grips that the insides are easily flushed out with a good spray of WD40 then allow the excess to drain out. The only trouble spot might be the array of "tubes within tubes" that form the ejector group of the cylinder. I can't think of any way to flush that area out well.... which pushes me back to suggesting something in semi auto which has all the areas exposed with a basic field strip and grip scale removal.

The only revolver that would be easy to flush clean of water would be a Ruger Blackhawk. The single action design is easy to pull the cylinder and grip scales and flush out all the areas. The action is easily reached with the tube nozzle of the can of WD40 through the mainspring opening in the frame, trigger opening, cylinder stop bolt opening and down through the hammer when it's cocked back. Again the whole process could be done in under 5 minutes with just a little practice.

In any case I'm not advocating that you rely on WD40 as the only lube you ever use. But if you had to flush out water and the other lube during a trip I will suggest that the light oil left behind after the solvents evaporate will do you for the rest of that trip. Or at most you'd just need to oil the slide rails to get by. Once home I'd flush clean again with something more suitable such as Ed's Red, shake and blow dry then lubricate specific spots as needed with regular oils or greases. Here again, with the right choice of gun where the parts are all exposed fully with minimal tear down this won't require a full on detail strip down. Just a field strip and that one hole into the firing pin channel.
 
Glock.

Smooth mandrel-forged, tennifer-treated barrel makes bore pitting a pipe dream.

Slide is also tennifer-treated, and is very smooth and burr-free. The subdued stampings and slide serrations are very smooth.

Almost all internal steel parts are nickel-plated. Even if they rust, there are only a couple places where steel rides on steel. And every Glock part that could rust or break or be lost is readily available at a low cost.

There could be others as good, but no one knows. We know Glocks are good because so many owners take it upon themselves to abuse their guns and post their findings on the internet. Just google "Glock + rust."

I would not be as confident with an M&P, because... well, google "M&P + rust."

Edit: sorry, didn't see the last sentence of the OP. No wonder it hasn't been mentioned, yet.
 
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New guns....

Per your remarks, Id suggest a stainless S&W SD9 or SD40VE in stainless with Trijicon HD sights(orange).
This simple, DA only(striker fired), light weight semi auto pistol can defend you & hold up well. Smith & Wesson offers a lifetime service plan & the pistols run around $280-350.00 USD.
You can go the extra mile & get Metalife or Robar NP3+ on the slide/upper and extra magazines. note; any custom work might void the S&W factory warranty. :(
A semi auto pistol with a lanyard(leash) would be smart for marine environments or outdoor sports.

Rusty
www.slickguns.com www.gunsinternational.com www.galls.com www.policehq.com
 
Two different situations are mentioned by the OP. Backpacking will not require any special type of gun or special care. The gun will be either in the pack, out of the weather, or holstered where reasonable care will keep it from severe damage.

As for rafting or kayaking, the simplest protection method is to drop the gun in a ZipLoc (tm) storage bag. It will be totally protected and if really necessary a finger can poke through the bag to work the trigger. (I am not a kayaker, but I find it hard to envision a fast draw while controlling one of those little boats.)

Jim
 
I would go with a Glock. IIRC Chuck Taylor left a G17 underwater for a year in Hawaii. Warm water more saline. All he did is rinse it off, no cleaning, and it went on to shoot tens of thousands of rounds with no issues.
 
Folks, the OP doesn't want a Glock. Please respect that.

As far as what makes Glocks so rust resistant it's the Tennifer treatment of the slide and barrel. Tennifer is just a trademarked name (owned by Durferrit of, not Glock) for one of many nitride processes. Melonite is another name trademarked by Durferrit for the exact same process. There's nothing magical about Tennifer. Glock adopted it earlier than others, but the exact same finish or competitors equivalents are available on handguns from many other manufacturers.

The comments about finishes like hard chrome, NP3, electroless nickel, and similar finishes are also well worth considering.

zdc, if having an advanced finish from the factory (thereby not voiding the manufacturer's warranty) is important the S&W M&P VTAC pistols have a PVD finish. There are also distributor exclusives, like the TALO Ruger SR9c with DLC coated slide, that you might want to investigate.
 
ugaarguy said:
Any S&W M&P, any black slide Ruger SR, and any black slide Springfield Armory XD. All three have nitrided slides and bbls (as do glocks) which is much more corrosion resistant than stainless steel.

Supposedly the SIG P226 and MK25 sold to the public have same corrosion resistant coated / treated internals as the guns that Naval Special Warfare gets. Even though it's a big pistol it wouldn't be too hard to carry in a Safepacker holster from The Wilderness - http://www.thewilderness.com/safepacker-concealment-holster/.
Click to expand...

+1 to the sw m&p line. Not only does it have the melonite (tenifer) coating, the slide and barrel are stainless.
 
The Sig P226 does not have the same internal treatment that the Mk. 25 does. HKs have a "Harsh Environment" finish and would certainly be suitable for the OP's purposes.
 
How about a Smith and Wesson SD9VE? Mostly Stainless and plastic, and at the cost you won't cry as hard if it ends up in the rapids.

Not sure what the issue is with shooting Glocks, but it may carry over to the SD9. The internals are ridiculously close to a Glock, but the ergonomics are better in my opinion. The trigger has a heavier pull than the Glock as well, which can be a plus or a minus depending on your opinion.
 
In my experience, Sig's Nitron finish is impervious to about everything I've put it up against.
 
Sorry to be so late to respond back but it's been a hectic couple of days. Thanks for all the great suggestions and to be honest I had no idea that the Melonite on M&P's was the same finish as the Tennifer on Glocks. That actually makes this an easy decision as I was wanting to buy an M&P for a few months now. Just have to actually decide on the caliber first.

On a side note I had a few minutes between work and class yesterday so I stopped by the LGS and they had a nice used GP100 Stainlees that really caught my eye for $444.99 so that might end up following me home too.
 
Glock with an aluminum or stainless ZEV Fulcrum trigger. That should help you shoot it a bit better.
 
Everyone seems to be focused on what the outsides are finished in and how rust resistant such things will be. But you still need to be able to break it down and flush out the insides after a swim. The bits and pieces in there don't have a Tennifer or Nitron coating.
 
Walther PPQ Navy....

Walther came out with a new version of the PPQ series called the Navy.
It has a special design to let water, crud, sand, etc seep out. ;)
PPQs in .40S&W or 9mm(9x19mm) could do well too.
I stand by my suggestion to buy a firearm with a hole or lanyard slot.
Blackhawk, www.blackhawk.com was started by a retired US Navy SEAL. He sells leashes & gear for marine ops.
If I'm not mistaken, the FNH FNS pistols have lanyard slots.
The robust FNS has night sights & 3 14/16 round magazines.
Many offer the Davidson's lifetime warranty if you seek them out.

Rusty
PS; you may want to think about a cheaper LE trade-in or surplus pistol. That way if it's damaged or lost, you aren't out hundreds of $$$.
 
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