Hey guys. Having been into knives before i was able to handle a gun, i know that steels and salt air do not mix well. I have carried a few pocket knives around salt water. On boats, on docks, along the beach. Most of them have eventually had some rust (don't get me started on leatherman tools). Anyways, being that i only own two guns, one of them being a shield 9mm, i'm wondering if i need to worry about salt air getting into the guns internals and causing rust i wouldn't normally see? I would find it extremely annoying to have to come back and spray down or clean the gun each time i was near the water. Any thoughts?

One thing on your Shield that can surprise you with rust is the mag release button. It's coated steel , and the coating can wear off quickly. After it's bare steel, it can quickly rust and seize up.

Mine almost seized. I cleaned the rust off and coated it with slide lube.

Treat it just like a boat when you come into dock. Get the salt off with fresh water, drench it, then dry and lube. You could also put your gun in a plastic bag while out to sea. Plano makes watertight cases also.

IMO, a pistol that is as close to being ideal for EDC in a salt-water envirnoment, would be something like a Ruger sp101.
They're all stainless steel and built like tanks, and being a revolver, are uber-simple and reliable.
Also, the Rugers are particularly simple to completely disassemble (and re-assemble ) so it's very easy to regularly check for internal corrosion, and properly clean and lube it's nether regions.

A light coating of lubricant on the carbon steel parts and wax on the external surfaces will help prevent rust. Regular inspection and a detailed full cleaning with submersion are good ideas.

"Stainless" guns are really rust-resistant, and rubber grips are notorious for trapping moisture under them and pitting the metal, even on guns that are not supposed to rust...

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

Funny. I had a Stainless Steel knife that developed some rust spots. When I inquired about it, they said Stainless Steel will stain less than regular steel but can still stain (and rust). Stainless Steel has so many different formulas of different metals to make them stainless and some will form rust quicker than other.

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Shield 45, SW40VE, 586, 1000

I have a friend who has a house at the beach. He is constantly annoyed by the amount of maintenance he has to do to keep the house in good order. I have told him many times that there is a simple solution to this annoyance -- get rid of the house.

The fact is that, yes, maintenance of any firearm used in a marine environment is going to call for more diligence than maintenance of one used in more benign climes. Stainless steel construction and/or corrosion resistant wonder-coatings can help but will never change this fact. The only complete solution is -- don't take a gun along.

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Pisgah

IIRC back in the 70/80s some Fla marine units or wildlife officers..... hard chromed their revolvers....

I have a Ruger Sec Six 357 that I carry when around salt water. I whip it off with WD40 when I get on dry land. I have it for 30+ years and it remains in good shape. Be sure to run a lightly oiled patch down the barrel.