Johnson's paste floor wax. I don't clean the bore of my rifle nor take it out of the stock while on a trip unless something really bad happens. (falling overboard, etc) If I get caught in a downpour, when I get back to camp, I cover the scope lenses and spray down the whole rifle, stock and all, with WD40, concentrating on the spaces between action/barrel and wood. then stand it in a corner muzzle down overnight. I have rarely hunted around salt water but elsewhere this has worked for me.

Jeff,

I use Birchwood-Casey's 'Sheath' as my all-weather rust preventive, and have since 1974. I've used it on blued firearms in every sort of wet enviroment you can envision from Alaska to Mexico, and I've never had any rust problems. To this day, I haven't found anything better than good ol' Sheath.

I recommend that you clean your metal first (with a cleaner/degreaser), then heat the metal with a hair-dryer. Apply Sheath with a clean cloth, then heat with the hair-dryer once again. Use a Q-Tip to get into every nook and cranny of your metalwork. From that point forward, simply wipe the metal down after handling with a little Sheath on a fresh cleaning patch.

AD

WD-40 leaves a residue that over time will harden like shelac. The area that don't get wiped down, like your trigger mechanism, will be most susceptible.

What do you use on your rifle...I heard alot of guys
will use car wax under the stock to protect the blue.

If so what kind?

Thanks
Jeff

This question must come up once per week.


TopCote - much better than wax

Brent

I used simple Johnsons paste wax for years. The last couple of times I have used Topcoat with good success.

Don't use WD 40 like has been said you will end up with a heavy coating over time. Seen it stop a Browning Auto 5 completely

I have had success with a product called Slick 50 One Lube. Its a good thick lubricant that has served well on the shotguns we used to duck hunt with and believe me, those shotguns saw some hard use. Mine has even gone overboard a time or too. Some of the bluing is gone, but not a speck of rust anywhere.

I don't know if it leaves a coating like WD-40 will, but it does adhere to the metal rather well. Just oil your gun when you get home and no worries.

It comes in an aresol bottle and may sorta hard to find. I had to buy my last bottle at a parts store after I looked high and low for it. It has worked as well for me as any oil I've tried.

Just my $.02 I thought I'd add.

I really don't care that "over time" WD40 will harden. Given the option of watching my rifle rust or hosing it down with something that has a proven track record for repelling water, its gonna get the WD40. When I do the "big clean" to my rifle(s) before putting them away, I, among other things spray, the trigger mech. with carb cleaner and then oil with Kroil. For a very long time (I don't know how long WD40 has been around), its worked well for me.

I must admit, I too used to use WD40 on all my guns with no ill effects. In fact I thought it did a pretty darn good job. I do realize there are better things out there for gun maintenance, so I usually use something else now. I never had a gun rust or gum up with WD40, and I still use it some. I wonder if all the bad press for it comes from some of the same "wives tales" about certain rifles not being very accurate etc.

In addition to Brent's advice, which I use on my woodworking tools and it works quite well, I would point you to two articles, one of which is from this site:

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/GunTech/NewsletterArchive.aspx?p=0&t=1&i=503

http://www.accuratereloading.com/rustest.html

While I've yet to order any, I find the Boeshield especially interesting. Text from Brownells:

Boeshield T-9 is a heavy-duty, rust and corrosion preventive developed by The Boeing Company for lubrication and protection of aircraft components. Specially formulated combination of solvents, waxes and lubricants coats and protects smooth and porous metals from rust and corrosion. Displaces moisture and lubricates at the same time. Dries to a thin, waxy film that will not harm paints, plastics and vinyls. Not easily removed once dried; requires mineral spirits or degreaser. For firearms applications requiring better than average protection against moisture indoors and outdoors. Good choice for long-term exposure to salt-air environments, areas with high humidity or extreme wetness. Available in 4 oz. and 1 gal. containers, 4 oz. and 12 oz. spray aerosol cans.

Test plates reveal minimal moisture penetration and negligible rust formation. Collection of some dust/debris on surface is present. Minor blemishes present after degreasing. Overall metal condition is excellent.

For the areas of the receiver and barrel that are covered by the stock I have been very pleased using either Pachmayer Guardz-it and LPS3. Both form a wax like coating. Before final sighting-in for a hunt, I remove the barreled action and clean everything then apply a coat of the LPS3 to the bottom of the barrel and sides of the action/magazine. Everything that is not a moving part or has any moving part touching it gets lightly covered. I do not use the spray feature but spray into a can and then apply. Other parts, including the inside of the magazine get a light coat of Sheath.
I can always wipe off the exposed portions of the rifle and wipe out the bore during the hunt.
This has worked well over the years. My rifle has endured rain, snow, salt-water and volcanic ash with no ill effects.

I dislike any lube that will attract dirt & debree while in the field. I use for the most part Birchwood-Caseys Sheath. But, at times in a pinch I will use the same lube that I use in all of my firearms, & that is a extra-fine grafite. The grafite is a dry lube & WILL not attract dirt, which in turn can & will enterfear with its function. This is what I use on all moving parts. Trigger, bolt, saftey, ect. Now mine ya, if you were to use this under the bbl. for up against the stock to prevent rusting, then be sure that you wipe any off that is above the stock. this will keep your hands & clothes from getting black grafhite all over them.

I don't choose to use CRC, WD-40, and the likes of these types of lubes, because of the smell that is coming off from these lubes. plus, when it freezes outside, the wey oil lubes tend to wanta freeze up as well, which will make your gun operate slugishly. Grafite doesn't freeze cause its a dry lubricant, so you gun with cycle normally, with no complications.

Sheath smells just like wd-40 to my nose. I sprayed down a bunch of dies I bought at a closeout with sheath several years ago and it works great, but also leaves a coating similiar to wd-40. I'm not convinced they aren't very similiar if not the same.