I have a number of rifles. Almost all are stainless and I do not have to worry about rust.

I have several Browning X-bolts one of which is a 270. I shot this a couple of times on a weekend to check the zero as I was taking it to Spain the next week for an ibex hunt. The gun shot fine and I noticed nothing odd.

We got to Barcelona and had to go to the police to retrieve the rifle as well as do the paperwork. When I opened the case, I didn't immediately notice anything unusual. When I opened the bolt, however, I noticed something immediately. This is something I have never seen before.

I may not have the terminology right. I apologize in advance. When I opened the bolt for inspection, I immediately noticed a large amount of rust on the bottom of the bolt near the base of the bolt. Well, I damn near had a heart attack when I saw that.

Fortunately, the PH had a pretty decent work shop. We put a lot of oil on the rusty spot and left it overnight. Also, I noticed some rust on the gun itself near where the rusty section would be . The next morning, all of the rust was removed with a wire brush.

I called my gun guys. They were pretty shocked as they have taken care of my guns for over 20 years and they had never seen anything like that on ANY of my guns.

This happened in a week. Any thoughts on what might have caused this?

I have a theory but I want to see what others think.

I have seen that and rusted magazine wells from copper cleaners working their way back into these areas and not cleaned out. This even happens when using a bore guide and it's pulled out with solvent dripping from the tip. That is why I always finish with a chamber mop and/or a toothbrush with a little Eezox on it.

Otherwise, pretty strange for metal to suddenly begin to rust. It generally needs a lot of encouragement to do so.

What cleaner/cleaners do you typically use?

it was probably next to a blaser - never know what will happen when a rifle gets next to a rust bucket

I use Shooters Choice.

My theory is as follows. I may have put this gun in a case that had a muzzleloader at one time. Although the ML had been cleaned, perhaps something came off the ML and got onto the x- Bolt.

Someone else has the idea of a primer that blew. Primer material is corrosive.

In recent years this gun has not been shot a lot. It is stored in a humidity controlled room.

I just don't know. I have never seen this before. I hope to never see it again.

Primers are no longer corrosive. Thankfully...

Shooter's Choice has ammonia which is hygroscopic. Might have left a trace of it on the bolt?

We 4p can do that

If you used any ammonia based solvent and did not nutralise it with CRC or some gun oil, you would get rust & corrosion. If the ammonia level is really high, like Sweets, then you bet you will get a lot of rust / corrosion & very quickly.

The only time I had such a problem was when using mould spray on the gun case / foam. I left the gun in it for one day of travel and when I opened the gun case, I was shocked to see rust spots outside and in the bolt area where the ammonia from the case had made contact. I quickly removed the rust and applied Break Free which I found to be very good for lubrication and storage. I was lucky that I only ended with a few shiny spots on the gun where the bluing disappeared. The hinges on the gun case were ruined as the alluminium was badly pitted and the steel rivets also rusted and pitted.

IIRC Shooters' Choice is ammonia based.

First: Stainless steel will rust.

Second: unless properly oiled, any rifle left in a case can be subjected to condensation moisture which can pool and rust your rifle.

Larry, I have no idea if this is what happened to your rifle or not but at least it's factual and another idea.

Zeke

Browning stainless rifles pit and rust. Thats why half the guys I know that had stainless A Bolts got rid of them. Sad to see Browning did not adress this issue with the X Bolt.
Imagine how bad it would look if it had been a skiff gun.

quote:

Originally posted by Cold Trigger Finger:
Browning stainless rifles pit and rust.

Truth. My Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker will do the same thing. They will rust...and it won't take long

Gentlemen:

I had certain A bolts for well over 20 years and never encountered this problem.

Gun cases cause condensation, depending on what they are lined with, or whats been in them and perhaps left residue as you stated...

Wonder if Browning is trying to use up some of their infamous old salt wood, thinking stainless wouldn't be affected, surely not.

Another reason I use mostly boresnakes, Copper removing salts cause rust..Florida and Alaska cause rust..

Just thinking to myself since I have no clue what caused your problem, just suggesting.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:

Another reason I use mostly boresnakes, Copper removing salts cause rust..Florida and Alaska cause rust..

I wonder if you could explain this a bit? I have some but thought I read somewhere else they were a bad idea, for some reason I have now forgotten.

I take it 'stainless' steel is a relative term, which may allow you a little grace when hunting in wet climes.

Obviously as you say black powder is corrosive.

And the other is bore cleaners.

So it could be either one.

When I use the copper cleaners of any kind ( mine are Montane Extreme ) I also follow it up patching it out with Hoppes 9, and then dry patches, and then give the bore the Montana Bore conditioner oil treatment too.

I am sure your cleaning and products are the same or even better. But if any strong cleaner somehow got left in the action, possibly the bore guide had some in it and dripped on removal etc, then it sat and now you found the result.