Can weather damage gun?

M

MrGreen

New member
I had left one of my guns in the car for the past month or so and pulled it out today and noticed there was what looks like rust on it. Could leaving it in the car during 90+ temps cause this to happen? Is it damaging to leave a firearm in cold weather? It has been my understanding that firearms are durable. Last year when I bought my first gun it was winter up north and had left it in the trunk for a few hours. It got so frozen that the magazine would not release. Other than the short term issues could there be any long term damage to the gun? Also, how can I get rid of the rust?

Thank you.
 
heat might accelerate the rusting process but it wont "cause" it. moisture causes rust. its all academic though because theres no real way to totally prevent it from enviroment alone.

clean your gun once a week? that should keep it from rusting. or maybe keep a good gun rag in the car and wipe it down when you get out.

probably just shouldnt keep a gun in the car 24/7. i dont know what your situation is, maybe youre a farmer and its a pickup that never leaves your property.

not to sound like a jerk but this sounds like a reasonable consequence of neglecting a firearm.

Buy stainless? ill never buy another "shooter" that is blued. the two i have, have sentimental value. Blue is darn pretty, and ill get a queen in blue if im ever blessed to have that kind of expendable income, but im stainless all the way.
 
I live in a desert so at night it gets cold and the gun is not frozen, but it would deal with temp changes. It would get into the high 80s to mid 90s during the day. So maybe it would thaw a little bit and that would cause some moisture, and then rust? The rust is minor and only in one spot. I will not make this mistake again.
 
Was it in a case? Was it oiled, and what oil do you use? Did it rust where you handled it? Fingerprints and/or sweat can cause rust.

Humidity can cause rust. High temperatures might make low quality oil evaporate.

A cold firearm can develop condensation on it when brought into a warmer area. That can lead to rust.
 
Firearms are pretty durable but need some care. Use a good gun oil and wipe them down with it often, especially if you plan on leaving them in your car (not a great idea though). Cold won't hurt your gun but when moving it from a cold temp to a warmer one, it will form condensation.
 
I have that farmers shotgun SHNOMIDO was talking about. It is an old 12 gauge Browning pump. Little bit of surface rust with some pitting. Bangs around in the back of the pick-up, with wrenches, pliers and junk. Forgotten until needed, then used and sometimes oiled.

When we hunt in cold weather, we usually leave the guns on the porch to avoid them from sweating when they are brought in. But when they are brought in, they get wiped down after about an hour inside the house.

If someone says their magazine is not working in cold weather, they are using the wrong lubricant. The military did extensive trial on this very subject.

Some people swear by graphite in the magazine, so the oil does not attract and hold dirt. You'll have to decide what works best for you in your climate.
 
Gentle rubbing with 0000 (4 zero) steel wool and oil should remove the rust.

Wipe it clean and give it a wipe with an oily rag before storing it.
 
The problem is probably condensation. A good coating of a good oil (I really like Eezox) will solve your problem. Clean and recoat every so often.
 
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I leave guns in my truck all hunting season, and it gets really cold. Sometimes I ride a rifle around on my backseat all summer. Keep it oiled, and it'll survive a greater temperature range than the owner.
 
As others have indicated, this is most likely a condensation issue. Even in dry climes, really cold objects will tend to collect dew.
 
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