Fighting rust...rust never sleeps

[festus]

I have travelled extensively with firearms and have found that tossing a dessicant pack in the case and sealing it with vinyl tape along the seams goes a long way towards protecting precious cargo.

[Jes]

I just try to buy stainless guns!

Otherwise I just hose them down with Breakfree CLP and let it dry without wiping it off. If I am really worried (Alaska) I wax them.

Some good reports on the silicone impregnated gun socks.

[Glockster20]

Good info Festus! Years ago I had a MAK-90 (Norinco AK-47 knockoff), I miss her. When I stored this weapon in it's soft case, I would toss in a couple of dessicant packs. This was the routine when traveling as well. When I sold it, there was not even a flea bite of rust on it. Dessicant packs are easy to come by and work great for gun storage.

[skipster]

Has anyone used a product called Zorb-It Ci™? According to their sales pitch it does not have to be recharged.

Zorb-It Ci™ is for guns and ammunition. It adds a powerful Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor to the double-action of Zorb-It. Zorb-It™ reduces moisture as it stabilizes the relative humidity in your gun bag, case, or safe. The "Ci" element protects exposed gunmetal surfaces with a patented non-greasy micro-thin coating of vapor corrosion inhibitor. Zorb-It lasts indefinitely without the need for replacement or regeneration. The Ci element depletes in 10-years. Both are combined into one convenient packet. a world first. Zorb-It Ci is in professional use worldwide.

[THE DUKE OF ESSEX]

Thanks festus, I forgot I had a couple of long guns packed away in soft cases. Guess I better check on them, and toss in some desiccant packs before the rust starts.

[festus]

Thanks festus, I forgot I had a couple of long guns packed away in soft cases. Guess I better check on them, and toss in some desiccant packs before the rust starts.

I cannot stress enough the importance of not storing guns long term in a soft case. They cannot breath. Rust will happen. A gun vault or cabinet with a dehumidifier or desiccant is preferred. A hard case with desiccant and custom foam cut-outs is better than nothing...as long as you use desiccant.

Clean and oil monthly at a minimum.

Inspect for rust weekly

Treat rust immediately (this is coming from a guy who lives in Florida and has already damaged a prized family heirloom because of rust.

please learn from my mistakes!

[THE DUKE OF ESSEX]

I took them out of the bags and no damage done. Oiled everything down, and have them standing at attention until needed.
Thanks again for your post, i might have messed up a couple of nice carbines.

[AR Hammer]

Long Term Storage?

How "Long Term" and how well stored?

My IDEA of 'Long Term'...
Airtight sealed tube full of rust preventive oil stored in a temperature stable environment?

A full dip in rust preventive liquefied grease and stored in dry air tight tube in stable temperature environment?
(Anyone remember Cosmoline? a Wax more than a grease, and it's still available)

My idea of 'Stand By' storage,
Humidity controlled environment, which should take MONTHLY care.

READY STORAGE,
Behind the truck seat, needs to have the bolt KICKED open, but still functions most times!

[wolfhunter]

There is a good review of rust preventative products in this month's issue of Gun Tests.

[AR Hammer]

I'm like every armorer I know, I HATE Cosmoline!
But it DOES work because it's so hard to penetrate and it gets into EVERY nook, cracks and crannies...

REALLY hard to get out unless you boil the darn firearm to get it out, and boiling takes effort, makes a mess and generally ruins your day (Or Days, depending on how many you are un-crating).

If you need to break something loose,
There is NOTHING LIKE KANO AREOKROIL!
Been a machinist, gunsmith/armorer, welder, farmer for most of my life, about 40 years, and I've never seen ANYTHING like this stuff!

Expensive, but goes a long way, and it simply WORKS when nothing else will!

Link: Amazon.com: Kano - Aerokroil Penetrating Oil, 10 oz. aerosol (AEROKROIL):…



At around $10 a can, you REALLY don't want to be using it for a job WD-40 or PB Blaster will work,
But if you have something REALLY STUCK, this is the ticket!

I recently had a full length hinge on a trailer door that hadn't opened in about 4 years, so it was rusted SOLID,
Been soaking it with WD-40 for over two weeks, two or three times a day and trying to work that hinge enough it wouldn't bend the frame...

No luck.

One does of AreoKroil and 20 minutes later it was working, two more doses and it worked like new!

Just to see if it was a fluke, I dosed the hinge on the other side of the storage/tool box that hadn't had anything done to it (Worse shape than the first, and I 'KNEW' I was going to need replaced),
Turned out in 30 minutes the Areokroil had knocked it loose!

Two or three more doses and it was working like new!

Just knocked loose the bolt in a Bren Gun that had been stored unprotected in a basement since the owner got sick (Very old),
One afternoon soaking in Areokroil and it works like new...
Still needs a good cleaning, but it cycles and cycles SMOOTH!