Gun rust prevention and treatment

Pete,

I'm surprised with your comments on Breakfree - it is my go-to saltwater protector. It may be that your expectation is that you can put it on a couple times and it will last the season, where I soak my gun most every time after the hunt. WD-40 lasts part of a day against salt and Breakfree lasts multiple days (at least on my Benelli, which is the gun I use most of the time on the salt).

As an aside - this is the point of the thread where an "expert" will say that WD-40 and breakfree (and others) will build up a film and get gooey, unlike whatever magic stuff they use that is the same as the Navy Seals.

T
 
Tod,

My experience with Breakfree ended last year on opening day when my new SxS developed rust by the end of the day after being totally covered with the product. had been using it for several years. I had noticed that when I oiled down real good with BF it could sit in the corner for a long, long time and never had a rust problem BUT as soon as I touched the metal with my fingers it would quickly rust. That never happened with WD-40. Lee Harker always was a fan of RIG so last fall I started using it and am now a fan myself. I keep a wool pad applicator and a jar of RIG around all the time. I still use WD-40 on occasion for some guns and some situations but I only use BF for an action lube - it still works pretty good for that. I'll never rely on it again for the exterior protection on any gun.
 
I've been using gunscrubber clean my guns and breakfree or Ezoxx to lube/protect my guns. So far it's held, and like Tod decribes "You wipe after a dump - wipe your gun down when you have it in the salt" I keep an oiled cloth in a ziplock (to wipe my gun-- for those wise guys).

I learned a long time ago, never to leave my gun in a case in the closet.
 
Tod,

My experience with Breakfree ended last year on opening day when my new SxS developed rust by the end of the day after being totally covered with the product. had been using it for several years. I had noticed that when I oiled down real good with BF it could sit in the corner for a long, long time and never had a rust problem BUT as soon as I touched the metal with my fingers it would quickly rust. That never happened with WD-40. Lee Harker always was a fan of RIG so last fall I started using it and am now a fan myself. I keep a wool pad applicator and a jar of RIG around all the time. I still use WD-40 on occasion for some guns and some situations but I only use BF for an action lube - it still works pretty good for that. I'll never rely on it again for the exterior protection on any gun.
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Interesting. Thanks for the info - I don't know what to make of it though. Maybe breakfree needs a surface with some tooth (like parkerization) to stay on - I sure am happy with it for my use?!?!

T
 
Thanks for the info Bill. When I was using WD-40 I tried to keep it just on the outside of my guns. Though the build up isn't severe it is certainly enough to cause havoc with the action. Interesting comments on BreakFree.

You are also correct, "use what works for you". We all expose our guns to different environments and level of care. What works for one may not work for another.
 
Pete,
As an aside - this is the point of the thread where an "expert" will say that WD-40 and breakfree (and others) will build up a film and get gooey, unlike whatever magic stuff they use that is the same as the Navy Seals.

T
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LOL...Actually, I'm going to take your bait...but I'm no Navy Seal, just a former Infantryman/Armorer with the 101st who was fortunate enough to be allowed to test/experiment with our issue solvents/lubricants and be allowed to test alternatives for them. Your innuendo is correct, but the details are a little crossedWD-40 WILL leave a film that will 'heat' harden, much like cosmoline. While this can be good for protection of the metal surface, it's very bad for moving parts/gas systems, and very hard to remove. CLP is a 'do-all', so it does most things passably, but none great. It is dangerous in moving parts/gas systems due to it's 'cleaning' properties and the way it migrates throughout the system, carrying dirt and carbon from one place it collected it from, and depositing it somewhere else it has no business being, and it also attracts dry matter. Purpose-built oils, protectants, and cleaners will always work better than the multi-purpose chemicals, because they don't have to compromise one requirement for another...just the nature of it. For a spray-on protectant, Eezox has worked best for me. If you name it, I probably have it or have had it in my fluid shelf. It all has a use. If it works for you in that use, use it. Everyone exposes their firearms to different things. Many always see wet and never dry. Some dry and never wet. Some always salt and never fresh, cold/hot,etc. We were VERY specific on where, how, how much, and what lubricants we utilized. We had to be. Otherwise, I'd have weapons down all over an entire brigade, and someone with rank demanding to know why. LOL
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Thanks for taking the bait. I will add that this isn't a generic discussion - this is a specific discussion about keeping firearms from rusting when hunting them in the saltwater. So I'll take it eezox is your best suggestion for saltwater. What is your general use routine when hunting saltwater? Eezox on the outside, and something else on the inside? What do you put on the parts that are subject to rust, but need lube - like the bolt?

I'll add, not to be overly confrontational, that eezox is labeled by the manufacturer as a cleaner, lube and rust preventor - seems like a "do-all" compromise product like breakfree from that read.
 
??? The 'best' for salt has already been discussed, IMO. That's Black/Green T. My internals typically get Protec, Slip 2000, or a concocted lube oil, but not CLP, EEzox, WD-40, etc. Eezox may advertize as a do all, but it's primary origin was as a protectant. It will take a heavy solvent like acetone, etc. to truly remove all of the eezox from a metal surface for it to be painted, etc....typically, that's not the case with CLP, WD-40, etc. It's been a lot of years since I had to contend with salt water on a regular basis, though I was almighty careful of my AR, pistols, and shotgun in NO after Katrina...that was salty AND shitty water. Th only recommendation I have for that stuff is: don't.LOL....If your want to crank up an argument over what your favorite saltwater remedy is for your guns, be my guest. I'm just attempting to pass on what little I happen to know that's first hand.
 
??? The 'best' for salt has already been discussed, IMO. That's Black/Green T. My internals typically get Protec, Slip 2000, or a concocted lube oil, but not CLP, EEzox, WD-40, etc. Eezox may advertize as a do all, but it's primary origin was as a protectant. It will take a heavy solvent like acetone, etc. to truly remove all of the eezox from a metal surface for it to be painted, etc....typically, that's not the case with CLP, WD-40, etc. It's been a lot of years since I had to contend with salt water on a regular basis, though I was almighty careful of my AR, pistols, and shotgun in NO after Katrina...that was salty AND shitty water. Th only recommendation I have for that stuff is: don't.LOL....If your want to crank up an argument over what your favorite saltwater remedy is for your guns, be my guest. I'm just attempting to pass on what little I happen to know that's first hand.
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Only thing I'm cranking up is an understanding of why one do-all product is inferior because it is a do-all and the product that is called a do-all by the manufacturer is better... You can understand my confision... you say you have problems with breakfree because it tries to do everything and say eezox is better. My interest is piqued, mayble I'll try some of this eezox stuff - so I go to the eezox website and read: "We believe we have the best line of one-step products on the market to clean, lubricate and prevent rust a...". Huh?

No question, you obviously know a lot about different stuff to put on different parts of a gun and if that is your interest that is cool and I can see your angle. I'm interested spending as little time dicking around with my gun as possible and in a system that keeps things working with as little effort as possible under the saltwater conditions I hunt in. My guns look good and they work and I don't spend much effort at it, so I guess I shoudl be happy.
 
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wouldn't leave home without it....if it builds to the point where it effects performance the interior parts get hosed with carburator cleaner, (which if any different, other than being half the price, from Gun Scrubber, I can't tell from either smell or effects), which renders it clean and dry and ready for a re-application of WD-40.....

For me a dipped finish, (and yes I acknowledge the fact that solvents will remove it--in some cases spectcularly--here's a thought--don't spray the dipped protions with solvent...as in DUHHHHHHHH), and a gun with over half of the "action" being non-ferrous material and that is "inertia" rather than "gas" operated makes the choice easy.....

Bill's coating sounds great and I'd be checking that out if I had interior parts other than the hammer and the trigger made out of material that rusted......

Give me a non-gas gun, that has the major portions of the guts made out of non-ferrous material, dip the rest and DO NOT STEAL my GIANT can of WD-40 and I'm a happy duck hunter....one that doesn't have a rusted gun, or one that fails to cycle....

Different strokes for sure....


Steve
 
LOL...marketing. It's always better for sales if your product can 'do it all'. CLP was developed in a direct attempt to do all of those things. Eezoz is not the only one of the multitude of products developed for a specific purpose that figured out it would work enough at everything else to market them that way and increase sales. I'm not saying Eezox is all that and a bag of chips. I found something it's very good at: staying on metal even in wet conditions. I am not saying CLP doesn't work. It will/does/has. However, knowing what it's propensities are enables one to use it in a way that's best for his gun....pun intended.LOL Example: In a wed environment, you can almost IV feed CLP into/onto an automatic weapon, and it will flush itself of moisture, etc. In a dry environment, CLP is almost as completely removed as possible from all parts, to eliminate dust capture. Most 'oil' will allow dust to stick, but CLP is a magnet for anything particulate. So long as it's working for you, where you use it, it's great. I utilize it in cleaning and some preserving functions, simply because it will dissolve carbon over time and flow stuff from places I can't see or remove it. Ask any soldier who has ever used CLP as a cleaner what happens to his weapon by the next day: it's seemingly dirty again. That's CLP doing the things it does well: grabbing/holding contaminants and flowing. Typically, I'm a K.I.S.S. sort of person with firearms, as well. I have learned that what sometimes seems more PITA on the front end can save a huge PITA on the back side of firearms use in general. There are some very smart chemical and fluids folks out there, but I'm not one of them. I merely hope I listened well when I should have. If you honestly want to know what I use for 'oil' much of the time, it's a bulk refrigeration pump synthetic oil and ATF mix....cuz I can be cheap when it works. LOL
 
Ask any soldier who has ever used CLP as a cleaner what happens to his weapon by the next day: it's seemingly dirty again.
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In the guards we ran into this every year during our annual inspections. We would spend a whole weekend cleaning every weapon in the armory. I would inspect our platoons weapons, run swab down the barrel, it come out clean. Three weeks later, the inspector would do the same and it would come out black with carbon!
 
LOL...marketing. It's always better for sales if your product can 'do it all'. CLP was developed in a direct attempt to do all of those things. Eezoz is not the only one of the multitude of products developed for a specific purpose that figured out it would work enough at everything else to market them that way and increase sales. I'm not saying Eezox is all that and a bag of chips. I found something it's very good at: staying on metal even in wet conditions. I am not saying CLP doesn't work. It will/does/has. However, knowing what it's propensities are enables one to use it in a way that's best for his gun....pun intended.LOL Example: In a wed environment, you can almost IV feed CLP into/onto an automatic weapon, and it will flush itself of moisture, etc. In a dry environment, CLP is almost as completely removed as possible from all parts, to eliminate dust capture. Most 'oil' will allow dust to stick, but CLP is a magnet for anything particulate. So long as it's working for you, where you use it, it's great. I utilize it in cleaning and some preserving functions, simply because it will dissolve carbon over time and flow stuff from places I can't see or remove it. Ask any soldier who has ever used CLP as a cleaner what happens to his weapon by the next day: it's seemingly dirty again. That's CLP doing the things it does well: grabbing/holding contaminants and flowing. Typically, I'm a K.I.S.S. sort of person with firearms, as well. I have learned that what sometimes seems more PITA on the front end can save a huge PITA on the back side of firearms use in general. There are some very smart chemical and fluids folks out there, but I'm not one of them. I merely hope I listened well when I should have. If you honestly want to know what I use for 'oil' much of the time, it's a bulk refrigeration pump synthetic oil and ATF mix....cuz I can be cheap when it works. LOL
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Bill, this has grown tiresome. To be clear, I'm aware the utility of the different lubes for different environments - just to bring you back from the desert in a military situation we are talking saltwater duck hunting. You say, if CLP works for me that it great, but then go on to say CLP sucks ass, just ask someone in the service that has tried it in the desert.

From what I can tell you have ZERO (Suttonesque emphasis gratuitously employed) experience with duck hunting in saltwater and keeping guns in good shape year-after-year under those conditions.

T
 
( I deleted the quote crap, as it was too huge.)

Tod,
I never said CLP 'sucked' anything. I am not fond of it for certain uses. I'm merely trying to help, all while being decent about it. My hunting/toting a firearm in saltwater on a regular basis ended when I moved away from coastal AL, MS, and LA back in the early 90's....but (as I recall), it was salty, and stuff did rust, especially when stuck in the swamps of Eglin AFB for a week or so. Now, maybe I forgot a thing or two about all of that? You, seem to want to put words in my mouth and thump your chest over some typing, at the same time claiming to be tired of it? I figured we were having a discussion about all of the angles involved, not a peeing contest over something. I'm not taking issue with what you like, or know, or don't. Nothing I've said refutes what you like, etc. Tell you what, if Derek decides that my posts detract from his thread, I'll delete them all and then you can re-start any argument you have in PMs or something?
 
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( I deleted the quote crap, as it was too huge.)

Tod,
I never said CLP 'sucked' anything. I am not fond of it for certain uses. I'm merely trying to help, all while being decent about it. My hunting/toting a firearm in saltwater on a regular basis ended when I moved away from coastal AL, MS, and LA back in the early 90's....but (as I recall), it was salty, and stuff did rust, especially when stuck in the swamps of Eglin AFB for a week or so. Now, maybe I forgot a thing or two about all of that? You, seem to want to put words in my mouth and thump your chest over some typing, at the same time claiming to be tired of it? I figured we were having a discussion about all of the angles involved, not a peeing contest over something. I'm not taking issue with what you like, or know, or don't. Nothing I've said refutes what you like, etc. Tell you what, if Derek decides that my posts detract from his thread, I'll delete them all and then you can re-start any argument you have in PMs or something?
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Following this thread I'm sure there will be a rush on Black-T and slip 2000 and that the parent companies of WD-40, CLP and triflo will go bankrupt. I'm talking to my broker and adjusting my stock portfolio as we speak.
 
I think I may have mentioned Pro-Tec, also, so don't leave them out....I'm not sure what the brand is of compressor oil or ATF I have used, so I'll try to get that for you, too. BTW, you need me to paint over the labelling on the bulk cans of WD-40 and CLP I have on the shelf, too? ;)
 
be nice to see the price of WD-40 drop.....that way I can use twice as much on the gun and then use it straight out of the can on my hands for my "rhuemetis" instead of going cheap and using the stuff that drips off the gun........

Steve
 
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Steve,

You probably already know this.............heck you probably invented it but, one of my most recent Aaahaaas about WD-40 is that it is the best thing I ever found for removing pitch, aka pine sap, from skin, floors, fur, car seats, etc.
 
steve, we've got a good argument going here and your not involved. are you feeling ok? and by the way, dont ever use wd-40 on a fishing reel in a "saltwater environment". thats death...
 
Pete...I don't reckon I invented any of that but I have used it for that.....know what it REALLY excels at? Nothing....absolutely nothing....removes slug slime like WD-40....heck its even better at that than it is at keeping guns from rusting.....

Mark...I'll go throw away the 15 or so spinning and bait casting reels that I wasn't aware that the WD-40 that I was spraying on them all these years was destroying....just to be sure how do I tell when they are trashed? Perhaps when my Coffe Grinder Penn's smooth out and run quiet like the high dollar Shimano's.....DAMMIT I knew that smooth was bad......

Between Round entertainment provided free of charge.....gentlemen, you may resume your pissing contest.....

Steve
 
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