Surface rust, help needed

[jefnvk]

Here's the problem: I'm in college, and using the dorm gun lockers. I put my 870, 10/22, and 22/45 in the locker, which is a heavy wooden cabinet with a padlock. Two weeks later, I pull them out to use them. My 870 had a light surface rust, the 10/22 had two patches of rust on the barrel (blued), and the 22/45 mags had some light rust on them. Any suggestions? No plugs are available, so an electronic dehumidifier isn't possible.

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteaproduct/623716

Hydrosorbent Silica Gel, you see these small packages in some items, this stuff will absorb the moisture in the air and protect the guns. And when it becomes saturated, can be put in an over for a while to dry out.

This can protects up to 57 cubic feet, they have some smaller ones too.

They also have Tipton rust inhibitor chips, smaller, easier to place all around I suppose.

Good luck!

 

[stevelyn]

Google Vapor Corrosion Inhibitors and see what you come up with.

Here is a suggestion on where to start.

http://www.bull-frog.com/products/index.php

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

http://www.bull-frog.com/products/index.php

A local shop has those Bull Frog Rust Blocker Shields behind all of the rifles racks in the store. They must work, haven't seen any rust on them, even with all the handling the rifles get.

 

[Arc Angel]

Hydroscopic Silica Gel is OK; but it has to be regularly heated in an oven and dried out which is a real nuisance – Especially for someone living in college. Several of the large gun cleaning supply manufacturers offer rust preventatives. I use Birchwood Casey, ‘Sheath’ on the outside of any gun that I’m going to store for more than 3 months. Wipe the gun down with a little kerosene or a light gun oil before use.

In the alternative you might want to coat the outside of your firearms with regular automobile polish. Anything that contains Carnauba wax will work and work well. IOSSO makes a paste just for this purpose it’s called, ‘Gun Brite’. The advantage to using a wax polish is that it lasts a very long time and doesn’t need to be cleaned off the gun before using it, again.

To protect the bore I use the same highly effective, incredibly toxic stuff that Seal Team 6 uses: Sentry Solutions, ‘Smooth Kote’. I honestly believe that you could store the barrel in water after applying this stuff without having to worry about rust. It makes barrel cleaning ridiculously easy, too. Just make sure that you wear Nytrile gloves during application; (You should always wear gloves while cleaning guns, anyway.) and don’t get any on your skin – just inside the bore.

After many years of owning and caring for firearms I’d have to say that the best thing you can do to avoid rust on any firearm is to clean and oil it before putting it away. I usually do mine immediately after shooting - right at the range. (Saves a lot of counter space at home and, also, doesn’t stink up the house.)

Here’s the links:

http://www.iosso.com/metal.htm

http://www.sentrysolutions.com/SmoothKote.shtml

(a) http://www.bostonindustrial.com/bostonindustrial/bit1.htm

(b) http://www.bostonindustrial.com/bostonindustrial/062.asp

http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteabrowse/1/678/655***658***

If you haven’t discovered, ‘Ballistol’, yet, most of my frequently used guns are coated inside and out with this completely non-carcinogenic, safe-for-your-skin mineral oil. Used in combination with IOSSO Bore Cleaner it will clean and protect any gun, no matter how fouled up, of everything except copper jacket residue. (Ballistol is listed at a very good price at the top of the Midway link I’ve cited.)

Good luck with school; it’s an exciting time in life; but remember to spend a few hours studying, too!

 

[Mr. Mysterious]

What about the old gun sock covered in some type of gun oil.

Also, you should tell the administration about their humidity problem and see if they could be a dehumidifier for the room.

 

[Satch]

surface rust

Also wipe the guns down with a silicone rag,stock and barrel. Used that for almost 35 yrs. and ---- no rust.

 

[Werewolf]

I had problems with my Sig P220 and two Ruger Vaqueros rusting. Wiped both down with Breakfree CLP to remove rust. Then wiped them again and left a light coat of CLP (visibly wet) on them. Let it dry. Voila - haven't seen any rust since.

Along the same line: My reloading bench is in the garage. When I first set it up the dies started rusting almost immediately. Again cleaned rust off with CLP and then left a light coat on the dies to dry. Two years later - no rust.

Breakfree CLP - the anathema of rust.

 

[Mannlicher]

Use one of the Goldenrod heaters. Install the 18 inch one in your locker, lightly oil your guns, and store them rust free.

Here is one source for the Goldenrod

http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=931-541&ov=4467

 

[Slimjim]

For surface rust,you can use a incrediably fine steel wool. AKA 4 ought (0000) Anything coarser will take the blueing off, but the four ought will not remove the blueing, i believe you use the 4 ought and gun oil, Rub it over the rust until its gone, the 4 ought is fine enough not to hurt the blueing. And that will get the surface rust off the barrel.

 

[Arc Angel]

For surface rust,you can use a incrediably fine steel wool. AKA 4 ought (0000) Anything coarser will take the blueing off, but the four ought will not remove the blueing, i believe you use the 4 ought and gun oil, Rub it over the rust until its gone, the 4 ought is fine enough not to hurt the blueing. And that will get the surface rust off the barrel.

Good idea! The other thing that works well at removing light surface rust is (Are you ready?) any bore paste like JB, 'Bore Brite' or IOSSO, 'Bore Cleaner'.

 

[jefnvk]

I'll use the 0000 wool on rust. I've done that before, with good results.

Right now, I think I am going to try the CLP and silica gel packets. I would get a heat rod, but there is no plugs available. Thanks for all the responses.

 

[El Cid]

Spray the rust spots with wd-40 or equivalent, the rub with extremely fine steel wool to remove the rust.
Then to store the firearms, take some white petroleum jelly, heat it till it liquifies and spread it on the firearm, inside and out. Run a patch down the bore with petroleum jelly on it. Oil the other parts you can't get to.

I stored my firearms for yearsin high humid areas using this method and never found rust on any of them when I cleaned them. Even firearms that went through the Tulsa flood of 1976 came out unharmed. Except ruined scopes the metal was undamaged by rust.

 

[jefnvk]

Does the Sheath and Petroleum Jelly need to be cleaned off before using? I forgot to mention that most of the time, these guns are going to be used at least on a bi-weekly basis.

 

[JohnKSa]

If you remove the oil with 0000 steel wool, don't add oil until the rust is all gone. The steel wool won't mess up the bluing unless you bear down hard, but when you add oil, the rust and the oil make an abrasive slurry that will be harder on the bluing than the steel wool by itself.

Work carefully with the steel wool and dust it off often to keep the rust from rubbing on the bluing.

There's no shortcut to preventing rust. Blued guns need to be wiped down with a good rust preventive after handling. CLP, Sheath and MP-5 work well but practically any thin oil will do the trick.