I have always read that guns should not be stored in holsters or "gun rugs," yet, I know police officers and state troopers that only removed their weapons from their holsters at qualification or perhaps briefly during a traffic stop. Never when off duty.
And for the most part, all of the instances of which I am aware involved ordinary blue steel S&W revolvers. Yes, there was bluing wear, but I never observed one with rust.
So, does the rust know to only happen off duty if the weapon is left holstered when the officer is not on duty? Or, is the weapon being eaten away by a form of the bacterium "Halomonas titanicae," like the Titanic hull, while the officer rides around on patrol? Will the officer one day pull a "rusticle" from his holster instead of a revolver?
Is it bad to keep the weapon holstered on duty? It is mostly academic these days, as most duty weapons have a gee-whiz finish or are stainless steel. That said, I have never read of an officer pulling a rusticle from a holster instead of a blued revolver.
So, while caution may dictate not leaving it holstered constantly, I have yet to see evidence that, given proper lubrication, the weapon suffers much harm. I am sure there are exceptional cases in seaports or very hot, humid, or salty environments, but I suspect those are rare.
