This summer has been fairly cool and windy- great for my favorite target a-wing- barn pigeons. I use AA and RST and Federal new shells- plastic no. 8 1&1/8 ounce loads-- and save the hulls. In both my 2 favorite guns for shitbirds awing, both 12 ga. doubles with 30" barrels, in spite of cleaning and storage in a heat lamp gun safe-

I will sometimes find a light dusting of red rust in the barrel breeches- guns are: (1) 1909 L.C. Smith 2E and (2) 1929 Ithaca NID 2E-- Hoppe's and a brass 10 gauge brush removes this "debris", and it doesn't re-appear until after I have shot the specified shotgun. This only happens in the summer- anyone know why?? RWTF[quote][/quote]

What is your procedure for cleaning, after use, before you put them into the safe, Francis?

SRH

The seasonal part of it is humidity and warmth, both enhance the rusting. After cleaning, do you stand them on muzzles in the safe? Perhaps your post-shooting oiling is running downhill.

I shoot a lot in the summer and I use what many refere to as the worst stuff ever put on a gun, WD40! I don't use it as a lube but as a rust preventave. It does build up and makes a film. When it builds up that film is bullet proof, no rust ! Proven in north LA on Browning supers, Citori, and K-80s.
bill

I have found that this happens more with spherical powders.
Mike

OK- good question. I run a bronze brush from breech to muzzle on both barrels- then swab with Hoppe's No. 9-- then spray Rem Oil into the breech area, re-assemble, and store in the Browning steel tomb (humidity heat lamp) muzzles down--

Years ago, I recall some skeet shooters using Belgian made Browning O/U's and shooting AA reloads had this "situation" even after cleaning. As I only shoot factory new shells, the issue of "sperical powders" being a culprit may not be pertinent. It is not a big problem, and I enjoy the cleaning process in my gun room/workshop-- just curious, and yes, this is a summertime issue.

By the way, Stan- I enjoyed your observations about the up-coming GA dove season. Yesterday, with the Ithaca 2E and three feedlot farms, I "cut the shitty-birds" a dusty- but boy, howdy- there were tons of doves flying around in the wind- they love the pulverized corn and silage piled all over the feed troughs- so do the raccoons, I nailed 2 of those "banditoes"- with AA target loads- at about 25 feet- And for other farm folks as well as you, I pick up all my empties, and I pitchforked the dead 'coons into a manure spreader-- Damn, wish MI had a legal dove season, I swing through them as they roar by like jet fighters, but that's as far as I can take it--I can sure see why you Southern gents love dove hunting, what a great game bird- but here in MI, I'll have to settle for barn pigeons--

On another note-- My 12 gauge Smiths all have 2 triggers, as does the Ithaca, and the 20 Fox "Sterly"-- Being a confirmed varmint and pistol shot, I am concerned about the trigger pulls on my guns, and I have to say- of the afore-mentioned scatterguns, the 12 Ithaca NID 2E has the best consistent triggers pulls, hands down. Wonder why there is no Ithaca Gun Collectors website?

Hope your coming dove season is all that you expect-- weather and local and then later migratory birds can be a factor, that's for sure. Heck, some of those doves that buzzed me yesterday may well migrate down to your area come Nov.. Give 'em a barrel or 2 for me. RWTF

Hoppe's is a great solvent, but it has zero rust preventive qualities; it wasn't made to have any. A swab or patch dunked in 30wt. non-detergent motor oil and run thru the bore afterwards will likely prevent what you are experiencing & a tight fitting paper towel 'patch'/wad run thru before use again will remove enough residual oil film for it not to be a worry.

FN Browning's are noted for their ability to almost rust their chambers before your eyes in our humid environs. A motor oil patch after use will prevent it from taking place & its better if you have a chamber brush of some sort to use first. Speaking here to field use and not being able to do a thorough cleaning until later. Petroleum jelly can also be used in that regard to good effect.

If we are honest about it, no plastic body shot shell is as effective from an obturating perspective at it's crimp as a paper hull and once a paper hull 'pin holes' at the brass it too is blowing some hot spent powder gas onto the chamber's wall. Spent powder gas will quickly burn off any slight film protectant, whether the primers are non corrosive or not. Bill's use of WD-40 in that manner may be just what you need. I've not tried it in that manner. I do know it builds up a rather tenacious film and can cause a revolver to lock up if left unattended for an extended period of time, as I've experienced that.

Its been my contention that shooting new Federal paper hulls of the older variety that were made w/the wound paper base wads imparted some of their paraffin to the chamber walls and you didn't get the instant rust syndrome near as quickly, but as Russ was prone to say, I could be wrong.

addendum: there is now a Rem Oil w/a VCI rust preventive in its formulae. I've only seen that in the small 6oz. pump-squirt bottles.

I have been unimpressed with Rem Oil as a rust preventative, and I live in a mostly dry prairie climate.
I am used to using WD40 rust preventative, as a black powder shooter.
Grease and oil for lube, WD40 wipe down for protection.

Some years back the Rifleman ran an article on chamber rusting with the, then New, plastic hulls. Their conclusion was the paper hulls which had previously been in use did indeed leave a wax deposit on the chamber walls which protected them.

Plastic hulls left no protection & the chambers were left in a bare & unprotected condition. I believe this very well agrees with TW's comments.

One question on the motor oil. Is there a specific reason it should be non-detergent? Another question, what are the rust protecting qualities of Synthetic motor oils vs the regular mineral oil types.
I use Mobil-1 for lubrication purposes on some items I use regularly with very good results, but am unaware of any synthetic motor oil which is non-detergent.

Francis, try some Eezox. Having never tried it, I ordered a small package online that contains a little dropper bottle, and can, and a small aerosol.

I have been extremely impressed with it's ability to prevent rust down here in this big sauna of a place.

SRH

I use WD-40 and fine steel wool wound around a bore brush, however, I think I may now use Ballistol. I caution against using large quantities of any oil that could find it's way into the stock wood.
Mike

Rem-Oil runs away and is not a good product for rust prevention nor lubrication, IMHO.

WD-40 does what the name says... WD = Water Dispersant

I prefer grease for most of my lubrication and protection. Doesn’t wick much, stays where you put it. Doesn’t take much, if it’s visible it’s almost too much.

Correct, Deano- and the number 40 signifies what?? I know the answer, just wondered if you did. My guess is- you do, your career in automotive parts with the Stutz-Bearcat dealership speaks volumes indeed. RWTF

Yup- but don't you want to remove the grease from the chambers and barrels before you fire the gun? I sure as heck would. I still have a old tube of RIG gun grease- my Dad used it to keep his firearms safe from rust in the "off-seasons" we didn't have steel gun safes and heat lamps in my boyhood- Dad stored his on open racks up in the attic-- 1950's era--

After 39 tries they finally got it right on the 40th.

I live in the UK, so fairly damp climate.
There are two key things here;

1: get it clean (even modern powder residue can be a bit corrosive in damp conditions because it attracts water), which I do in three stages; first some tissue/paper pushed through to remove the worst debris, next some solvent cleaner (I use Young's 303) and scrub with a phosphor bronze or brass brush and leave for 30 minutes or so - then another scrub, and finally clean out with tissue/paper until it comes out clean.

2: now it is clean, to protect it I spread a VERY THIN film of oil/preservative. As has been said, motor oil is OK, but I prefer Rangoon oil. I do this with either a fibre brush, or woolly mop. The coating of oil left should be very thin and never enough to run if the barrels are stored vertical.

It isn't really in the products (most are pretty good), but in getting clean and leaving a very thin film to protect. This last is critical as a thin film of oil keeps the metal away from damp in the air.

As John said here in Brit land our atmosphere hovers between damp and out and out wet all because of the Maritime climate of ours. Now I did use Rangoon oil until I found out that the Rangoon oil of today is not the same oil that was once supplied to the Brit armed forces by the Rangoon Oil Company Glasgow later to become the Burmah Oil Co. The Oil sold as Rangoon is now the product of an Oil blending factory and some would say a shadow of its former self that said, my personal preference for metal protection especially storage from my cast Iron Lathe and other machine tools to my guns. It is something I have used for many years made at home and I have not been able to find it lacking in any way. It is a simple mixture of Liquid paraffin and Lanolin.
Liquid Paraffin is not Kerosene but a highly refined mineral oil you see it all the time as baby oil also used in cosmetics so exceedingly pure.
Lanolin well what can I say other than it has kept the Brit rain off Sheep's backs and wool from possibly the beginning of time.
Even Ed Harris of Ed's Red gun cleaner put Lanolin in one version of his cleaners.
My mix is one part pure Lanolin to ten parts Liquid paraffin and you can use baby oil it is far cheaper to purchase and available everywhere, though pure Lanolin is a little harder to find because they mix all sorts of other things with it to make it go further.
One word of warning you must clean shotgun bores of all traces before you use the gun. It is very tenacious and ring bulges are not good for you or your gun.

BINGO- You Da Man, Mr. Romig- You Da Man.. RWTF

Might be simpler to just buy John Deere Fluid Film.

Gunning regularly in one of the worst environments for a shotgun---wet, slimy, salt water from a geographical raft jutting into the North Atlantic for nearly 75 years---I'm amused by observations of gun care. Using an oily rag, touch of light oil, push- or pull-through, my guns have never been visited by rust or breakdown. Quick, no-fuss cleanup is most pleasurable of after-hunt responsibilities.

Jeepers. Never mind shotguns. I can only imagine what it does to people.
You must look like a swamp monster.


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It’s Benelli, Fox. (from the Fox thread)

Sei
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benelli_Sei

I normally only use WD-40 when there is nothing else in the truck. But last season I decided to try it in the barrels of my Brit twist steel hammergun after a few limits of doves with old Gamebore BP loads. I field cleaned the barrels with Ballistol and water, then dried them and swabbed the bores with WD-40. Nine months later, no signs of rust.

Replacement, you did, of course, find that after 9 months there was a tougher-than-teflon varnish in those bores, just like the "experts" of the internet tell us happens every time with WD40, right?

Since the birth of the internet, there have been so many WD40 fables that I wish I had collected.

I guess that varnish is why the bores are so smooth and shining inside. I'll try it again this September.

Must be for why my 54 Mortimer shoots a 530 ball.
All the WD 40 I have put down the bore.

O.M

Miller,

In response to your question on why I said non-detergent. Its just what I grew up using in small engines, compressors and pumps and for keeping tools [hand & yard] lubricated & rust free and the seals alive in an ancient Benjamin pellet rifle/slug gun & bicycle pumps too. 30wt. non-detergent is fairly thick & does not run, leaving a good protective oil film on surfaces wiped down w/it. Not permanent by any means, but its good for a while.

There is nothing advantageous in using a multi-viscosity or detergent mineral oil. I've heard it said that one of the additives is sometimes calcium in those oils and if so, that is hydroscopic so it might aggravate/encourage rust rather than preventing it, if left over some extended period of time. I dunno, just saying.

Guns & engines are both internal combustion devises, but their lubrication needs are quite dif. and here we are only discussing motor oil as a rust preventive.

And in that sense, oil from an engine's dip stick regardless of type would serve as well for a short term preventive if nothing else were available at the time. I've done that, on more than one occasion.

Eezox, that I first learned about from Researcher and that Stan speaks of is a synthetic rust preventive that meets some rigorous mil. spec's and is said to build up a more effective to near impervious coating w/each use. I dunno; it was about a hundred dollars for a gallon when I bought it, but that's been a long while back. I was going to share some of it w/Cowboy, but he sadly left the range while it was on its way down to me. It is a very good product. Now I hope to live long enough to use it all. ;-)

Ain't got there yet.

...... and it's aroma is captivating. Eau de Eezox.

SRH

My friend Wingshooter16 turned me on to Eezox. It’s all I use now. Very pleased with it.

How many monsters have you seen among Scots, lonesome? Or the Irish for that matter of similar sodden climes? The English invited Scots south to strengthen their culture, founding their great educational institutions. Take a gander at US statesmen and presidents of Scottish descent, including at least one signer of your Declaration whose descendants live here. Nova Scotia (New Scotland) has contributed to Canada more leaders per capita to politics, law, finance etc. Our active member Mr. Riddell knows the story almost first-hand.

Politicians and lawyers...who fookin’ gives a shyte...

Figured you knew me better than that, King.


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Nathan MaaaaaacKiiiiiiiiinon!!!
https://youtu.be/f9VXeMZlyoo

I know what public apathy begets, and it isn't pretty.

Right on.

Next time I go to Myrtle Beach it’ll be via Roanoke.

(there’s a Brad Marchand joke in there somewhere. dirty rat)


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Big loop around Baltimore.

I thought a Scot was someone who could buy from a Dutchman, sell to a Jew and still make a profit...

"Nice work if you can get it, ey?"

I have a Francotte Eagle Grade 12 (2 5/8" chambers) which has -in both barrels- a ring of rust or pitting? at what appears to be the juncture of chamber and breech. I can't guess how deep-but both the dealer from whom I bought the gun and the dealer to whom I have consigned it- didn't and don't mention it in their online ad's. I am ashamed to say that dsid not notice this when I first examined- to buy the gun. I have not tried cleaning this area with a bronze brush but all the above comments encourage me to do so. I would be grateful to see what u-all think. Thanks. pheasantfisher

I'd get a .750" fine grit (180) polishing hone, on a twisted wire stem from Napa- and using Kroil on it, and with the barrels locked in a padded vise, slowly work this in and out of the chambers, at a slow rpm with a variable speed electric drill- I did this with a 12 gauge L.C. Smith that had the same issue- what was the cause? Previous owner was too cheap to use snap caps, always stored his shotguns with the hammers down, and used old cut off paper shells in lieu of plastic snap caps- paper is hydroscopic, draws moisture-- hence rusty chambers- RWTF