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Joined: 10 Dec 2022 Posts: 6

How is everyone taking care of their SxS after a hunt? We have been getting lots of rain here and I normally do a gun surface wipe down then another with a silicone towel. I have notices it is not enough as I get some noticeable rust spots. Should I wipe down with towel and CLP?

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1844 Location: Central ND

If your shotgun gets wet, you at least need to wipe it down with something like Barricade including the barrel bore or other rust inhibitor. Silicone is supposed to inhibit rust but that hasn't been my experience.

If the shotgun, and it doesn't matter what action type, gets really wet, then you should take it down, take off the butt stock and forend, blow off the moisture, wipe everything down with a rust inhibitor, let it dry well and then properly lube and reassemble.

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2349 Location: West MI

May have been shared here on 16ga.com before, can't recall, a ton of info/data, but the most comprehensive rust prevent/lubrication evaluation I've seen to date.....

https://dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667

Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 444 Location: WI

That was a thorough test!

Here's another one I saw a while back:

https://youtu.be/fibRewlndLg?si=NrR4jXyoHJQkCoYn

Arrow2013,
Most of our guns are over 100 years old and have been used to hunt in all kinds of different weather thru many generations. We have used BreakFree on them in the field or forest if needed, and then they are cleaned properly after we return from the hunt or shooting event. We have used BreakFree sense the Viet Nam era, it was invented to keep US Army Tank barrels from rusting in the jungle environment. It works well on all types of guns.

al the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1844 Location: Central ND

Pine Creek/Dave,

Nice bit of information on the Break-free, never knew that.

I use Break-free on my SA's, they run trouble free and the Break-free keeps all the particles in suspension until you wipe it off.

Joined: 21 Jan 2019 Posts: 48 Location: Indiana

Thank you for posting this.

I saw something similar several years ago and started using frog lube on my "rust o matic" (Benelli SBE2).

Because of cycling issues though, I went to FP 10 on the inside of automatics.

Haven't had a rusting problem/cycling issue since.

BD

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 1114

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1381 Location: Denver, Colorado

I'm probably remiss here but after most hunts (not exactly "each") I wipe my doubles down with either WD-40 or Rem Oil (whatever is handy) after pulling a Boresnake thru the tubes. If it's a dry day and I don't get any shooting then....not much happens until the next adventure.

[url=https://imgur.com/Dlm8Nnw]

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My buddy wipes this one down very carefully after each use, fired or not. It's his new 20 droplock.

I bedded the stock on my Sarasqueta SxS to keep the normal dew/frost moisture from getting into the wood at the receiver, if all stays well I will likely do this to all my guns.

If there was enough moisture to dampen my gloves I typically break it down to the three pieces at home/camp, wipe it down with a silicon cloth and run a bore snake through it. If it rained on me I break it down to separate wood from metal & butt stock at camp/house, wipe off any standing moisture on each, then spray the metal with Hornady One-Shot, and allow the pieces to dry overnight. After a check for any rust in the morning, I'll re-assemble. If it stops raining during the day I will break down to three pieces and wipe everything down with a silicon cloth, then re-assemble to continue hunting.

I do this for all my guns...O/U, SXS, S/A, rifle.

Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 444 Location: WI

Actually, my solution is not to use the 100+ year old guns at all if the weather is rainy or snowy. I have no qualms about taking out one of the Browning O/Us out in bad weather, so I use one of those instead. When I get home I break it down and clean it thoroughly.

nj gsp,

The only time I do leave my good guns home is in the pouring down rain, my ancestors used them even then. I do not baby our guns I use them 99% of the time and we have nasty weather here in Pa for Grouse and Woodcock hunting, much of the time. Oct thru December. We lost our January Grouse season, with the nice cold snowy/sunny weather.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

A few of our 0ver 100 year old Grouse Guns used every year, in most all kinds of different weather, the guns are all in pristine condition.

Joined: 13 Apr 2017 Posts: 150

Anyone use TSI 301?

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1310 Location: Western WA

Was advised to coat gun everywhere with Johnson’s Paste Wax prior to wet weather outing. I tried it once on a sxs for a rainy hunt. Worked perfectly, but cleanup afterwards was tedious. Extremely tedious. Might not try it again.

B.

Brewester,
The old Johnsons Paste Wax is not as good for protecting your gun on rainy days as the Break-Free, and it cleans up much easier. Forget the Wax and use Break-Free to protect you're gun, it builds up the more you use it, and does not attract dirt. All the guns you saw in my prior post have been coated with Break-Free for many years, stocks included, they remain in pristine condition.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Our L.C. Smith Pigeon Gun used on many many rainy day hunts, still in great condition after more than 100 years. We have used Break-Free on her sense it was invented for the US Army tank barrels, in the Viet Nam era. The gun remains in pristine condition. The Break-Free will not damage the good wood on your guns as you see in the picture, it protects wood also.