Silicon is there any thing better for preserving modern firearms?

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expeditionx

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I been trying to research this for a while and everything seems to point in the direction of silicon based treatments as the most inexpensive and overall safe way to preserve firearms whether plastic, steel ,aluminum, rubber, or wood finishes are involved. Even though petroleum distillates have been used
in the past with great success, in some cases certain types attack plastics, rubber, and wood finishes and can destroy them. I can't seem to find any reference of a silicon based product destroying plastics, rubber, or wood finishes. Does anyone know of such an incidence where a silicon based product damaged any of these?
 
Yes, I believe the monomeric olefin-based lubricants like BreakFree and M-Pro 7 offer better surface adhesion for protection. There are other petroleum based lubes I'd use well before I'd fall back to silicone.

Silicone does a great job displacing water. But it does not adhere to surfaces well and easily migrates away. Silicone sprays do a fantastic job of drying something that is wet, but not so good long-term or when challenged by handling. I would also prefer a general gun oil, grease, etc. to just silicone. I also used to use silicone as a moisture displacer when I worked as a skier for several years. It was great at getting water out of equipment, but poor at lubricating or providing corrosion resistance.

The lubricant that really shines in different tests is Eezox. I have not tried it yet, but that and Boeshield T-9 are the next things I plan to give a try. M pro 7 is working well for me know - and I live in a very humid climate, though not high-temp.
 
I would be nervous about using clp on wood finishes.
Its also toxic. Clp on everything else I can agree.
 
I would be nervous about using clp on wood finishes.
Its also toxic.
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1) No effect on wood I've observed, or on plastic/resin grips like on older military 1911s.

2) Non toxic. The MSDS are widely available by googling them.

3) Less toxic than most commercial silicone sprays. CRC's can be reviewed here:

http://www.crcind.com.au/catalogue.nsf/%28MSDS%29/808%20SILICONE%203055%20ncr/$FILE/MSDS.pdf
 
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If you really want to preserve a firearm, and you aren't planning on firing it, get some conservators microcrystalline wax. This is the stuff that museums use on all sorts of artifacts.

Make sure there is no active corrosion, heat up the metal to 200 F, brush on the wax. Then coat the wood/synthetic parts at room temp. Wipe off the excess and store with confidence.

EDIT to at link http://www.conservators-products.com/conservators_wax.htm
 
I sort of use what essayons21 recommends. Instead of heating to 200 F, I use White Lightning, which is a mircrocrystaline wax in evaporating carrier. Used for bike chains. I squirt it on and let it dry to a haze and then either hand buff lightly or leave hazed.
 
My favorite , RIG, is no longer available. That had petroleum compounds along with silicone.Silicone has long been known as a non toxic substance and used in cosmetics etc. Silicone spray however has toxic compounds ,as the propellent IIRC.
Note that Silicon is the element and Silicone is the compound !! It was invented during WWII so it's been around for a while in many forms.
 
I sort of use what essayons21 recommends. Instead of heating to 200 F, I use White Lightning, which is a mircrocrystaline wax in evaporating carrier. Used for bike chains. I squirt it on and let it dry to a haze and then either hand buff lightly or leave hazed.
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I recently read an article, can't find it now, about a museum on the Gulf Coast that was hit by Katrina. Metal parts, even those coated in microcrystalline wax, showed significant corrosion, except for the ones which had the wax applied at a high temperature.

I'll try to see if I can find the article, it was very interesting and showed the effects of a number of different conservation techniques vs. a salt-water environment. Basically the only thing that held up was the wax applied at high temp.
 
I hear MIL-C-117960C works well. Aka cosmoline. :)

I believe Break Free. makes a product specifically for term storage. A friend who owns a collection of reallly expensive toys showed it to me once. However, since my not so expensive toys don't gather much dust I didn't pay much attention.
 
Metal parts, even those coated in microcrystalline wax, showed significant corrosion, except for the ones which had the wax applied at a high temperature.
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I would believe this based on my experience. I started using Renaissance Wax a few years ago, applied as directed and not heat applied. I imagine my shock on finding corrosion starting on a 1954 Colt and a S&W 27 thus treated, and one of them in a silicone Bore Store. This was from typical indoor humidity in the Pacific Northwest.

That is one thing that made me give up on the wax vs. M Pro 7, etc. The wax looked great, but did not do the deed as promised. I wonder if it's because most "museums" also temperature and humidity control their collections, so it's already got a leg up? From my experience, the microcrystalline waxes look great, but don't live up to the hype. I was a fan for a while but then was surprised by these results last spring. And these were from indoor storage - I shudder to think how poorly they'd do for field use.

I'll try to see if I can find the article,
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That would be interesting if you could find it. Thank you.
 
I'm sure that wax would not perform better than traditional petroleum based lubricants.

However, are you sure there was absolutely no active corrosion before applying the wax? This is critical if the wax is to work. If you for some reason can't get all of the active corrosion out of the pitting, a heavy petroleum lube would be the best thing until all of the rust stops. If not, the metal will rust out right from under the wax.

The advantage of the conservator's wax is that its a one stop shop for protection of all materials. I am always wary about applying any oils to wood or older rubbers and polymers.

I'm curious about M Pro 7. How does it differ from standard military issue CLP?
 
The lubricant that really shines in different tests is Eezox
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I have been using Eezox for about a year and I really like it. The smell is pretty bad but it is a low visc liquid that will dry and leave a non sticky film. I use a brush to apply, allow to soak in then blow off the excess with an air compressor, then wipe down. I keep the rag in a ziplock bag for quick wipe downs.

IMO Eezox is good for short term storage, if I was going to store a firearm for longer term I would use cosmoline
 
I use regular Hoppe's orange bottle oil. I live and have my guns stored in a fairly high humidity environment, and I have zero problems with rust. I am liberal with the oil whenever I clean my guns, but I am careful to wipe off all excess. I am also pretty neurotic about wiping them down whenever they are handled.
 
Certain petroleum distillates can become a problem on some things.

I know the article is about cars but it kind of makes a good point about avoiding if your not sure what might react with plastics or rubber.
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-im...-wash-wax-for-safer-car-cleaning-1170429.html

Unfortunately, many of the car cleaning waxes and sealants on the market today may actually be contributing to your car’s damage, especially if they contain petroleum distillates as ingredients. Petroleum distillates are used in car care
products because they dissolve waxes and silicones in order to make them spreadable. They will also cut through oily dirt, light grease, and help to lubricate your car’s surface to prevent scratching.

However, that’s not the whole story. What they haven’t told you is that if the petroleum distillates used in your car care products are not formulated properly, they can cause cracking of plastic, rubber, and vinyl. Additionally, when applied to the new generation of softer, water-based paints, the petroleum distillates can remove the sealant, leaving your paint vulnerable to the aging effects of the environment.

They can also dissolve the adhesive on the back of decals, striping, or lettering. Both 3M and Avery, makers of adhesive-backed striping and decals, have specifically recommended against using petroleum distillate-based products on their products.

Petroleum distillates also come with health hazards. They can cause eye irritation, respiratory irritation, and gastrointestinal irritation. And if you’re a green car owner, you’ll want to find an alternative to petroleum distillates since they’re obviously derived from crude oil.

Not all petroleum distillates will cause problems, however. There are different grades of petroleum distillates, but unfortunately, there is no way of know what type of petroleum distillate is used in any one product you may want to use on your vehicle. The only way to be safe, therefore, is to avoid petroleum distillates whenever possible.
 
The lubricant that really shines in different tests is Eezox. I have not tried it yet, but that and Boeshield T-9 are the next things I plan to give a try.
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Boeshield? Now there is a blast from the past. I used that stuff on machine tools for many years in the past and it worked really well. For some reason I've been under the impression it was not available anymore. It came in a solid wax stick format that was great for applying to large machined surfaces.
 
essayons21 said:
I'm curious about M Pro 7. How does it differ from standard military issue CLP?
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Sorry I didn't answer this earlier. It is very similar. From what I can tell, Mil Pro 7 dries a little better and less tacky, but not dramatically different. I don't think one is greatly different than the other.

I agree about caution around stocks. I keep most of mine occasionally touched up with tung oil to give them their own protective barrier. And I apply the oil carefully and to the edge of the stocks and not on them (and periodically remove them and treat beneath).
 
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