Blued , wipe down oil for long term storage ???

M

Metal god

New member
Hey guys , not here much in this sub forum but have a question .

A buddy of mine just came into a few blued revolvers , Couple colts and smith's and I'd like to know what's the best way to store them . He's not a gun guy and will not shoot them hardly ever so several will likely sit in a safe for years untouched with out golden rod , maybe a dehumidifying pack or two but he'll likely not change them out as often as needed .

I had him buy those siliconized gun socks for each and I just got back from his house where I took a damp CLP rag with me and wiped them all down before putting them in the gun socks .

Here's my issue , I like stainless and or more modern gun coatings that need less maintenance meaning I have no blued guns . Well maybe a couple but I don't really know the ins and outs of the maintenance needed for blued guns or what's best for long term storage .

Also FWIW the rag I took over was an old gun rag I've used several times while cleaning my guns and although I sprayed it down pretty good with CLP it does have likely several other gun oils and cleaners on it as well . I don't use anything that's not recommended for all guns but on my way back I got to thinking maybe I should go back with a clean rag soaked in only one product like CLP and redo them ???

Will my multi oil/cleaner rag cause problems for the bluing ? I didn't think much about it until now because 95% of my guns don't care what product I use on the outside .

We had to do major social distancing etc or I would have sat there with him and clean every one inside and out then put them away but these times don't allow for that . Maybe in a year or so we can readdress this but for now and maybe ever he is stuck with the minimum I can do for now .

Thanks
MG
 
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My only blued handgun is a Colt Python. As most know, Python's have a rich, beautiful bluing, worthy of preservation.

I shoot my Python maybe once a year (if that). Between shootings (and after cleaning) it wipe it inside (barrel, charge holes) and out with CLP "Collector"

https://www.amazon.com/BREAK-FREE-Collector-Storage-Preservative-Liquid/dp/B001U9TWUE

then store it in a gun sock.

Once or twice a year between shootings, I take it out and wipe it with one of those yellow siliconized cloths. It's a dedicated cloth - that's all it does. It sits next to the Python in the safe.

Fast forward 37 years, and it looks pretty much good as new. Keep in mind I live in a very dry climate. Other more moist climates may require a different approach - I don't know.

If I take it out for a shoot, I wipe out the oil from the barrel and charge holes first.
 
Thanks Nick , Yep he's got 3 Pythons 2 , 4 & 6" they look like a set and the triggers are crazy smooth . We don't have colt's in CA or haven't for years so I don't know much about them or how they should feel but his are NICE ! Compered to my trigger worked GP100 which I thought had a nice trigger until today :( there is no comparison .
 
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I don't know what part of the country or world your buddy lives in, but I would recommend Renaissance Wax or Johnson's Paste Wax- then the silicone socks silica packs, etc.
 
We are in Southern California so it’s pretty dry here in general .

Thanks for those links . I forgot about those sheets , heard good things about them . I’ll have him get some of those for the ones that may never see the light of day again .

Hell I should just tell him to get a big tub of cosmoline haha . Just dunk them in , drip dry , wrap in that paper and store in sock gtg for life .
 
Another vote for Renaissance Wax. Which can be used on wood as well. Use very lightly as suggested on the container.
Even resists finger prints on very shiny surfaces.
 
Amen Renaissance Wax. It's all I've used on my guns for years, and have never had a problem with a gun rusting.

To be fair, I never had any trouble just wiping them down with an oily rag (that worked for my Grandfather's Parker and A.H.Fox doubles that he used for duck/goose hunting out on the Chesapeake also) which is what I used to do, but that did require remembering to wipe them down more often.
 
You can use what you want, but the best is "RIG" on a sheepskin pad.
The RIG on a pad will leave a very thin film coating protecting all
metal parts.
 
Nick_C_S said:
My only blued handgun is a Colt Python. As most know, Python's have a rich, beautiful bluing, worthy of preservation.

I shoot my Python maybe once a year (if that). Between shootings (and after cleaning) it wipe it inside (barrel, charge holes) and out with CLP "Collector"

https://www.amazon.com/BREAK-FREE-Collector-Storage-Preservative-Liquid/dp/B001U9TWUE

then store it in a gun sock.
Click to expand...

A big +1 for Breakfree COLLECTOR (not regular Breakfree CLP, fine oil that it may be)

Easy to put on, no need to take it off, does a fantastic job of preventing rust.

I once had to store a large collection for years, so ease of application / removal was important. I used Collector and VCI bags from Poly Gun Bags.

I've seen guns in storage for more than a decade with no rust using that combination.
 
Boeshield

I remember seeing a test in one of the gunblogs, a number of years ago. He tested various rust preventatives. Boeshield won. It dries to a slightly waxy feeling coating. (I also use it on bicycle chains.)
 
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I don't have much to add, just remember that the gun needs to be clean of not just firing residue but your handling as well. wiping off your fingerprints isn't to confuse the cops, its to keep the gun from rusting. :rolleyes:

Some people's natural skin oil is enough to rust the gun over time. Silicone cloths work well and I've used them for decades with very satisfactory results.

Also remember that any oil/lubricant that uses a carrier that evaporates won't stop evaporating, though it does slow down a lot. Something that is good for several months or a year or so might not be good for a decade...

I've seen "gun oil" (no idea which one) left for over a decade and turn to a gummy or even hard dried finish like a lacquer.

If I were looking for a long time preservative coating I'd be looking at something out of a bottle, not a spray can. But, that's just me...

Wax is good, but must be carefully and properly applied. Generally paste wax doesn't "creep" into every little nook and cranny. If it needs to go there, you need to put it there, to be sure it gets there.

The best preservative wax I ever saw "in action" was paraffin wax. A couple bought an old house in the late 60s/early 70s (I forget) to fix up, It was an estate sale, owner passed no family left, the got the house and everything in it, essentially for the taxes owed, in the Finger Lakes region of NY.

During renovations an old trunk was found in the attic. Inside were the remnant scraps of Civil War uniforms, some letters and papers from that time, and a block of paraffin wax the size of a large thick book, and curiously heavy.

Inside that block of wax turned out to be a perfectly preserved Colt 1860 Army revolver, in brand new condition. Records checked, it was original.

That gun, fully encased in a block of wax lasted over a century in the high humidity of NY summers and well below freezing temps of NY winters without any rust, corrosion or anything indicating the passage of time.

Point out to your friend that if the guns rust (even only on the surface) their value is hugely reduced. Silicone socks are good, do remember that what ever is in the air when the gun goes into a closed container (gun case, or even a safe) is in there with the gun ALL THE TIME. Low humidity area (CA desert??) minor concern. Coastal area, huge concern.

Hope this helps.
 
I do not take any of my firearms, for granted.

MG
You and Nick, Pretty much have it covered and what little I have to offer ???..... :rolleyes:


1) Gun socks are fine and treated. One size pretty muck fits all. Being a "Deplorable" makes me cheap and after washing, I treat nylon socks with silicone spare, let them sit for a day and use them. They work great on smaller handguns. Just make sure not to use cotton sox.

2) I also use a protective coating and hot-rod but I do not take any of my firearms, for granted. I revisit them at least once a year. My M/L's are the bad actors and have to keep a closer watch on these.

Be Safe !!!
 
Don't use TC Bore Butter inside the action, on springs and such. It's great on the outside to protect metal, but on the inside... well, over time, it hardens. I had my Taurus 66 well doused with the stuff and in the safe for a number of years. Took lots of oil to loosen the action to where I could cycle the DA trigger.
 
Grease the metal and wax the wood for long term storage. Oil is subject to gravity.
Plan 'B' is one of those vacuum sealers.
"...store it in a gun sock..." Have 2 revolvers that lived in cloth for most of the 20th Century. One a .32-20 Colt Police Positive. The other a junker H&R .32 S&W revolver. Both are rusted to complete garbage from being stored in a hunt of cloth. Highly probable they were both fired 100 plus years ago and put away without proper cleaning, but the barrels and innards are still rusted to crap.
 
If it hasn’t already been mentioned, don’t leave your blued weapon in a leather holster either. It is amazing how environmental vibration will take down a blued coating just when sitting stationary!
 
Thanks 44 that helps with the thought process and thanks to everyone so far lots to think about .

We’re not in the dessert and if I had to place us it would have to be coastal . Although not right on the coast line it takes less then 10 min to get to the beach from his house . We are subject to coastal Eddies and general over night due but it burns off fast as soon as the sun comes up , usually blue skies by 10am on a bad day lol . Love the weather in the city , if it weren’t for the California politics this would be the greatest place on earth to live . You literally can surf in the morning and be snow skiing in the mountains by the afternoon in the right months .
 
Sounds like San Diego, Metal God. The humidity can wreck havoc on your firearms but it is better than living down south.
 
If I had to choose between San Diego...KALIFORNIA...and the south, there would not be a moments hesitation for me. I would easily accept having to treat my firearms with rust preventatives instead of having a bunch of politicians trying to take them away from me.
My favorite long term treatment for firearms is Rig (rust inhibiting grease). I just keep a sheepskin handy treated with it and use it to wipe down the guns regularly.
 
Yeah, I didn’t mean to imply it is a better place to live than somewhere down south but rather easier on your firearms at least when the po po aren’t trying to snatch them up. I’m not a fan of TEXAS either though but that is another subject.
 
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