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Is it good practice to lightly coat the exterior of a firearm with oil to prevent rusting?

My new Remington 870 had some small rust patches on the outside of the barrel and I obviously want to prevent this from happening again.
 
Take a look at a product made by the Flood company.
It's called Penetrol and it's an oil paint additive that can be used on metal to keep rust from forming. There's also a latex version but it's the oil based that you want to check out. I have used it on old shovels and axes that I leave outside and it does a great job.
 
The answer to your question is yes, oil does prevent rusting on metal surfaces, including the exterior.

Hoppe's is fine but look into a more modern "oil" as they've advanced since Hoppe's.
 
Hoppe's Lubricating oil ( in the orange bottle ) works well to prevent rust.
Hoppe# 9 will "work" in a pinch ... but it does not prevent rust for the long term.
I Like using Break Free / CLP / Tri Flow to prevent rust.
And remember , you do not need a whole lotta oil to prevent rust....
Andy
 
Well if it is a newer 870 express model rem made a surface/finish that is destined to rust. It is very rough, almost porous and starts to rust when subjected to any moisture despite any oil application. I bought one for waterfowling several years back and after fighting the ongoing rust problem for a couple of years I gave up. I degreased it and lightly scuffed it up and spray painted it with some homemade stencils. I did use good paint and it has held up great after many years and looks good too. I will try and post a pic when I get a chance.
 
Lps-3! It's a heavy duty rust inhibitor. Sprays on like oil, dries to a waxy film, wipes off easily. Any gun that is going to be stored for awhile gets it, as well as any gun that is going to spend the day in the rain or trunk.
 
There is a reason that the military stored firearms coated in cosmoline. So, for any firearm I am putting into long term storage I use RIGG (Rust Inhibiting Gun Grease). Good stuff but a bubblegum to clean off.
 
You want to be sure you wipe off all fingerprints or any other contaminates.
This is a big thing, you touch the metal? Wipe with an oily cloth\rag.

I have a microfibre cloth that has a lot of froglube or seal1 on it (previously used to wipe off an application) that lives on top of my safe, anything taken out and touched gets wiped before going back in.
 
Lps-3! It's a heavy duty rust inhibitor. Sprays on like oil, dries to a waxy film, wipes off easily. Any gun that is going to be stored for awhile gets it, as well as any gun that is going to spend the day in the rain or trunk.
Where do you get this?
I was considering it for under my truck.
 
Marine chandleries or industrial supply houses like Grainger should carry LPS3. Probably could get from Amazon as well. It leaves a pretty waxy gooey residue behind so be careful not to put in on parts you need to handle and it also will attract dust/dirt bad.
 
Rem oil has always worked great for me. They have a new advanced formula now that helps to prevent rust even better than the old stuff did. To answer the OP's question about the hoppes orange bottle stuff, I have it and use it, but not as a rust preventative. That stuff is mainly a lubricant. You should really check out some studies done on different rust preventative gun oils. Rem oil has fared well in most study's/tests. There's also other oils and sprays that work well, but have a horrendous smell to them. These include Eezox, corrosion X, FP-10, and break free CLP...
 
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I was at the coast on vacation recently and was traveling with an AR pistol. I would keep the lower in a shoulder bag and would keep the upper in a nice spot in my truck where I can keep it neatly concealed and pretty safe from being found, even in a smash and grab. The upper/barrel is too long for the bag I was carrying and would stick out the top, so keeping it with me wasn't an option.

I ended up leaving the upper in the truck for 2 days - and found mild surface rust on the barrel after that short time. I had forgotten to add a little extra oil to the surface before I put it in there - my bad - the metal was a bit dry at that point. Thankfully, because I normally keep it clean and oiled, the rust came off easily and I was able to apply a thin coat of CLP before the next time I put it back in the truck - after that, no rust issues for the rest of the trip - even in the higher humidity, salt air environment. When I got home, I gave it another wipe-down just to make sure any residual from the salt air wasn't left there to work on the metal.

At home, the guns live in a safe with a dehumidifier and rust has never been a problem, though I do like to leave a very light coat of CLP on all of them, just to be on the safe side.
 
Is anyone using there own concoction along the likes of an "Ed's Red"?

I'd imagine you would omit any acetone in said recipe, or risk damaging the finish (particularly wood/some plastics).

Care to share your specific recipes for both cleaning/lubing & storage?

Thanks!
 
Acetone and ATF (eds red) is a penetrant, no good for rust prevention.

And I'll still argue rem oil is bollocks as its too thin for rust prevention, though good at cleaning rust off, due to it being so thin and able to get into\under the rust.
 

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