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Joined: 16 Jul 2015 Posts: 2126 Location: Hudson,Wy

After hunting in rain the first thing I do at the truck is wipe the gun down with a dry towel-until all exterior surfaces are actually dry. Then I break it down (barrels, fore end, and action/ stock) and repeat the process. Next, I clean the bores- a bore snake and WD-40 will do. Finally, I mildly flush what I can with WD-40, being careful that the stuff doesn't seep back in toward the stock before wiping all the metal work with a WD-40 soaked rag. Now the gun is ready to be put back together.

Why WD-40? The designation WD-40 actually stands for "Water Displacer-40". It was developed to shed water when applied to the nose cones of Minute Man missiles. Yes, that's right, the stuff is originally formulated to get rid of water. Some folks claim it's a poor lubricant. Okay, but I'm worried about rust, not how many high shear cycles I can run my gun parts through.

With my British boxlocks, access to the internal workings is a bit easier due to design and I will open up the action and perform additional cleaning if I deem it necessary.

Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 444 Location: WI

The WD-40 story may be true, but it doesn't actually displace water according to the testing in the link posted earlier. In that testing, only 3 of the products displaced water - Miltec1, Eezox, and Strike Hold. I thought that was very interesting.

Personally, I've found Eezox and Ballistol suit my purposes, and Eezox is what I always use after my gun gets wet.

Not knocking WD-40 at all, it's good stuff and I keep a can of it in all my vehicles (tractors, trucks, cars...) for contingencies, but strictly as a lubricant that doubles as a grease cleaner.

I also keep a small bottle of Hoppes oil in my "upland ammo can" which lives in the truck during bird season, and another bottle of what I think is Sig SPEC1 oil in my "TacPack", the small tactical backpack I usually carry into the woods with me where I have all my contingency gear.

Joined: 16 Jul 2015 Posts: 2126 Location: Hudson,Wy

The link aside, I have performed a little test myself a few times- due to circumstances and not curiosity. In the past I experienced the unfortunate situation of water in an automotive distributor. Anyone who's been through it knows how poorly a vehicle will run, or even not run, when this occurs. Removing the distributor cap and spraying inside the distributor and also the underside of the cap with WD-40 solved the problem immediately every time. Seems it displaces water...

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

WD40 does displace water. That stuff gets down to the surface of whatever and pushes the water off the surface. You might still be able to see the water but it isn't up against the surface of whatever material you are trying to keep dry.

Now does it displace water forever, no, but plenty long enough that the procedure that Wyochukar follows keeps things from rusting.

You can't just spray on WD40 and wander away for a month, you need to put a little effort in and wipe the shotgun down. But that goes for just about any of the so-called rust inhibitors, you can spray them on, but you had better be taking stocks off and doing a fairly thorough job of drying things off. Too much lube against wood will ruin the wood sooner or later and too much of these wonder lubes on trigger mechanisms will attract dust and dirt. Some will eventually get pretty gummy.

.........and WD-40 was wonderful when you took your boss' 1968 Jeep down to the Connecticut River meadows and went blasting through the mud puddles. WD-40 got rid of the water in the distributor cap and back to the garage without needing a tow LOL. Ask me how I know!!

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3178 Location: NCWa

Back in the day (1980) when I carried a revolver for work the instructor was emphatic that IF WD-40 was used, that the gun was wiped THOROUGHLY after its use. The problem being was that WD-40 was so penetrating that it would seep in between the brass and primer of ammunition, get onto the primer compound and cause a misfire. My preference for gun care was to apply a thin coat of RIG prior to going outside, then when done, break the gun down, dry thoroughly, apply light goat of oil, reassemble. Good til next time.

Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 196

I must be really old still using hoppe’s #9 ,I guess I just like the smell.

I have a friend in Australia who only shoots Boswell boxlocks for waterfowl in highly saline coastal lakes. He does many of the things described already, but he also uses lanolin spray to coat the gun as a final wipe down.
The only one I can find here in the US is Fluid Film spray. So far it seems to be doing the job on my Sterlingworth & Hunters Special sxs.

Anyone else use lanolin or wool wax as a rust inhibitor?

Brian

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

Has anybody here ever looked into Boeshield T-9? It's a product of the aerospace industry as well (i.e. Boeing!) that cleans, lubricates and then protects the surfaces it's been sprayed upon.

I discovered it in my traipse through the world of old fly reels because it's used extensively by several classic fly reel restoration folks. It sure works good on old Hardys, Meeks 55s, and even the Pflueger Medalists of that period.

I haven't used it (yet) on my guns but that day may be coming.

Lloyd3,
Yes sir I have some knowledge of the product, as an aero-space Welding Engineer that worked for NASA (Martin Marietta) I was familiar with its usage. However I did not know it was available to the general pubic. I am not sure it is a product that cn be used on wood however.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 12 Mar 2012 Posts: 685 Location: Ontario

I follow a routine similar to Wyochucker.

I would add that I’m particularly careful when I get home and bring the guns in from outside. Typically the steel is cold and will immediately attract condensation from the warmer inside air.

Also, if it’s been a particularly wet day I may even lay the receiver on one of my forced air heat vents. I want the warmth to penetrate right into the action and get what moisture there may be out.

And, like Pine Creek Dave, no matter how “good” some of my guns may be, they all go hunting and they all get exposed to rain and snow. Like my Purdey, on a snowy day of about 28 degrees, last Saturday grouse hunting. That’s what they were built for.

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

I’m following this thread closely. We have a big registered skeet shoot tomorrow with folks coming from all over, maybe even BC. But we’re expecting heavy continuous rain all day and everything will get soaking wet. Would like to pre-treat the gun, wish I had some of that lanolin. I have some marine equipment spray, may try that.

B.

Joined: 07 Jun 2020 Posts: 228

Before oiling, I use renaissance wax generously on all edges of the action especially on all wood to metal spots, this provide some seal to out water. I also do the forend.

I oil the barrels and action before going out. I use Eesox, but, break free, ballistal, and rem oil are ok too.

I keep a drying towel in the truck and an oil rag, on return to the truck I dry the gun, then wipe down with oil cloth. I also use a pull-through to run a dry patch then oil patch down the bore.

Then when I get oil a go through normal post shoot cleaning. In spite of all that if it is really wet, I.e. driving rain, water gets in and I have found water behind the sidelocks on pulling them to let the gun dry out. This is why I own a boxlock beater gun for rainy days.

This is why at the end of the season I will field strip and clean my guns pulling locks and sometimes removing actions from stocks cleaning and lightly oiling the interior of the action (do not do this if you don’t have absolutely prefect gunsmith screw driver and you actually know the correct process for disassembly and reassembly)

Real good point by Canvasback on bringing guns or anything else in from a cold environment to a warm.

Guns, guitars & tools are usually left in the case/box for a bit for the item(s) to come up to temperature. Helps keep condensation at bay.

Joined: 17 Oct 2019 Posts: 456 Location: New Jersey

I always wipe my guns down with Ballistol. It’s it seals out water but can also seal water in so it’s only to be applied to a dry gun. If I’m out in the rain I’ll disassemble the gun in a warm area and sometimes put a fan in it.