Rustproofing Shotguns?

Chum King · 08-30-2002, 08:12 PM

I do a lot of duck hunting on the Oregon Coast, and am constantly fighting rust on my shotguns. I have tried a multitude of oils, greases, sprays, lotions, etc. in trying to get the perfect protection. Even with my best solutions, by the time I get home, my shotgun is usually well on its way to a nice orange coat of rust. I thought I would pose the question to the forum. Have any of you found a product that is effective against rust in the saltwater environment?

08-31-2002, 02:07 PM

Johnsons Paste Wax. Rub on metal and wood and let dry, rub second coat and let dry. Buff off. Water will bead off all day. It worked in SE Alaska, 168" of rain per year.

fish forever · 08-31-2002, 08:51 PM

you could get it teflon treated from a gunsmith. Pretty spendy though. I think it starts at $200+ and goes up from there.

Flatfish · 08-31-2002, 09:10 PM

Unless it's an heirloom or has other value(hey it's a duck gun...right?)paint the thing.Think about it,cars are metal but don't rust(OK coast cars rust but only after years of exposure)so there it is.If paint is out of the question,buy another,get it plated,or fight a losing battle..
Good Luck.
Mark.

Doc Spratley · 09-01-2002, 05:45 PM

Chum King, back in the early 70's, I guided in southeast Alaska. We spent a lot of time on salt water in small craft, traveling from one hunting area to another. As Keta has already suggested, we used paste wax constantly to avoid rust and pitting on all metal exposed areas of our firearms. I honestly don't ever recall it failing to perform. I still have some firearms from those days. None of them have a spot of rust on them. The key is to clean, clean, and clean some more when you get back home. A royal pain that pays off big dividends when around salt water. Hope this helps.

Dogfish · 09-01-2002, 08:40 PM

All of my Mossbergs wear a coat of derusto primer followed up by a custom rattlecan camo paintjob. Use an olive green for your gun, then place a fern over the gun and lightly shoot it with some black. Two tone paint jobs look the best.

Take the gun apart and block off any action access as well as muzzle and breech parts and the ports on your ported barrels, (tightly roll up a piece of paper into a cylinder and insert far enough to block the ports).

They aren't heirlooms, and they still shoot just as well. Just don't set them down before daybreak or you might not find it until light.

springer4you · 09-10-2002, 09:59 AM

Hi everyone,
Thought this might help, I found this on the web......

As an avid outdoorsman who participates in many hunting activities as a source of recreation as well as food for my table, I've gone through a dozen or more products to protect my guns from rust while in the field. But every gun oil and "rust inhibitor" I've used has failed miserably during my waterfowling outings where mud, salt water, rain and moisture is prevalent.

Then several years ago I realized I had the solution right in my hand while I was lubricating the drive chains on my two-wheel drive trail bike. After reading the product description and test results provided on the label, I knew I had found the ultimate rust preventer for my guns and other outdoors equipment that was prone to rusting during its use in the field.

Motorcycle Chain Lube comes in an aerosol spray can and is distributed under many brand names; the one I am currently using is from a NAPA auto parts store. It sprays on in a foamy yellow liquid which allows it to hold well on items such as motorcycle chains while it penetrates the links and rollers. And its inherent quality to adhere to the metal surface without being thrown off during high speeds is a very important factor in this application.

A Saltwater Spray Test is the ultimate method for determining which lubricants and rust preventative oils will adhere to the metal and protect it from eventual exposure to the elements. In every test, motorcycle chain lube held up better than any other gun oil and lubricant tested. And by a factor many times better than the next best product. If you take your guns and other equipment into the field where the possibility of rusting may occur, chain lube is the best protection you could ever use.

Field Note: Never use WD-40 on any equipment or guns you wish to protect from rusting. Although this product is a lubricant and penetrant, it is NOT a rust prevention product. It is designed with an inherent quality to absorb moisture, not repel it. If you have ever had a wet ignition switch on your boat or moisture in your distributor cap, you can use WD-40 to absorb and "dry" the contacts to allow electrical continuity again.

Fishbone · 09-10-2002, 12:23 PM

Parkarizing can provide an attractive, glare-free protection for exterior surfaces; interior parts probably still need something like the chain lube...interesting suggestion, by the way.

Chum King · 09-11-2002, 04:19 PM

Well, thanks for all the input. :smile:

Being ever the mad scientist, I will give both the paste wax and the motorcycle chain lube a test this season. One technique per shotgun, and see how they hold up.

I'll report back to the group at the end of the test.