I'm just curious to know what the finish is on the Remington 870? I brought one like a year ago over buying a Mossberg 500 being that I believed it had a better finish and would be less likely to suffer from rust problems, but leaving it in the trunk of my car this winter, the receiver and barrel is covered in rust.
What finish is on Rem. 870?
- Thread starter Praxidike
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eagle24
Member
Just my opinion, but I would never leave any gun in the trunk of the car for the winter unless I was wanting a rust finish.
dprice3844444
member
probably a matte type parkerizing.if your going to store a shotgun in your trunk,where temps and humidity can change drastically daily.you need to check it regularly.if you want,you can send it to robar.com for an np3 treatment,or send it to lozok custom arms for a melonite treatment.these finishes reduce the need to constantly check for rust,and wear.
Inebriated
Member
It's a matte blue finish.
If you want superior rust protection, you can either try something like Frog Lube on your 870 and check it every month or so (Frog Lube has worked beautifully for me on 870's), get your 870 professionally Cerakoted, or just sell it and get an 870 Marine Magnum (nickel plated).
If you want superior rust protection, you can either try something like Frog Lube on your 870 and check it every month or so (Frog Lube has worked beautifully for me on 870's), get your 870 professionally Cerakoted, or just sell it and get an 870 Marine Magnum (nickel plated).
jaguarxk120
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The Remington is a "Express" I assume, that finish is sandblasted that's why it is so rough.
The sandblasting leaves a "profile"(almost like a nail file) to the metal then it is given either a bluing or black oxide process. The profile creates area's for rust to take hold unless the finish is kept oiled well.
The Mossberg has a aluminum receiver, they don't rust, and the barrels don't have that sandblasted finish.
The sandblasting leaves a "profile"(almost like a nail file) to the metal then it is given either a bluing or black oxide process. The profile creates area's for rust to take hold unless the finish is kept oiled well.
The Mossberg has a aluminum receiver, they don't rust, and the barrels don't have that sandblasted finish.
The Rem 870 is an all steel gun that has a blued finish. No shotgun finish will prevent rust of a firearm that is exposed to moisture for prolonged periods. Leaving an shotgun in the trunk where its exposed to temperature changes and humidity that produce moisture on the surfaces from condensation is a recipe for rust. A trunk should only be a temporary storage place for your firearm when transporting it, not a place to keep it year round, but if you do you need to do preventative maintenance if you don't want it to turn into a rusted piece of junk.
If you don't want your gun to rust in that kind of environment you need to make sure its is kept well oiled or coated with a rust preventative like sheath, stored in a case that doesn't attract or trap moisture. That means more attention than once a year. It should probably be wiped down with an oily cloth at least once a month and more often if corrosion is seen earlier. Don't use WD40, use a good gun oil and make sure to oil the inside of the barrel as well as all other metal parts inside and out.
A Mossberg on the other hand would be no more or less resistant to rust other than its aluminum alloy receiver would not rust.
If you don't want your gun to rust in that kind of environment you need to make sure its is kept well oiled or coated with a rust preventative like sheath, stored in a case that doesn't attract or trap moisture. That means more attention than once a year. It should probably be wiped down with an oily cloth at least once a month and more often if corrosion is seen earlier. Don't use WD40, use a good gun oil and make sure to oil the inside of the barrel as well as all other metal parts inside and out.
A Mossberg on the other hand would be no more or less resistant to rust other than its aluminum alloy receiver would not rust.
bainter1212
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My friend has a newer 870 and the reciever is parkerized. His is rusted as well.
Liberty1776
Member
My brother's 870 Express was delivered brand new, rusted, from the factory. It went downhill from there...
AI&P Tactical
Member
The only shotguns that Remington Parkerizes is the 870 Police and the 11-87 Police. The Express, Special Purpose and many of the Tactical models have an applied black Oxicide finish. Some tactical models are painted or have a Poly film coating.
If the weapon was parkerized and the parkerized finished was well oiled it would not have rusted.
If the weapon was parkerized and the parkerized finished was well oiled it would not have rusted.
I did a lot of reach looking at Moss 500 vs rem 870 threads and articles, and I was under the impression that all 870s were parkerized and were more rust resistant then the 500s. Thanks for the info. Now I may either sale it and buy a more durable 12 gauge, or I may just get it cerakoted.
Virginian
Member
If you want to leave it in the trunk you need to look at a marine model. Most of those are either stainless or nickel plated. The flat finish is cheap, real Parkerizing is not. It usually costs as much or more than polished bluing.
Boy am I glad nobody told my Mosin M44 that guns can't stay in the trunk without getting rusty!
Before changing my mind about "trunk guns," I had it in the trunk here in the drastic temperature changes of New England for about 2 years.
I had sprayed it up with Eezox, and in two years, without any maintenance, it showed absolutely no signs of rust at all. And that's just a straight blued gun.
Each time I'd check on it, it still had that sweet, kinda cherry, smell of Eezox, even two years later.
Seriously, Prax, your shotgun is a tool. You obviously weren't overly concerned about it in the first place if you put it in the trunk, so why bother getting rid of it, or getting it refinished now, unless of course, the rust is effecting function?
I'd strip it down, use some penetrating oil and wipe off as much rust as I can with a course towel of some type. Some guys like to use steel wool, but I avoid it, as it introduces carbon steel to the surface of the gun, and leaves the little fibers behind which can then rust and make things worse.
Disassemble, use a really good oil that will stay on there, reassemble, test-fire, clean, and throw it back in the trunk if you want. Who cares if the cosmetics are FUBARed? You didn't buy it as a museum piece. If it works, use it.
Before changing my mind about "trunk guns," I had it in the trunk here in the drastic temperature changes of New England for about 2 years.
I had sprayed it up with Eezox, and in two years, without any maintenance, it showed absolutely no signs of rust at all. And that's just a straight blued gun.
Each time I'd check on it, it still had that sweet, kinda cherry, smell of Eezox, even two years later.
Seriously, Prax, your shotgun is a tool. You obviously weren't overly concerned about it in the first place if you put it in the trunk, so why bother getting rid of it, or getting it refinished now, unless of course, the rust is effecting function?
I'd strip it down, use some penetrating oil and wipe off as much rust as I can with a course towel of some type. Some guys like to use steel wool, but I avoid it, as it introduces carbon steel to the surface of the gun, and leaves the little fibers behind which can then rust and make things worse.
Disassemble, use a really good oil that will stay on there, reassemble, test-fire, clean, and throw it back in the trunk if you want. Who cares if the cosmetics are FUBARed? You didn't buy it as a museum piece. If it works, use it.
loose noose
Member
I disagree with the last post, by 19-3BEN, I do believe the WD-40 and 0000 steel wool will remove surface rust and leave the bluing without any problems. It won't however, remove any pitting. As was previously mentioned I wouldn't leave any gun unattended in the trunk of a car for a prolonged period of time any ways.
I am kind of overly concerned lol. I plan on keeping it in the trunk for long periods, so I'll probably will either get a Marine model or have it refinished so that I will no longer have to deal with it rusting. This is the first I'm hearing about how easily the 870 will rust.
DaleCooper51
Member
I would clean it up, throw a coat of Johnson's Paste Wax on it and call it good.
dfariswheel
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Keep in mind that most rust resistant finishes are EXTERIOR finishes and do nothing for the interior of barrels and many internal parts.
You may pull you Cerakoted gun out and find the inside of the barrel badly rusted.
The standard 870 Express finish of bead blasted bluing can be durable and rust resistant if you apply a coat of a good rust preventing lubricant like CLP Breakfree or Ezzox.
Most guns ship with a storage lube to prevent rust during shipping and storage in warehouses.
These coatings are not intended to prevent rust on a gun that's in use.
Remington used to recommend that their parkerized Police guns be field stripped, including the magazine tube assembly and sprayed dripping wet inside and out with something like CLP.
Let soak 30 minutes, wipe off and reassemble.
The CLP will dissolve and flush off the factory storage lube and impregnate the rough finish with a layer of rust preventing lube that works on a using gun.
Since the 870 Express bead blasted blue job is also rough, it "soaks up" the lube and will prevent rust under pretty harsh conditions.
As Dalecooper51 recommended, something salt water duck hunters do is apply a medium heavy coat of Johnson's Paste Wax and warm it with a hair dryer until it melts and soaks into the metal.
This provides a very rust resistant coating.
However, again, most gun finishes aren't going to do anything for the bore or many internal parts like springs and in a damp car trunk you'll almost certainly get rust unless you give it maintenance.
Even Marine model shotguns may rust under the right conditions, but most of them have bores that are also coated, so that would be your best option.
One other option might be to send the gun out to have it hard chrome plated.
Everything except springs can be hard chromed and that's a very rust resistant finish that lasts a life time.
You may pull you Cerakoted gun out and find the inside of the barrel badly rusted.
The standard 870 Express finish of bead blasted bluing can be durable and rust resistant if you apply a coat of a good rust preventing lubricant like CLP Breakfree or Ezzox.
Most guns ship with a storage lube to prevent rust during shipping and storage in warehouses.
These coatings are not intended to prevent rust on a gun that's in use.
Remington used to recommend that their parkerized Police guns be field stripped, including the magazine tube assembly and sprayed dripping wet inside and out with something like CLP.
Let soak 30 minutes, wipe off and reassemble.
The CLP will dissolve and flush off the factory storage lube and impregnate the rough finish with a layer of rust preventing lube that works on a using gun.
Since the 870 Express bead blasted blue job is also rough, it "soaks up" the lube and will prevent rust under pretty harsh conditions.
As Dalecooper51 recommended, something salt water duck hunters do is apply a medium heavy coat of Johnson's Paste Wax and warm it with a hair dryer until it melts and soaks into the metal.
This provides a very rust resistant coating.
However, again, most gun finishes aren't going to do anything for the bore or many internal parts like springs and in a damp car trunk you'll almost certainly get rust unless you give it maintenance.
Even Marine model shotguns may rust under the right conditions, but most of them have bores that are also coated, so that would be your best option.
One other option might be to send the gun out to have it hard chrome plated.
Everything except springs can be hard chromed and that's a very rust resistant finish that lasts a life time.
AI&P Tactical
Member
The Express matte finish does not soak up oil. It is an applied surface finish and if not oiled, or if the oil is rubbed off, it will get a surface rust. This rust will not penatrate the finish and wipes off. This is what the finish is designed to do. After a day out with the Express simply wipe it down, apply a light coat of oil and wipe off the excess. It will be fine.
It is parkerizing that soaks up oil. Think of parkerizing as a micro sponge wrapped around the steel. It has thousand of tiny pores and these soak up the oil. Since the surface is rough this oil is not removed by touching the gun. That is why it has been used on Military and heavy use weapons for over 100 years.
It is parkerizing that soaks up oil. Think of parkerizing as a micro sponge wrapped around the steel. It has thousand of tiny pores and these soak up the oil. Since the surface is rough this oil is not removed by touching the gun. That is why it has been used on Military and heavy use weapons for over 100 years.
toiville2feathers
Member
What kind of gun case do you have it in. The imitation leather or plastic are great for trapping moisture and causing rust.
It always amazes me that some gun owners, spend big bucks on nice guns, bigger bucks on glass and slings and then put them in cheapo cases.
It always amazes me that some gun owners, spend big bucks on nice guns, bigger bucks on glass and slings and then put them in cheapo cases.
I've used it on polished blued surfaces, like when I had to clean some freckling off my Ruger Security Six, but the polished surface is conducive to simply wiping off any fine metallic fibers so that a rust problem doesn't develop. An oily cloth (especially microfiber) would capture it and remove it from the surface of the gun.
I would be afraid that on a bead blasted, rough finish like my Rem 870 express, the rough finish would capture the fine pieces of steel and would make it very difficult to get them out. Much the way a rough finish can capture oil in the pores, and can catch dust and lint, there is no reason it wouldn't do the same with steel wool. So I would not use it on a bead blasted finish, but on a smooth polished finish I would not have a problem.
Of course, that's just what I do with my guns. Your experience may be different and lead you to a different conclusion.
200Apples
Mojave Lever Crew
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Look, if you think you want a Mossberg, then get one. How obvious is it that it's not the manufacturer of the gun, it's the finish... and these finishes are common to [most-] all long- and handguns.
Leave any traditionally-coated (blue, parkerized, black oxide...) firearm unoiled and/or otherwise ill-maintained in a condensation-rich environment and it will develop rust. Doesn't take an Einstein to figure that one out.
If my post seems "testy", it's because I'm growing tired of the brand-name/model-number bashing when the situation is really just an example of user neglect...
Look, if you think you want a Mossberg, then get one. How obvious is it that it's not the manufacturer of the gun, it's the finish... and these finishes are common to [most-] all long- and handguns.
Leave any traditionally-coated (blue, parkerized, black oxide...) firearm unoiled and/or otherwise ill-maintained in a condensation-rich environment and it will develop rust. Doesn't take an Einstein to figure that one out.
If my post seems "testy", it's because I'm growing tired of the brand-name/model-number bashing when the situation is really just an example of user neglect...
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