Stainless Steel...really needed in rainy weather??

[saturno_v]

Let me tell you first that Im not fond of SS firearms..I like the look of good old bluing or at least any sort of black finishing.

I heard from many sources that stainless steel is not really indispensable (contrary to what many people and gun magazines say) even if you plan to hunt, let's say, in the coastal region of Alaska (rain + salt water issues)

They say, just put some extra care, make sure you dry off your rifle (maybe even take out the stock at the end of your hunting session)

You can also put some protective coating on it before you go out in bad weather....seems to be a good way to make sure that your blued rifle doesn't get ruined...what is the best product in the market for this purpose??

So what is your take on the issue?? Bluing aficionados are "condemned" to SS firearms in crappy meteo conditions or not???

 

[bpl]

Stainless requires less care, but certainly not no care. If you diligently dry and oil your blued firearms, they'll be fine.

 

[jmr40]

Maybe not necessary, but my "go to" rifles are stainless with quality fiberglass stocks. The metal can be protected, and a few areas of surface rust are really character marks on a riflle that has been used and do not bother me at all.

I have seen too many wood stocks split or change a rifles point of impact in humid or rainy conditions to really want one for a once in a lifetime opportunity.

 

[9mmepiphany]

i'm a fan of stainless in a working rifle and if a rifle is available in both, with just a small difference in cost, i will usually get stainless...that's how i got sucked into a Steyr Pro Hunter, when CDNN was having their Steyr sale....along with a polymer stock. i also prefer plastic mags over metal ones.

but then i'm not very good bout maintaining my guns in a timely manner...that's why i don't shoot black powder or corrosive ammo...so every little bit helps.

not that i don't love the look of wood and blued steel. i love to look at and caress my Anschutz 1412 or Weatherby Mark XXII (the old ones) and no Mannlicher stocked rifle look right in stainless...but that's just an appearance thing

 

[saturno_v]

Synthetic stocks do not bother me at all..Actually I kind of like them, if they are quality ones...

 

[hillbillydelux]

Stainless Steel...really needed in rainy weather??

Nope. Just need oil and a rag.

 

[R.W.Dale]

Stainless Steel...really needed in rainy weather

Neither is the top on my jeep but both make the experiance much less miserable

 

[gyvel]

If stainless finishes bother you that much, you can always spray paint them with some good quality matte black paint. In general, if you are in a very humid climate, either by virtue of contant rain or salt air, you are far better off with the stainless.

In a rainy situation, water will absorb into the wood stock and cause problems down the road, unless the action is removed from the stock and the stock meticulously dried after each outing. Of course, this will cause eventual warpage and, as jmr40 stated, this is going to change your point of impact.

 

[CajunBass]

You know. There hasn't always been stainless steel, or synthetic stocks, yet somehow or other, guns survived out in the weather. Even bad weather.

 

[kis2]

i've had plenty of blue guns in the weather that hold up fine, just have to clean them.

i'm of the mindset though that no matter what the fit or finish, i'd clean my weapons all the same anyway. meticulous that way.

on this note (but without stealing the OP) how about parkerizing? good inbetween?

 

[Z-Michigan]

The major benefit of stainless is that commonly used grades are easier to machine than common 4140 and therefore stainless barrels are often slightly more accurate. The downside is that they usually wear out sooner. Corrosion resistance is a minor plus, but (1) stainless suitable for barrels is not nearly as corrosion resistant as stainless used for tableware or highly corrosive applications, and (2) properly hardened non-stainless barrel steels don't corrode all that easily unless you get salt on them.

Pick what you like. As for protection, I use Boeshield T-9 as a protectant on all metals and really like it. It turns into a waxy coating that is fairly durable. It gets among the best reviews for corrosion preventives. Other options getting good reviews are Corrosion-X and Breakfree CLP (aka military CLP).

Edit: parkerizing is extremely corrosion resistant in non-saltwater environments (any rain or general freshwater exposure). I'm not sure how well it holds up in salt spray, but very few materials hold up in salt spray. Parkerizing holds oil well and works great with the same protectants listed above.

FWIW, there are two common kinds of parkerizing, zinc phosphate (gray/green, common on Garands and other WWII items) and manganese phosphate (charcoal black, used on the M16 steel parts and most current military weapons). Both work well but manganese works a bit better.

 

[saturno_v]

I do not like parkerized finish either...

I'm ok with "tactical" matte bluing.

 

[Horsemany]

There are protective products that will protect bare steel (not even blued) from several saltwater sprays. I run my own tests. Gunslick Gun Seal, BF CLP, Corrosion X, Eezox, and Boeshield will keep your gun rust free through DAYS of rain.

 

[ozarkgunner]

I just bought a new lever action rifle about a month and a half ago. Regular blued steel barrel and reciever, wood stock. I don't particularly care for stainless guns/rifles. Too flashy to me. I'm not really concerned with the metal componants getting wet, because if the do get wet while out with particular weapon, it will be cleaned, dried and lube with in that day, or next 12 hours.
My questions is, how will the wood stock and forward piece be affected by wither a little moisture from a damp day, a light drizzle, or a full on down pour, or accidental dip in a creek, river, or lake. It has a factory finish on it. Will it be fine like it is if broken down and dried, or is there another gun finish for wood components that I can use? Could I use a standard water sealing wood finish like a varnish or poly urethane. I don'e how ever want a glossy finish.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Doesn't matter at all if you wipe them at the end of each day with an oiled rag. If you're gonna spend 3 or 4 days in the woods without wiping, then I'd say deep blued is not the best choice. So it just depends on how much time and care you devote to the rifle, as to whether or not SS is "needed".

 

[R.W.Dale]

Remember that post shower oiling on a blued gun also means removing the action from the stock. And without a inch lbs torque wrench this could mean POI shifts.

While not rust proof stainles gives you a few days to perform this operation vs nightly

 

[New User]

Growing up on the coast of Oregon, and having lived in Sitka, Alaska, stainless steel and synthetic gets my vote. I clean my guns a lot, but sometimes, on multi-day hunts, a full cleaning is impractical. My brother continues to shoot wood stock rifles, and missed a deer this fall because of it. He spent a day still hunting in a heavy rain, and his soaked barrel shifted his rifles POI, causing him to miss 2 shots at a deer. He tested the warped stock theory with a milk jug set at 150 yards at the end of the day, so it was not him, or the scope, which he used the following week to take a 4X3 black tail.

I'm over on the drier, east side of the state now, but I am picking up a stainless synthetic 7mm-08 Hawkeye on Thursday.

 

[DBR]

If you take a blued rifle out of the stock and properly treat it with Eezox you won't have ANY problems with corrosion even with limited salt spray or sweat.

Wood stocks are another matter. I would not choose a wood stock for any serious gun these days there are just too many variables. There are none with a quality synthetic stock.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Another trick...'Butches' paste wax, put this stuff on, let it dry and buff a bit...puts a thick, tough coating on the metal.
Do the entire rifle and your good all season on the exposed parts of the firearm, good for years under the wood line of the stock.

Most of the factory, free floated barrel channel, epoxy sealed wood stocks do well in inclement weather.

Boeshield, as horsemany mentioned is also good, not as good as the Butches wax, but good none the less, it is a wax in a alcohol type vehicle, the alcohol evaporates leaving the wax behind.

Higher carbon S.S., such as used in the manufacture of firearms, needs 'some' protection to inhibit surface rust formation.

 

[gyvel]

You know. There hasn't always been stainless steel, or synthetic stocks, yet somehow or other, guns survived out in the weather. Even bad weather.

Until you take the action out of the stock and see all the pitting below the wood line...

 

[CajunBass]

Until you take the action out of the stock and see all the pitting below the wood line...

It's not the fault of the material, if YOU don't preform routine maintenance.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

I just realized that above I wrote this:

If you're gonna spend 3 or 4 days in the woods without wiping, then I'd say deep blued is not the best choice.

So please allow me to add that, If you're gonna spend 3 or 4 days in the woods without wiping, then you're also gonna need to bring your own tent, cause you ain't sharing mine!