It was suggested that I wax my 17-4.

I have read here in the past that most people use Renaissance Wax. Flitz also makes a gun wax.

Never done it before. Which is better? A little goes a long way?

Thanks.

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I know nothing about wax by Flitz, but Renaissance Wax is wonderful stuff.

Just apply a smudge and wipe it off immediately. And yes, a little goes a long way.

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Mark Lathem

I have 2 large cans of Johnson’s Paste Wax I bought at a flea market years ago for $1 each. I think I’m set

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I would need to take mine to a car wash first. Haven't cleaned it in this century, literally. Maybe I will take it out from under the seat of me truck this summer and hose it down. Never thought of waxing a gun.

I use Johnson Paste wax but I recently learned that they stopped making it. Glad I stocked up when Home Depot had it for around 2 bucks a can. Wax is all I use for guns and knives. Oil attracts dust, dust attracts moisture, moisture causes rust spots that look like dust spots. For knives I use a wax specifically for knives which has a beewax since it’s safe for food prep. There are a lot of companies making wax for guns these days.

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JPW is good stuff. Did not know it was out of print. I still have most of a one pound can. That’s enough. I just looked on eBay. Lots of partial cans listed at eye-watering prices. I had no idea it was in such high demand. I may have to lock my can in the gun safe.

Bullet casters that mix their own lube are fans also

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Back in the early ‘70s we used liquid car wax to help keep rust off our blue steel revolvers.

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LEO (Ret.)

Butchers Wax is another product that is very good. No pumice in it. Many waxes are a cleaner one wax or polish and wax. That means they is a very fine abrasive in the mix to clean/polish the item. I prefer just plain wax.

Catalog

Kevin

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Actually, neutral wax shoe polish would probably work as well as anything.

A lot of knife guys like Wicked Wax, but it’s wicked expensive. $50 for 8oz.

Wicked Wax 8oz Tin - DLT Trading

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I always suspected that RenWax was just repackaged JPW.

It isn’t. I used Johnson’s Paste Wax in the past and I still have a couple of lifetimes’ supply in my basement. JPW works just fine, but I am a RenWax convert.

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Mark Lathem

Flitz is not a wax. It is a polish and, like all polishes, it is abrasive. It can be used on firearms but only sparingly and with great care not to overdo it and damage the finish. This is especially the case on blued finishes.

Ren Wax and JPW are two very different products.
Ren Wax, applied correctly, is thinner, dries faster, and in my
experience, bonds better and harder.

Clean the 17-4 with Naphtha on the outside, after grips are removed.
You may want to remove the cylinder/yoke first.
Don't get it into/under the ejector star and other internals.
It can be removed if you do.
Cut a small piece of micro fiber cloth, put some Ren Wax on,
and apply a very thin layer to the outside.
Wait a few minutes and wipe with a clean micro fiber cloth.
Wait ten minutes and do that again.
That might be all you need, bit if applying another layer, wait until
the following day.
Camera ready.

We use Ren Wax for bedding revolver grips and casting parts
for guns. Pic of adaptor for an Officer, for 8 round mags. Range use only.

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Not what it says on their website.

Flitz - Rifle, Gun & Knife Wax

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Here is one test for just using Ren Wax on our grips.
Doesn't darken as much, like Tung or the Tru-Oil we used,
decades ago on colored wood.
We always remove grips when cleaning after shooting.

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The Flitz I have is in a tube, is a blue cream,
and has very fine polishing properties.

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I bought some Ren Wax for my museum job. Showed a WWI French machine gun to the new museum interns. Taught them about cleaning artifacts and waxing them. They were enthusiastic. Three days, and half a jar of Ren Wax later, the French machine gun turned out to have a brass carriage, and leather wraps on the gun handles. And five years after this, no corrosion, no rust, no aging.

I bought a couple of jars for myself, and before I retired, traded the half jar left for one of my full jars. Waxed all of my clean revolvers, and still have a half jar left.

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I believe they make a couple different products. One is a wax, one is a polish.

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Notice it says for metal cleaning and fiberglass polishing? Not a wax.

Kevin

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That's why I posted the pic.
The tube might be older than some forum members.
It's kept sealed in a plastic bag.

Not sure when they started making the wax,
as I never needed it.

The Ren Wax company makes a product called, Pre-Lim.
It's a Metal Burnisher and works great on our fishing knives
and other tools. Ren Wax is used, as necessary, after Pre-Lim.
Have not tried the Pre-Lim on stainless guns, that get scratched
in the wood shop, yet.
A gun scratcher, not a scratch golfer.

Tops of cans are taped after use.

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I started off waxing guns many years ago when I would spray Pledge furniture polish on the stocks of my shotguns. There would be overspray, and I'd wipe that off the metal. It looked pretty good and didn't seem to hurt anything. Eventually I just sprayed it on a rag, and wiped the whole gun down, then buffed it off, and never had to worry about rust. They didn't even show fingerprints. I also used it on my fishing tackle.

Then I discovered Ren Wax, and that's all I've used on the exterior of my guns for 30 or more years I suppose. I'll give a new to me gun a light buff down with Flitz, then come back with Ren Wax. I'll rewax after each range session, and sometimes just as an excuse to fondle the gun. I've got a couple of cans of Ren Wax here. They'll probably last me the rest of my life, and then whoever cleans up the mess can have what's left.

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Renwax is not that expensive and is much superior to johnson’s , I use both but my shooters and beaters get the Johnsons. My collection gets the Renwax. Most fans of johnson’s never bothered to try Renwax. The Musuems use Renwax enough said. We are only talking $29 for a can that will last years.

A Little goes a Long Way ...Renaissance Wax

This is one of those times when less is better than more .

Two thin coats of wax is better than one heavy coat of wax...

be sure and rub the wax into the pores of the metal ... by hand with a soft colth pad .
get the wax down into the metal and let it dry before buffing to nice shine ... and do not use machines ... wax on - wax off By Hand ...
Carefully ... No Machine's !
Gary

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Thin is important.

Pledge is my goto for fretboards.
Especially Ebony and Rosewood.
Sweet Almond Oil on Grenadilla instruments.

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I used Flitz years ago on a pre 29. Changed the color of the blue. Now I use Ren Wax on blued and stainless handguns and on rifle actions and barrels. I use JPW on rifle stocks. Sorry, only one plastic stock. I like blue steel and wood. I leave the Flitz where it belongs, hanging up at the gun store.

As already said...polishes have abrasives. They could contain fine abrasives up to coarse abrasives depending on the intended item being polished and its condition.

Waxes are a sacrificial barrier applied to a gun (or auto or whatever) which leaves a protective coating that must be replenished every now and then.

I've found RenWax to be effective...it's not a lubricant. It does help to prevent fingerprints on a gun and when applied on the face of a cylinder and inside the cylinder window and around the forcing cone...while it doesn't prevent burn rings and residue, it makes it easier to clean that residue off. It's also good for under grips where the wood or rubber meets the frame.

I've used Minn Wax Paste for decades and it's still being made. Just like Johnson's and works great on metal and wood both. I rub it on with a small rag, and then buff with a soft cloth.

In between I wipe my guns with Old West Snake Oil on metal and stocks before putting them away. It too leaves a wonderful appearance. Just use it sparingly as you don't need to slather it on. Just a few drops on a rag to wipe the whole gun(s) down. I keep the rag in a ziplock bag to keep it from drying, and add a few drops before each use.