How to Prevent Your Gun From Rusting

Rust is the bane of every gun owner's existence. Just the thought alone of rust eating away, causing discoloration on the fine metals your firearms are composed of is enough to make a grown man cry. Rust occurs from moisture and oxygen sitting on a metal surface, producing something called oxidation which causes rust. Your firearm is twice as likely to rust if it’s being used as a carry gun, due to sweat (condensation) from your body. Ew.

The goal here is to achieve the perfect balance between humidity and temperature in your safe to prevent rust from taking away your manhood.

How to Maintain the Best Environment For Your Guns

For starters, you want to be keeping track of humidity and temperature in your safe daily for a year before getting comfortable and leaving it alone. According to the NRA National Firearms Museum, the best temperature to store your guns is at a constant 70 degrees and 50-55% humidity. While it is very difficult to maintain that exact environment, it is best to keep the environment of your safe in that range. Keep in mind, any sudden drop of temperature will lead to condensation which will then slowly turn to rust.

To help monitor the conditions in your gun safe, we strongly suggest purchasing an indoor thermo-hygrometer. Using this tool will help you make sure that the temperature and humidity of your safe is consistent year round-preventing any corrosion or expansion of wood grips and stocks. It is also important to store your firearms in an environment that is mostly dry.

Also, avoid storing your safe in an attic, garage or vehicle trunk or any other area that lacks insulation or is susceptible to a sudden shift in humidity as it could turn deadly.

How to Mitigate High Humidity

If you live in a moist environment, it would be wise to invest in a dehumidifier. For our safe queens, we strongly suggest using a Dehumidifier Rod. A dehumidifier rod will heat up your safe so that the temperature inside of the safe is higher than the air outside, preventing any moisture from turning into condensation.

This option comes in many different sizes and is more useful for larger safes. You may also use a desiccant dehumidifier which contains a moisture absorbing material such as silica gel that directly absorbs water from the surrounding air.

Not only are desiccant dehumidifiers reusable, no power supply is needed for this type of dehumidifier, and they also come in all sizes and forms. However, just like everything else in the firearm industry, these options can range from very expensive to affordable but, since there are so many different options available, you will be able to find one that matches your needs.

How to Remove Rust From a Gun

Uh-oh, it’s too late and your gun is now a victim to rust. As soon as rust becomes visible on your firearm, throw it away, purchase a couple of 80 lowers and build a new one. Just kidding! As soon as rust becomes visible, disassemble and clean the firearm using one of the methods below immediately.

Removing Rust with A Gun Cleaning Solution

One of the most common and most effective ways to cleanse your firearm from rust is to saturate bronze wool or a nylon brush in a gun cleaning solution. Once saturated, scrub all of the rust away until it is no longer visible. Using the wrong abrasive material could ruin the finish of a gun so it is crucial that you use correct abrasive material such as a steel wool pad, bronze wool, or a nylon brush.

Removing Rust off of a Firearm Using WD-40

WD-40 is recommended by almost anyone in the gun industry. We even recommend using it with our Easy Jigs because of its ability to lubricate and prevent rust. Another great use for WD-40 is to get rid of rust from your firearm. All you need to do is to heavily saturate the affected area in WD-40. Once your gun is heavily saturated, place the firearm on a flat surface, spray WD-40 on the rusted area, and let it sit for 24 hours. Once 24 hours have passed, spray it again with WD-40 and wipe the surface clean with a soft rag or napkin. Once you wipe your firearm clean, your gun will look and feel brand new.

Coating Your Firearms and Why It Matters

Once your gun is all cleaned and lubed up, finish her off using a non-abrasive wax such as Renaissance Wax. Any wax that can be used on all materials such as steel, aluminum, and wood is ideal for protection.

Having a coat of wax on your firearm acts as a protective barrier by filling in the pores making it harder for rust to develop and spread. In simpler terms, waxing your gun will act as a barrier between the material of your firearm and condensation making it harder for the condensation to rust your gun.

Once all of the steps above are completed, inspect your firearm thoroughly, and never assume that the rust didn't spread into another place.