Keeping Your Guns Rust Free

rusty guns prevention treatment dylan benson rust random firearm


Living in the disgustingly humid state of Florida (where just the other day it was 111 degrees), anything here tends to rust.  From the humidity to my acidic sweat, if it’s metal and I touch it, it will tarnish or rust.  For me, it doesn’t matter with the brand: Mossberg, Ruger, Mosin, SCCY, Smith and Wesson, Taurus, and my AK have all rusted.  The only things that have not are my snub nosed S&W 19-3, and my Russian SKS (which is a factory refurb, and whatever black paint they coated it in will not let any rust develop.)

Anyway, back to the point at hand.  I really started to look into the rust issue when my Mosin Nagant was turning brown/orange.  I looked online for a wonder product, ordered something on a whim, and I am pleased!

Before you attack any firearm with the methods suggested, if your rust is bad, and your firearm comes with a lifetime warranty, look into sending it back.  I have had rust issues with my M&P9 and CPX-2 and both Smith and Wesson and SCCY took care of it without a cent out of my pocket.  (SCCY Warranty Review)

Fortunately, I have only had to deal with surface rust, and minor pitting from more extreme rust.  Before you treat your firearm for rust prevention, you need to get the rust off first.  I use Hoppe’s 9 Bore Cleaner.  This tends to dig in a little more to get the rust off, but is still safe enough for most firearm finishes, plus it smells great.  Put some on a cotton gun patch, and wipe the rusted areas down.  I would change the patches frequently, because the last thing you want to do is push the rust around.

After you have gotten all the rust off, I would wipe the firearm down with a microfiber cloth to try to get the firearm as dry as possible.  Do one more pass with the Hoppe’s to check again, and wipe it down one more time.

Here is where the magic happens.  Now that your rust is gone, how do you protect it?  RIG Universal Gun Grease!  This stuff is amazing!  Coat your ENTIRE firearm with this (the metal parts) with a thin layer.  This stuff really does a great job at keeping rust away.  Simply apply some to a clean cotton patch, and coat your firearm.  Make sure you get the nooks and crannies, as well as slide serrations and other places you typically touch.  Avoid touching any of the coated metal after until you need to.

If you plan on taking the gun to the range, wipe if down with a microfiber towel first, and then make sure to reapply it after you are done cleaning it.

I even have a layer on my carry guns, while they are being carried.

If you are storing them, make sure they are in a cool (air conditioned) and dry place.  If possible, avoid hard cases with foam linings as they may trap in moisture and speed up the rust process.  RIG isn’t going to work forever, so you need to take care with proper storage and handling after.

Never touch a firearm without wiping it down.  Sweat and oils in your hands and fingers can destroy finishes in certain situations.  Always wipe down and coat them with RIG.

To sum up:
  • See if your rust is covered under warranty
  • Remove rust with Hoppe’s 9 Bore Cleaner if light enough
  • Coat with RIG Universal Gun Grease once rust is removed
  • Store in cool, dry place
  • Wipe down and recoat after handling firearm for best results
  • Reapply RIG after cleaning from the a range visit
These steps should keep you rust free.  It has worked wonders with my Mosin.  It’s been rust free for a while now.  I use this method with all of my firearms, even the ones that have remained rust free from the start (like my SKS), but the method works, and I hope it works for you!

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