Is there any secret formula for preserving your firearms?

Grant Cunningham, an excellent high grade revolver smith, has this to say about lubrication and preservatives:

http://www.grantcunningham.com/lubricants101.html

Probably the best article I have read ANYWHERE on this topic.

I'd like to add a personal observation in support of his comments.

I was a practicing Insurance Claims Rep for thirty years. I have seen many, many engines torn down. I raced motorcyles for ten years and did all of my own maintenance including complete overhauls. Motor oil, even the good ones, have little rust preventative value.

ATF has WONDERFUL rust preventative values (I have seen the interior of many automatic transmissions and without exception they were rust free). The parts in an auto transmission are in a terrible environment regarding potential formation of rust. Extremes of hot and cold, the potential, daily, of condensation and yet ATF keeps those parts in gleaming condition for thousands upon thousands of miles.

Read Grant's article. I have several times and I believe that he knows what he is talking about.

Dale53
 
The following is a description of Break-Free Collector Fluid:
______________________________

Collector Liquid provides a protective coating against rust and corrosion on metal to metal finishes; no need to remove before use.

Developed for military use to protect weapons for up to 5 years in storage.
Exceeds military requirements for rust and corrosion protection.
Unique 100% synthetic oil formulation with multiple high performance anti-rust and corrosion inhibitors.
Will not break down to form waxy residues under heat or with age. Contains no wax or mineral oil.
Protects up to five years. Lab test results show over 1,200 hours of rust and corrosion protection on mild steel panels when exposed to 100% humidity at 93 degrees with out developing even one micro of rust.
Does not have to be removed before firing; always "grab and go" combat ready condition.
Safe for use on all metals and finishes.
Ideal to protect gun collections, knives, swords, and sports equipment. Perfect for museums and police armories.
______________________________

Clay
 
There have been many good suggestions here. The most important things to remember are:
- Avoid high humidity/moisture areas, such as rooms with a shower or bathtub (master bedrooms).
- If you can't avoid storing guns near humidity, keep the guns enclosed - safe, tupperware, gun sock.
- Store your guns clean!

My S.O.P. is to clean the gun thoroughly and oil the action. The exterior can be wiped down with any quality oil or ATF or you can remove the oils (isopropyl alcohol works) and wax the gun with Johnson's paste wax, Flitz rifle/gun wax or carnuba wax. Avoid automotive products as they often contain a fine abrasive "polish".

Once cleaned and protected, slip the gun into a Bore Store(tm). These fine products are silicon impregnated synthetic cloth designed to let moisture escape. Before closing the bore store, insert a VCI (vapor corrosion inhibitor) strip inside along with the gun. These strips slowly emit a vapor that inhibits formation of rust. Warehouses have used these for decades to prevent rust on metal parts.

If you have a safe, keep in mind that often times it's cooler inside the safe than outside. When you open the safe in humid weather, moisture flows in and will begin to condense on surfaces. Covered guns are protected. Exposed guns can be protected by a couple of VCI strips placed nearby.

VCI strips http://www.theinhibitor.com
 
I wipe them down with RIG or Rusteprufe (I've used Rusteprufe more than anything) bore, cylinders and all then wrap them loosly in parchment paper or wax paper and in thier box or a gun rug. Stored in a safe with a Goldenrod, I have never had a hint of rust.

I am really paranoid about a gun being in contact with any cloth. I had a really well cleaned and lubed gun rust in a couple weeks becasue it was wrapped in a flannel cloth. It apparently acted as a sponge for any moisture in the air.

This stuff is really good, and, seems to be kind of unknown. You might want to try it, goes on like an oil, the carrier evaporates and it leaves a thin greasy film. http://www.rusteprufe.com/
 
I just use WD-40
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Keith
 
Lots of great info! I finally scored some RIG and the transmission fluid has got me interested too.
 
If you google Ed's Red, you may come up with the formula. The problem is that it makes up a huge quantity, even if not expensive. I think they call the mix a bi-polar kind of thing, with one of the ingredients being ATF and another being acetone or similar solvent. As I understand the homebrew, its a mixture that if one of the elements doesn't solve a problem the next one will.

I don't like having ATF on a gun that I'm carrying against my clothing. Even if you carry it in a holster, the leather will soon become saturated with the stuff. It then seems to catch and hold any grit or dirt. I prefer my carry guns to be moderately dry. Thats why some of us wax our guns, and others of use products that protect but dry. Sure, those require reapplication of protectants, but its costs less than having your shirt soaked in oil and stink, too.

The moral to this story is we have different products and opinions on things. Just like some folks drive Ferds, others Chevy's. I've heard there are city men that even drive cars and not trucks! Say it ain't so!
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Regardless, storage solvents and protectants are different from the best for other purposes.

With a gallon of Eds Red, you can immerse any new gun you buy, or any old gun that needs care. Just soak it overnight with the grips off. It'll save you a bunch of time and effort in cleaning it. But its messy until you get the crap off, and you won't want to handle it a lot until you do.

Another protectant and lubricant is Mobil 1 auto engine oil. Its slick stuff. If you know anyone that uses it (no one can afford to pay to have it put in), have them save you the empty jugs. You can stand them on the top and it drains for a day or two. 5 or 6 quart bottles will give you over a years supply of oil for free. But it still will mess up your clothes and holsters.
 
Originally posted by Dale53:
V.P.I. paper is a superior way to protect guns without them dripping in oil or grease (that's why the gun industry ships guns in their boxes with VPI paper (Vapor Phase Inhibitor).
Click to expand...


I use the same stuff, as do many firearm manufacturers and the military. It is also known as VCI (Volatile Corrosion Inhibitor) paper. Simply wipe the gun down with any good quality gun oil and wrap it in VCI paper, put it in a cardboard box, and store it in your safe. Serious collectors have been using this method for years. It's no secret formula or black magic. VCI paper is available from Brownell's, or at providers like Uline. I bought a huge roll (lifetime supply) for $40. It's a good investment for expensive firearms.
 
I have read all this info and I'm getting very interested (nigh excited) about trying something new to help preserve my treasured goodies that I really never shoot (ie, my safe queens---or at least they are safe queens to me). I'm guessing lots of us have at least one that would fall into that category.

What do you think about this idea...obviously for all metal guns (no plastic parts on my guns other than a few grip panels)...

Remove grips and do the full submersion bath in ATF, then let it drain for a while (probably over night suspended over a drain pan). Then store wrapped up in wax paper and in a Zip Lock bag, inside the safe (possibly inside the gun's box--don't forget that Zip Lock, maybe even double or triple bagged!).

If, and when you are going to use that gun some day...or hand it down to your grand kid on his 16th birthday, etc....Take said gun out of it's nest and give it an over night bath in Kerosene and let it drain again over night. Lube the necessary parts with light oil and give it a nice light rub down with light oil and you're ready to go. Has any one out there tried this method or something similar to it? If so, I'd love to hear about it!
 
As I recall ATF should not be used on nickel plated guns since it will get under the plating and lift it. Does anybody remember if this is true? I would not like to see people ruin their guns.
 
I packed away some guns in the mid 1980's for long term storage. I covered them in wheel bearing grease, wrapped them in wax paper, wrapped them in aluminum foil, and put them away in a box. 22 years later I opened them up, cleaned them off with brake cleaner, and they were in perfect condition.
 
I don't know how long its preservative values will last, certainly not as long as wheel bearing grease, but every time I clean my handguns I immerse them in a plastic tub with diesel fuel in it.
It's a wonderful cleaner and immersion gets into the internals and coats them. I keep a lid on the tub and it is good for several cleanings. Diesel is a light oil and flammability is not an issue.
 
If you find dry nitrogen hard to find, you can purge oxygen from the zip bag with butane. Heavier than air, it will displace air from the bottom to the top. Works well also to preserve varnish and paints fresh in half-empty cans.
 
Originally posted by battlecry:
If you find dry nitrogen hard to find, you can purge oxygen from the zip bag with butane. Heavier than air, it will displace air from the bottom to the top. Works well also to preserve varnish and paints fresh in half-empty cans.
Click to expand...
So just how does this work, the purging? You cover the gun with a layer of whatever you are using, stick it in the zip lock bag, grab your can of butane lighter fuel.... and then whatta ya do?

I have good luck with Corrosion X or the like, double zip bags X 2, rubber bands, and gun socks for 11 months of storage at a time in a humdid climate, but am intrigued by the butane comment.
 
To purge the bag, just leave one corner un-zipped, have a small hose attached to your gas source, feed the hose to the opposite corner of the bag thru the small opening and open the valve. As long as the gas is dry, inert, and a non-oxidizer, there will be no oxidation. I use nitrogen only because I have two or three cylinders lying around,
It works for our Constitution on display in DC, and 3000 year old mummies in Cairo.
 
I religiously clean and Militec all my firearms.Militec is a dry lubricant that bonds to the metal surfaces of the guns.I store them in a safe in silicone impregnated gun socks.No problems in all these years.
 
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