Jumping the gun regarding rust

[Edd]

I visited a little, remote country store, just a few months ago. And there it 'twas, sitting on a shelf at the back of the store was and elderly looking can of 3-IN-ONE oil. It had been a few years since I had owned a can of this ole home remedy. If one reads the cover on the can, this here stuff is mighty fine for cleaning and preserving yo' metal. I purchased the oil - took it home and used it on the surface of some firearms.

I git scared about this time every year. The humidity here in southern Virginia is rather frightening in July and August. Yesterday was 'fess up time for my guns - they had to prove that my 3-IN-ONE oil was doing it's job. A close inspection indicated that such oil had done just fine. This oil seems to be pretty thick stuff...guess such thickness helps maintain good coverage over metal.  Anyhow, I put a fresh coat of the same oil on the guns again, jess to be safe. I can't stand the sight of rust...

Edd

[Feltwad]

Edd.
Here in the UK 3 in 1 oil is still quite common and can be easily bought in most hardware stores.I use it a lot on restoration work I find it usefull on cleaning gun lock parts.
Feltwad

[Harnic]

Edd, it's a common oil in nearly every store around here too.  I always have a can of it handy & use it on everything except my guns.  I have used WD40 for at least 30 years on guns with excellent results, mind you we don't live in a sauna here, it's closer to dessert conditions.

Welcome to the forum Feltwad! 

[BrownBear]

I'm on coastal Alaska with 120+ inches of rain a year, but thankfully not the heat.  3-In-One is still around, but used by proponents for lube rather than rust prevention.  I'm as guilty as the next in automatically grabbing some modern compound for rust prevention without giving it a chance. 

Thanks for the post Edd.  I've always liked the smell of the stuff, so I'll give it a go.

[Daryl]

  Many of the modern gun shooters I've come to respect on Jim Saubier's small bore forum use Kroil Oil.  I managed to pick up a can in Hider Alaska a couple years ago. It is a wonderful lube, and penetrator. A lot of these guys mix Kroil with another gun solvent, 50/50 for cleaning the modern guns. I've tried that and it's wonderful.  The oil content keeps guns from rusting, which is our interest in this stuff. Guys in the lower 48 should all try it - great stuff for a rust preventative and a wonderful penetrating oil as well.  I liked it so much, I gave some to Taylor for his guns.

[northmn]

They now sell a variety of rust preventative gun oils.  I have used those and found they do work, much better than the old WD40. 

DP

[William Worth]

I see 3-in-1 Oil at Lowe's.

I'm intrigued by the notion of polarized oils, which I suppose all synthetic oils are (has a negative end chain) to help adhere to ferrous (positive) materials and prevent run off.

Makes me think of stuff you get from the Asian rim nations  that has this stuff on it that's similar to "Outer's Gun Oil".  It sure seems to work for rust prevention.

[Daryl]

Most petrolium oils will also rust underneath them. This is why the older and cheaper motor oils (petrolium) are poor rust preventatives - they aren't. Synthetics must be added to ensure rust protection in most cases.
: WD 40 woirks perfectly in dryer climates as where Harry lives in the interior as well as here.

[C. Cash]

Wasn't there a test posted on the old forum(with time elapsed pictures), which showed Ballistol doing very well against other rust preventatives?   It has worked for me here in often humid PA, though it seems to gum when it gets cold.   WD-40 has worked well also on BP, but I go over a gun about once every week or two so can't say for long term..  I used 3 and 1 oil growing up and it always seemed to work as well as Hoppes...neat smell for sure and I wouldn't hesitate to use it again. 

 

[Candle Snuffer]

I remember starting out with the WD-40, then moving to the Hoppe's Gun oil, and have also even used the 3 in 1 oil.  Provided we have done our part and have gotten all the metal dry after our cleaning process, I have found that they all work.

What I have settled on and have used over the last ten years or so is the
Birchwood Casey Sheath (Rust Preventive) oil.  I really like this stuff for all internal and external oil treatment of my muzzle loaders (and modern cartridge guns).

I mainly use the TC 1000+ Bore Butter on my patches and those of us who are familiar with the claim that the TC Bore Butter treats the bore of the rifle and you shouldn't follow your cleaning process with an oil into the bore as it will ruin the treatment that the TC-BB is suppose to imparted in the bore,,, well poppy-cock! 

I clean my rifle's inside and out and follow them up inside and out with the BC Sheath Oil and have never had a problem with rust, nor losing any accuracy nor having to regain any accuracy from using the BC Sheath Oil in the bore after cleaning rather then a TC-BB patch.  And I've never had a bore gum up with this combination as is claimed will happen by some.  I figure after 30+ years of shooting muzzle loaders I must be doing something right with my cleaning and oil treatment.

 

[tg]

I have been using gun oil, sheath or 3in1 for a dizen years or so, since I quit bore butter and went to beeswax.bear grease or plain animal greas as the mood strikes me and have had no rust and no fouling.gumming problems as long as I clean the oil out of the bore before loading, I live in a rather humid climate in NW Oregon, considering all the different results with different products some good some bad, I think the actual application is probably a bigger factor than the method.

[max]

I'm with Candlesnuffer and use Sheath, no varnish like build up as with WD40 and it really protects against rust. By the way, it was recently renamed as Barricade but I think that it's the same stuff

[Daryl]

I've heard of this 'Varnish-like' buildup with WD40 a number of times but have never seen it myself. Maybe some time soon, though, as I've  been using it for 20 odd years - maybe next year?

[BrownBear]

It may be specific to climate.  We see lots of it here.  It's thin, but there.  Not an issue in most uses unless close tollerances are involved.

[Frank]

I've heard of this 'Varnish-like' buildup with WD40 a number of times but have never seen it myself. Maybe some time soon, though, as I've  been using it for 20 odd years - maybe next year?

Well, I have been using WD-40 for at least 37 years and have never seen any varnish.
You got over 17 years to go Daryl and then maybe you will see some.

[max]

I regularly applied WD-40 to the rams on my reloading presses as the  sole rust preventative and a lubricant. Over a period of 5 or 6 months I noticed that the presses were very difficult to work. When I disassembled them to free them up, I could barely move the rams by hand using considerable force. After cleaning them in a solvent and lubricating them with Ballistoil they were just like new again and have remained so ever since. I also stored some steel jigs in wax paper after soaking them with WD-40 and upon reopening them a couple of years later found a thick sticky coating that was very difficult to remove. I've never experienced this problem with any other lubricant. Maybe I applied too much.

[BrownBear]

I regularly applied WD-40 to the rams on my reloading presses as the  sole rust preventative and a lubricant. Over a period of 5 or 6 months I noticed that the presses were very difficult to work. When I disassembled them to free them up, I could barely move the rams by hand using considerable force.

That's a good example of the exerpiences I've had too.  It will do the same things on the inner workings of a revolver after a tune job smoothes surfaces and closes tolerances.  I still have cans of WD40 around and relish it for selected uses.

Almost any lube you can name has its pluses and minuses.  Use it when it works, but have something else handy when it doesn't.  But in our climate at least, it's not a universal lube and rust preventative.  In fact it's one of the worst rust preventatives here in a wet salty climate. 

[Candle Snuffer]

I have never tried the Ballistoil, but from what many have said this would
be a product I'd like to give a try someday. 

If I recall, don't some folks mix this with something or another to make a patch lube as well?

[Daryl]

I have some Balistol that Taylor gave me. He tried it in his Jaeger, and never will again.  In one week's time, he noticed a colour at the muzzle he didn't like and ran a dry patch down the barrel.  It came out rusty, as well as leaving minor pits. As far as we know, it was straight Balistol - might have been contaminated, we don't know, but I'll not use the stuff he gave me.  So far, WD40 and Unival(rust preventative, water displacer, lubricant) haven't let me down.  I just started using Unival as I had a can to test.  It's a better lube (DW40 is pretty dismal at that) and so far, no guns have rusted or other gummed up - with either.

[Candle Snuffer]

Not worth taking the risk, Daryl.  I won't be trying the Balistol after all.

[Hank*in*WV]

I've heard of this 'Varnish-like' buildup with WD40 a number of times but have never seen it myself. Maybe some time soon, though, as I've  been using it for 20 odd years - maybe next year?

Well, I have been using WD-40 for at least 37 years and have never seen any varnish.
You got over 17 years to go Daryl and then maybe you will see some.

I have to agree with Daryl and Frank. I've never had any buildup or rust. I started using it in the service. No gun ever got any wetter than they did and no rust problems.