Stopping rust under the grip..?

[Maximumbob54]

What is a good solution to rust under grips? Wood and especially rubber tend to pop up with rust spots under grips. Wood gets ruined with too much oil and rubber seems to seal in moisture when you put them on. I have tried spraying some silicone oil on the inside of the grip before putting them on and I still get the occasional rust spot from time to time. I live in North Florida so humidity is year round. My house is air conditioned, I use way more desiccant than I need in my safe, but that door still gets opened from time to time. My safe isn’t drilled for a heating rod but I guess it can be cut with a proper hole saw blade. I’m looking for a wax, grease or oil that can be applied and not have to worry so much about tweaking screws constantly removing grips. My 29-3 gets this so bad that I store it with the grips off. What is a Floridian to do???

 

[Dot_mdb]

I think your problem is the safe. I have a few blued guns that are not stored in a safe and I have no problems with rust at all. I keep them lightly oiled.

I did have a problem with corrosion under the grips of a 640 that was carried in a SmartCarry holster. It took a number of months of neglect but I got some light pitting under the grips. Now, if I carry in the SmartCarry (rarely) I clean under the grips each time after the gun is carried.

I live in southern Florida.

Bill

 

[chief38]

First off I would install some kind of Golden Rod or equivalent which will probably solve most if not all of your problem.

I like and use Remoil AND #2 Oil from Brownells. The nice thing about them is that they quickly evaporate leaving a protective layer without being "wet". Click on the link below and read the description.

World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools - BROWNELLS

Chief38

 

[Harrison]

I live on the Texas coast, high huminity and salt air. I keep a real thin coat of Rig Universal under my grips. Seems to work. My safe has a golden rod.

 

[dfariswheel]

Guns, even stainless steel tend to rust under the grips, especially rubber grips.

The easy fix is to remove the grips and wipe the frame off to remove any oils.
Then apply a coat of wax, let it dry without wiping it off, then replace the grips. If the grips are wood, you can wax them too.

Do not use auto wax, it drys white and often contains abrasives to polish paint.
Use Renaissance Hard Carnuba or Johnson's Paste wax.
You can buy Renaissance from Brownell's and other online sellers, and you can buy big cans of Johnson's in most hardware stores and many Walmart's.

This is pretty much a positive fix, and unlike oils, the wax won't soak into wood grips.

 

[m1gunner]

Seal your wood grips with tung oil or tru-oil.

Then some rig on the frame before assembly.

I have seen several Fla. stainless guns, some wood, some rubber grips. They all had rust under the grips.

 

[scooter123]

Another option is a paint additive called Penetrol. You can find it at most hardware stores. It will take about 3 to 6 months for it to completely dry at room temperature but it will form a hard film that blocks rust and is nearly impossible to remove. If you want to speed up the drying process put it under a heat lamp for a couple of days. Pontiac experimented with using Penetrol as a rust preventative on their bumpers back in 1957 and it worked great at preventing any rust, however the dealers found that it took about 4 hours of work with mineral spirits to remove if it had dried completely.

BTW, it's also a very easy way to put a sheen back on heavily oxidized paint on something like lawn furniture. Many years back I lived in a mobile home park and the park told me I had to replace my skirting because it was too oxidized. Two hours spent wiping the skirting down with Penetrol had the skirting looking brand new and the treatment lasted for more than 6 years.

 

[Blue19]

Jax can be tough on firearms. Lots of humidity, salt, and sand with pretty good temperature swings.

The method described by dfariswheel has worked for me in a more friendly environment. I have even used that method to cover the entire firearm prior to humidity exposure, sweat exposure, or long storage. When you are ready to remove the dried wax, all you have to do is let a fresh coat of wax dissolve into the old and wipe off.

 

[kreativecid]

Good info. I live in a very dry climate but my new 1911 has such cheap bluing that the grip/frame area is already bare in tiny spots.