Question about rust on firearms.

[GM]

I wonder if any of you can help me with this question. I always clean my firearms after every range section, and my CC firearms every second weeks if I do not go to the range. However, my BUG - a stainless steel pistol that I got NIB for 6 months ago - got surface rust on the frame. I never before got rust on a so new stainless steel pistol, and it really surprises me.

Last week I cleaned and oiled it, and then I realized that there were two spots there the rust had left marks on the metal . Yesterday when I checked it I saw surface rust again. I call the manufacturer and they will repolish the pistol in order to remove all rust. My question is, do you think that the rust will stay away after repolishing the pistol or will the rust come back again? Thanks for your help!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[xoolo]

I wonder if any of you can help me with this question. I always clean my firearms after every range section, and my CC firearms every second weeks if I do not go to the range. However, my BUG - a stainless steel pistol that I got NIB for 6 months ago - got surface rust on the frame.

Last week I cleaned and oiled it, and then I realized that there were two spots there the rust had left marks on the metal . Yesterday when I checked it I saw surface rust again. I call the manufacturer and they will repolish the pistol in order to remove all rust. My question is, will the rust stay away after repolishing the pistol or will the rust come back again? Thanks for your help!

Where do you carry your BUG?

[boatail]

Stainless, despite what many think, is not rust proof.It is rare that it happens, but you do need to clean and lightly oil it as with any other gun. What brand is it? It may be a different grade of stainless that's not as "rust resistant" as others.
Let them take care of it and in the future, treat it like a blued gun and you should be fine.

[OldVet]

Ditto on the SS isn't always rustproof. It depends on the grade of metal.

What make/model BUG is it?

[GrandBob]

Guns are made from 400 series stainless steel, mostly in 410 and 420 grades.

Heres the thing. Those grades of stainless are used because they are heat treatable, and they are tougher than the highly corrosive resistant grades which are 300 series. Becausethe 400 series have some carbon in them, they rust. They dont rust as bad, but they should still be wiped down after every use.

The Stainless steel that dosent rust is too soft to use for guns, so its really a tradeoff.

[jwhite75]

Try to get some jewelers rouge, and apply as instructed and lightly buff you may be able to take out the small pits on your own.

[xoolo]

if you carry it in a pocket, like a pants pocket you might be getting it sweaty, the salt in sweat would aid in rusting faster...

[svgheartland]

What xoolo said. Sweat and salt are killers. I've hunted the coast here in North Carolina and salt mist will set a rust on your gun before suppertime. Seriously. Sweat from your hands can mess up a blued finish in no time, particulary in hot weather.

Ultimately, I think the quality of the SS plays a large part as well. There are umpteen different grades of SS and there not always "up to grade". Good luck amigo.

[varob]

Try some Gunzzila on it.

[GM]

Where do you carry your BUG?

How I carry depends on the attire; but most often in a pocket holster.

Ditto on the SS isn't always rustproof. It depends on the grade of metal.

What make/model BUG is it?

I am aware that stainless steel is not rustproof and that it depends on its grade, but what surprises me is that although I really take care of the pistol it happened so fast. I own other stainless steel pistols too, and I do not have this problem with any of them. That is the reason because I wondered if you guys think that the rust will stay away after repolishing the pistol or if it will come back again.

It is a MK9 Elite, and that is the reason because it breaks my heart to see rust on it; the MK9 is a very good pistol.

What xoolo said. Sweat and salt are killers. I've hunted the coast here in North Carolina and salt mist will set a rust on your gun before suppertime. Seriously. Sweat from your hands can mess up a blued finish in no time, particulary in hot weather.

Ultimately, I think the quality of the SS plays a large part as well. There are umpteen different grades of SS and there not always "up to grade". Good luck amigo.

I know … you are right. And to make it even worse I live in a steam room (AKA South Florida)

Try some Gunzzila on it.

Last week I got a bottle of Gunzilla and I used the product to clean the pistol. I ordered it because of this problem and I hopped that it should help, but the rust is back again.

[boscobeans]

Send it back for a cleanup. Get some Eezox and treat it as directed. Use it routinely. Make sure your pocket holster is DRY and do not store you pistol in the holster when not carrying.

OMO

bosco

[REDTAIL]

I agree with BOSCOBEANS EEZOX is the only way to go I have used it for year's on all firearms with no signs of rust etc.

[dukalmighty]

wipe your gun down every day and reoil,don't store it in the holster,especially if its wet from sweat

[QKShooter]

Usually when rust starts on a new Stainless pistol it is due to two things.

The tooling used to machine the Stainless was High Speed Carbon Steel rather than Carbide.
Minute traces of Carbon Steel get embedded into the surface of the Stainless & that acts as a catalyst to begin an oxidation/rusting process in those areas.

BUT, that usually only happens if the Stainless is not properly chemically passified after machining.

Properly pacifying the Stainless will prevent that from happening.

[Saber]

Yep, stainless steel does in fact rust and when it does, it generally pits as a result. Depending on the type of gun you have, it can be polished to reduce the surface porosity and then treated. Short of a crash course in metallurgy, we can choose between an applied coating, such as a polymer, or a plated surface, such as hard chrome, etc. Of late, the cost runs between 100~400 bucks, based on the type of finish.

In fact, I’m sending one off to be polished, and then go from there. For what its worth, Robar recently introduced an improved version of their popular NP3 with a super inhibitor called NP3-Plus. This stuff appears to blow everything else, completely off the salt table. It's the same gray color, and it's the most expensive treatment I've seen.