High humidity & rust
Moderators: Bullseye, Moderators
High humidity & rust
What is the best way to prevent/combat rust on my mark lll 22-45 in this high humidity? I try to keep all my guns wiped down with a lightly oiled cloth & I don't have a problem with my highly blued or my SS guns but this ruger pistol is quick to start trying to rust. I've been slopping it up good with oil but I have to tear it down & clean it before I shoot it. You know how heavy oiled rimfires make for a dirty, quick to malfunction mess. I thought about some of the moisture control products available but I don't have a nice big gun safe yet & I keep most of my guns in a locking metal cabinet & it's not airtight by any means. I keep my ruger in a soft side zip up case inside the cabinet, is this a good idea or would I be better off to not store it in the soft case? Any ideas? Thanks. Biggjimm.
In youth we learn,
In age we understand.
In age we understand.
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bigfatdave
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charlesb
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The fancy dehumidifiers for gun-safes are very similar to aquarium heaters but at a much lower wattage, and they don't have to be waterproof.
- You can get the same effect by burning a ( real, incandescent ) light bulb in your cabinet.
A 25 watt bulb would probably do, it's low-level heating over a period of time that acts as a desiccant.
It's the outside of the gun where rust is most pernicious, I'd give it a wipe with Mobil One synthetic motor oil before putting it away. - The synthetic oil "sticks" better, it seems to me, not drying out so fast as most of the gun oils do.
In fact, I have a number of gun oils around the shop, but most of the time I find that 3-in-One oil or Mobile One really do the best job.
In hindsight, I hate to think of all of the money that I have spent on 'gun oils' that were not demonstrably better than 3-in-One, or Mobile One motor oil.
I keep thinking back on my Uncle's guns that I admired as a kid. - They always looked pristine and worked perfectly, but all he ever used on them was Hoppes#9 and 3-in-One oil.
Works for me!
On the subject of rusty guns: One time I bought a fancy heavy-barreled .223 that had the black phosphate finish that is non-reflective.
That was the worst rusting firearm that I have ever owned. - You could get it as clean as a whistle, oil it up good and put it away - and the next day an oily patch rubbed on the barrel would come away looking like a maxi-pad.
I tried various fixes and finally gave up on the gun, selling it at a loss rather than continue to mess with it.
Later on I bought an AR15 with the same finish that appeared to be rust-proof, despite the fact that the gun got very little attention and was handled almost constantly.
- You can get the same effect by burning a ( real, incandescent ) light bulb in your cabinet.
A 25 watt bulb would probably do, it's low-level heating over a period of time that acts as a desiccant.
It's the outside of the gun where rust is most pernicious, I'd give it a wipe with Mobil One synthetic motor oil before putting it away. - The synthetic oil "sticks" better, it seems to me, not drying out so fast as most of the gun oils do.
In fact, I have a number of gun oils around the shop, but most of the time I find that 3-in-One oil or Mobile One really do the best job.
In hindsight, I hate to think of all of the money that I have spent on 'gun oils' that were not demonstrably better than 3-in-One, or Mobile One motor oil.
I keep thinking back on my Uncle's guns that I admired as a kid. - They always looked pristine and worked perfectly, but all he ever used on them was Hoppes#9 and 3-in-One oil.
Works for me!
On the subject of rusty guns: One time I bought a fancy heavy-barreled .223 that had the black phosphate finish that is non-reflective.
That was the worst rusting firearm that I have ever owned. - You could get it as clean as a whistle, oil it up good and put it away - and the next day an oily patch rubbed on the barrel would come away looking like a maxi-pad.
I tried various fixes and finally gave up on the gun, selling it at a loss rather than continue to mess with it.
Later on I bought an AR15 with the same finish that appeared to be rust-proof, despite the fact that the gun got very little attention and was handled almost constantly.
Thanks guys. BFD, when you say rechargeable, how does that work? First thought is like my black & decker drill is rechargeable but I'm guessing that's not what you're talking about. That makes sense about the synthetic oils adhering better & not drying out with all their ptfe properties & what not. I remember my gpa using 3in 1 oil & his guns from 40+ yrs ago that I now have are still pristine. I think a lot of these "new" products that are coming out all the time are nothing more than the same old stuff in a fancy new bottle. The marketing gimmicks tend to catch a lot of people. Like new & improved- stick a new colorful label on it & call some new miracle wonder juice & everyone goes ape over it. I guess that's why these marketing strategist get paid such big money to figure out how to sell us the same product we bought yesterday & charge us more money & we stand in line to buy it. I'll try that syn. oil out & ditch the soft case & get some kind of moisture control in there.
In youth we learn,
In age we understand.
In age we understand.
'Til BFD gets back, the dessicants can be "recharged" by a short heating in your kitchen oven. They come with exact instructions.
My home stays heated and air conditioned, where my humidity is around 55%. I keep my handguns in those silicone treated gun socks. I don't have a safe, but two Stack-On lock boxes. Upgraded to better locks, bolted to a closet floor. The closet is behind a chimney, and they have bogus labels that they are a "Fire Suppression System" with high voltage inside. Well, that might make someone leave them alone......
My home stays heated and air conditioned, where my humidity is around 55%. I keep my handguns in those silicone treated gun socks. I don't have a safe, but two Stack-On lock boxes. Upgraded to better locks, bolted to a closet floor. The closet is behind a chimney, and they have bogus labels that they are a "Fire Suppression System" with high voltage inside. Well, that might make someone leave them alone......
* 2 Ruger Bearcat stainless, w/ EWK ejector housings & Wolff springs
* Ruger SP-101 .22LR, w/ Wolff springs
* 2 NAA Guardian .32ACP
* 3 Zastava M70 .32ACP
* S&W 15-22 Sport (.22LR AR)
* 2 Ruger SR22 .22LR pistols
* Ruger SP-101 .22LR, w/ Wolff springs
* 2 NAA Guardian .32ACP
* 3 Zastava M70 .32ACP
* S&W 15-22 Sport (.22LR AR)
* 2 Ruger SR22 .22LR pistols
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blue68f100
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- Location: Piney Woods of East Texas
Like Rugger 22 said they are recharged but heating them up in the over for a couple of hrs at ~200F. This drives all the moisture out and there ready for use again. You can make your own using a low wattage light bulb. The dehumidifier Wonder Rods are pretty cheap.
Syn oils are all that I will use any more. They adhere better than the petro based and protect better. Silicone treated gun socks work very well, I use them in my gun safe along with the wonder rods (dehumidifier).
You do not want to store guns in soft cases. It's best leaving them out or totally sealed up with a desiccant pill in with it.
Syn oils are all that I will use any more. They adhere better than the petro based and protect better. Silicone treated gun socks work very well, I use them in my gun safe along with the wonder rods (dehumidifier).
You do not want to store guns in soft cases. It's best leaving them out or totally sealed up with a desiccant pill in with it.
David
SS MKIII 6 7/8" Fluted Hunter. Mueller Quick Shot, Bushnell 2x Scope, Hogue Rubber Grips
Custom Built 1911
SS MKIII 6 7/8" Fluted Hunter. Mueller Quick Shot, Bushnell 2x Scope, Hogue Rubber Grips
Custom Built 1911
Who makes these rechargeable dessicant bags? I had a two gallon container of that type of dessicant media that we t in the air dryer for the paint shop when I worked at the body shop & about two months ago while cleaning up in my shop I threw it out. Had set in here for about 4 yrs & I got tired op tripping over it. Had I thought I could really use it for something I'd have kept it. Oh well, i guess that's how it goes.
In youth we learn,
In age we understand.
In age we understand.
The rechargeable variety is actually silicon crystals. They dry the air and change color with moisture absorption. You can dry them again in an oven over low temp (150° f) for several hours on a cookie sheet and reuse them. The crystals are like what you get inside the little white packages you find in some new products when you buy them. I know the other ones you are talking about, and they eventually turn into a liquid pool when exposed to moisture, not what you want sitting inside your gun safe.
I have kept my pistols inside zipper rugs inside the safes for many years without any issues, and I have lived in some very high humidity areas. In fact, I prefer them inside the rugs when storing pistols in the safe. What you don't want to do is keep them in one of those boxes with the foam egg carton padding inside. Gun oils will eventually breakdown the foam padding, and when the foam degrades it creates a highly corrosive gas. I know from experience, when one of my firearms was damaged by long term storage in an airtight metal case padded with foam padding. The metal edges of my pistol started to rust. Good thing I found it before the degradation cause the whole surface of the firearm to corrode. Lots of times when I use the foam padding cases, like a Pelican Case, I place an old T-shirt inside to act as a buffer between the pistol and the foam padding. The cotton can soak up any oils and prevent the foam material from degrading as quickly.
The Gun Safe dehumidifiers go by the name Golden Rod. You need an access hole in your safe for the 115v electrical plug to pass through. As someone else mentioned an incandescent light bulb will have the same effect, but the rod is less susceptible to damage if it gets knocked over.
R,
Bullseye
I have kept my pistols inside zipper rugs inside the safes for many years without any issues, and I have lived in some very high humidity areas. In fact, I prefer them inside the rugs when storing pistols in the safe. What you don't want to do is keep them in one of those boxes with the foam egg carton padding inside. Gun oils will eventually breakdown the foam padding, and when the foam degrades it creates a highly corrosive gas. I know from experience, when one of my firearms was damaged by long term storage in an airtight metal case padded with foam padding. The metal edges of my pistol started to rust. Good thing I found it before the degradation cause the whole surface of the firearm to corrode. Lots of times when I use the foam padding cases, like a Pelican Case, I place an old T-shirt inside to act as a buffer between the pistol and the foam padding. The cotton can soak up any oils and prevent the foam material from degrading as quickly.
The Gun Safe dehumidifiers go by the name Golden Rod. You need an access hole in your safe for the 115v electrical plug to pass through. As someone else mentioned an incandescent light bulb will have the same effect, but the rod is less susceptible to damage if it gets knocked over.
R,
Bullseye
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bigfatdave
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- Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2008 7:22 am
- Location: near Camp Perry
Biggjimm wrote:Thanks guys. BFD, when you say rechargeable, how does that work? First thought is like my black & decker drill is rechargeable but I'm guessing that's not what you're talking about.
I have some with their on built-in heating element, so somewhere in between for those. You toss 'em in the safe and set them up on an outlet strip for a few hours to recharge.ruger22 wrote:'Til BFD gets back, the dessicants can be "recharged" by a short heating in your kitchen oven. They come with exact instructions.
Here:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/141736 ... feet-white
This is a "plug in to recharge" type
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/799452 ... t-canister
This is a "toss in the oven to recharge" type