Good Morning Fellas. I have poured through the search function and I have not found the answer I am looking for. I am looking for a good rust preventative I can mix at home from commonly available oils or other chemicals that can be found at the local Lowe's, Wal-Mart, or Home Depot. I am very familiar with Ed's Red and various home mixed gun oils and their suggested use. My inquiry has more to do with long term storage. Up to 6-8 months at a time. I travel for work and I need to trust that my weapons will be preserved and maintained in the humid heat of the south, the hot humid atmosphere of the jungle, and prolonged excursions in country. I am not looking for recommendations on a commercial product thats already on the market for guns, and I'm not looking to answer questions as to WHY I won't use a commercially available product. Im well aware of Ballistol, TC9, Gunshield, and the like. If you have experience with home mixed rust preventative then by all means, chime in. Thanks Fellas...
Rust Prevention in Stored Firearms
- Thread starter Butterbean
- Start date
I kinda like a mixture of STP and MMO, but it smells a bit and is messy. I have a few that are protected by something along this line:
JHZR2
Staff member
I don’t think you can go wrong with a variant of eds red with a bit more oil and lanolin, less solvent.
I am familiar with the lanolin addition to Ed's Red, I have not mixed a batch and tested it yet though.
Vasoline or paraffin or lanolin with and a small addition of an oil with a rust inhibitor.
You can include something that volatilizes as a carrier if you want to be able to spread it thin.
Make sure that what you use is compatible (to your satisfaction) for the components you put it on.
I'm pretty confident that Vasoline is good on its own, and isn't going to mess up any plastics or varnishes of wood stocks.
You can include something that volatilizes as a carrier if you want to be able to spread it thin.
Make sure that what you use is compatible (to your satisfaction) for the components you put it on.
I'm pretty confident that Vasoline is good on its own, and isn't going to mess up any plastics or varnishes of wood stocks.
I have some old stretched out wool socks sprayed with Rem Oil that I've put revolvers and small autos into. This seems to work well. Also consider getting a dehumidifier for your safe. Simple silica gel desiccant packs will help, too.
Hi.
Fwiw i have always had good results when using Birchwood Casey 'Barricade'.
I also bought some silicone treated 'gunsocks' from Midway. I am a little uncertain of them now though. Will the cloth of the sock maybe hold any moisture and keep it up close the the Firearm? Are Guns just best left protected by the product of your choice and just left alone to 'breathe' for the want of a better word?
Fwiw i have always had good results when using Birchwood Casey 'Barricade'.
I also bought some silicone treated 'gunsocks' from Midway. I am a little uncertain of them now though. Will the cloth of the sock maybe hold any moisture and keep it up close the the Firearm? Are Guns just best left protected by the product of your choice and just left alone to 'breathe' for the want of a better word?
JHZR2
Staff member
What is your intended test? Cleaning? Longevity? Rustproofing?
I don’t think any of the components in there require testing, you should just bias the ratios to meet your needs, thus the recommendation to go lower on solvents and higher on atf and lanolin.
Another option could be fluid film cut with ATF. I bought real thick lanolin for my Ed’s red. It was very heavy and messy to work with, which of course means it’s tenacious to keep on. The small jars of fluid film, come with a brush, might be a bit more fluid, easier to remove, and easier to mix…. Yet don’t have carriers and solvents like the aerosol.
Wipe down with fluid film and don’t give it another thought.
Get yourself a tooth brush and qt of quality motor oil. Hit the metal parts, and store the gun in climate control where it has good airflow to breath. Not in foam cases. 6-12 months is nothing unless you live in a salty harsh humid environment. If you do, clean thoroughly and consider a long term cosmoline type preservative.
CorrosionX. Great product. It even smells good. I wipe down all my long term storage guns with CorrosionX.
G96 will solve all your problems with no mixing. Even smells decent. Used for many years on blued guns, mil arms, etc.
Evaporates and leaves protective film.
Evaporates and leaves protective film.
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I grew up around firearms my father would use Remington rem oil. I recently purchased my 1st handgun .380 ruger, I was going to search the site as well for a gun oil and suggestions. I'm coming across on other sites that 3-1 works well it's a light weight, non gumming oil with good lubricating property. I like that it's readily available and not overpriced because they stuck "gun or firearms" on a label
In regard to the shot gun, it hasn't moved from its current position in more than 2 years, other than when I pick it up to inspect it on occasion. I cleaned it after the last clay pigeon shooting I did, and ran a swab loaded with Remington Gun Oil down the barrel, wiped down the outside with it, and put it muzzle-down on the same microfiber towel. She's loaded and ready for whatever.
I recall seeing a controlled 198 hour test of wet steel plates placed outside : Frog Lube and Hornady One Shot both took home top honors for rust prevention . While Frog Lube offers good rust protection I prefer other gun specific oils for slides , actions , sears , etc. as Frog Lube (as well as other plant based lubes) have shown to gum up over time . Hornady One Shot is a dry lube and a very interesting product offering both protection and lubrication . For great traditional gun oils consider Weapons Shield , Slip 2000 EWG , Lucas Extreme , FP-10 , M-Pro 7 and G96. For a single do it all product the Breakfree Mil Spec CLP should be considered .
Nothing beats proper humidity and temperature control. My weapons are stored in 70-80*F @ 25-35% humidity. Even bare, un-oiled steel typically does not rust for many months in that environment. That said, I have found BreakFree/Safariland CLP to be one of the best rust preventatives, even compared to the latest and greatest stuff I've tried (**** near everything...). That said, I prefer SLIP2000EWL in my suppressed AR's, and Forward Controls Design Snake Oil on my Benelli shotguns and other things that are not suppressed.
I have a few barreled actions and a nice shotgun in storage for over 15 years now with no signs of rust whatsoever. I wiped them down with a rag coated with 3 in 1 oil, on the exposed areas and ran a few patches with oil down the barrel. Then I wrapped them in Saran Wrap nice and tight, and spiraled electrical tape in a barber shop pole pattern to keep it sealed tight. I opened one up when I first saw this thread to check it and it was perfect. I re-did it and put it away again. I'm pretty sure any good gun oil or engine oil would work just as well.
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