Best practices for preserving pre-war blue?

[SouthNarc]

I've done a fair bit of research on this on the forum but I'd like to ask the membership some specific questions about how they preserve the bluing on their nicer pre-war guns.

First question: Would I be correct in thinking that anything a revolver touches has the potential to rust it? What I'm thinking here is when I see a revolver that sat in a pistol rug for years, have spots of rust on high points. I've been wrapping all of my nice blued revolvers in VCI paper for long term storage because I don't have a way to suspend them like on a peg through the barrel. Does anyone else do this? I also have read that some members have a preference for silicone sock type cases.

For a final "finishing" product specifically to protect the surface of the gun, it seems that members are evenly split between grease like RIG and Ren-wax. I assume that this is a one or the other proposition?

Finally does anyone still just use an old school silicon cloth anymore? I have a couple of revolvers that I've just wiped down with a Hoppes silicon cloth and then wrapped in VCI paper and put up.

I know also that ultimately the key to mitigating corrosion is frequent inspection and I absolutely do that.

I appreciate everyone's input. I now have a fairly high investment in my collection and want to take care of it.

 

[Retired W4]

Living right on the Gulf Coast like you do, makes extra precautions even more important.

 

[SouthNarc]

Living right on the Gulf Coast like you do, makes extra precautions even more important.

Yes sir that's exactly why I am asking.

 

[offrdmania]

Im sure a light coat of renaissance wax wont hurt

 

[SouthNarc]

Im sure a light coat of renaissance wax wont hurt

I have a couple of cans of it and have used it on a couple of my older guns. In fact I just used it on my new to me .38 S&W RPT. Great product.

 

[Truckman]

Im sure a light coat of renaissance wax wont hurt

Every gun I take in gets it as a final step at Dunkin Gunwash......Ben

 

[SouthNarc]

Every gun I take in gets it as a final step at Dunkin Gunwash......Ben

Just so I'm clear Ben you use wax and NOT grease for final finishing before storage?

Dunkin Gunwash is a complete disassembly and soak I assume? Complete strip to a bare frame?

 

[SS336]

I have lived in Florida for 13 years and now Oregon.
My guns are just wiped down with CLP after being shot and then cleaned. I still use a silicone rag after handling and enjoying them.
I have never had a problem with rust.
That being said I don’t have any guns that I don’t shoot so they are looked after more than a serious collection that is in storage more.
I have used Johnson paste wax on hunting rifles that are used in inclement weather and that seems to work well.
Just my thoughts and experiences.

 

[SouthNarc]

I have lived in Florida for 13 years and now Oregon.
My guns are just wiped down with CLP after being shot and then cleaned. I still use a silicone rag after handling and enjoying them.
I have never had a problem with rust.
That being said I don’t have any guns that I don’t shoot so they are looked after more than a serious collection that is in storage more.
I have used Johnson paste wax on hunting rifles that are used in inclement weather and that seems to work well.
Just my thoughts and experiences.

Yes sir and I think frequent inspection/usage is key.

 

[glowe]

It is not what the gun is stored in, but rather the atmospheric conditions that it is stored in. I assume that most gun owners have a gun safe and, if so placement of a heating rod AND desiccant is imperative. Heating rods keep the contents warmer than the outside and that prevents condensation. Desiccants absorb humidity, keeping the air inside the safe dry. Gun rugs do not cause rust, but the humidity they are exposed to can absorb and penetrate the cloth to cause rust on unprotected guns.

Guns to be stored should have RIG in my opinion. I have used everything including Renaissance Wax, but only have full confidence in RIG. Guns stored literally for years come out with a coating of RIG still present not dried out or evaporated, and feeling like the day I applied it. A quick wipe down and it is ready for the range.

 

[SouthNarc]

It is not what the gun is stored in, but rather the atmospheric conditions that it is stored in. I assume that most gun owners have a gun safe and, if so placement of a heating rod AND desiccant is imperative. Heating rods keep the contents warmer than the outside and that prevents condensation. Desiccants absorb humidity, keeping the air inside the safe dry.

Gary if you had a large gun safe that lived in an un-air-conditioned garage in the deep south, would you still use the heating rods?

 

[TheTinMan]

Being a belt and suspenders guy, I clean then apply RenWax. Any pistol older than 2000 is stored in a gun sock inside a Protect-A-Gun cardboard box with rust prevention paper, and the safe has a Golden Rod. So far, so good…

If I lived on the Gulf Coast, I probably would put an anti-desiccant thing inside the safe too.

 

[67ray]

Gary if you had a large gun safe that lived in an un-air-conditioned garage in the deep south, would you still use the heating rods?

It is even more important to have a heating rod in the deep south, where humidity is high for most fo the year. Heating rods indirectly get rid of humidity since moisture in the air will not condense on the cooler surface of a physical object.

I used to see this on the bumper of my classic car when I opened the garage in the Spring. Outside was warmer/more humid than inside the garage and immediately the chrome would be covered in dew

 

[paplinker]

Once a year,normally while watching football in the winter I bring all my guns out for a quick inspection and a light Ren wax coat.

In the past I used CLP on both the outside and inside. Now only inside.

I found that CLP was lightening the prewar bluing to more of a post war look. It took bringing in a like new prewar gun and holding it side by side my other guns to pick the bluing change off. I have since noticed this again as I bought other guns. It's my personal opinion the cleaner in clp is fading the bluing some when left on long term. I think if I went back to it for outside I might consider their newer collector series offering. I have a feeling the cleaner may not be in it.

Some of my guns have gotten darker from using Ren wax and others a light flitz rub down but for me it's a one time use for better or worse.

I only have about 8 years or so in prewar buying and the last 5 or so not using clp on the outside. I have not had any guns lighten on me since. CLP is still my go to internally.

 

[SouthNarc]

It is even more important to have a heating rod in the deep south, where humidity is high for most fo the year. Heating rods indirectly get rid of humidity since moisture in the air will not condense on the cooler surface of a physical object.

I used to see this on the bumper of my classic car when I opened the garage in the Spring. Outside was warmer/more humid than inside the garage and immediately the chrome would be covered in dew

That's great information sir, thank you so much.

 

[rct269]

All these this and that's to put on the guns and wrap them in and hide them away work fine.

Me? I wanted to see/enjoy my guns ALL THE TIME ANY TIME I damn well pleased-----and I enjoyed being able to show them off whenever the opportunity presented itself. And I didn't want to have to keep messing with them in order to accomplish that!

Enter "Ralph's Bath"------and we'll get to the particulars directly, but here's the end result: My guns were kept in a great big display case right out in front of God and anybody else. I got that case 30 some odd years ago, and there were guns in there for those 30 some odd years with NO further attention other than an occasional dusting with a vacuum brush---because the case wasn't air tight. (If I had it to do over again, the case'd be air tight!)

So---"Ralph's Bath":

1. Clean the bores. (Go to the Notable Thread Index in this section, and scroll down to the "lead in barrel" thread----and do what I said.)

2. Disassemble the gun---all except for barrels and action studs.

3. Soak everything in mineral spirits for 2-3 days, or until it's convenient for you to get back to it---then scrub the living bejesus out of everything/nook/cranny/and screw holes, and rinse everything with clean mineral spirits, and blow it all DRY with DRY high pressure compressed air (125 psi line pressure). (Brownells has a little spring loaded screen basket to hold all the little bitty bits and pieces in.)

4. Hose down everything with CorrosionX, and let it sit for 2-3 days, or until it's convenient for you to get back to it---and then blow off all the CorrosionX that'll come off. (Not all it comes off.)

5. Reassemble the gun.

6. Wipe off the exterior of the gun with Hoppes, dry and polish (because there's nothing uglier than a blue gun with oil stains on it).

7. Put it on the shelf.

8. Go play with your children's Momma.

That's it!

Remember----some of those guns sat on their shelves for 30+ years with NO further attention---besides the dusting.

On the other hand, you can do all this other this and that stuff, and hide them in a safe---where maybe they'll be alright----but you'll wonder about it---and have to go look-----and then have to wrap them all up again---and put them back to wherever you hide them.

Not for me!!

Now how come all this works like it does? Damned if I know, but it does---and I give the credit to the CorrosionX.

As an aside, you may have to get more than one display case if you get store-bought stuff. I had mine made. We eventually had to put the overflow in glass front antique book cases----and those worked fine too---aside from the fact they don't have lights in them.

Ralph Tremaine

 

[H Richard]

I do have pegs that each handgun is suspended without touching anything. Built my vault with rows of pegs. Long term Renaissance and every gun gets Renaissance, but those I am regularly shooting a silicone rag is the wipe down after handling, unless I won't be using it for extended time.

 

[squirrelnest]

Light coat of Renaissance Wax works well....I use it on all my firearms and knives.