Rusting cylinder help.

[troy_mclure]

I have a beater euroarms new army .44 cap & ball revolver. it's just a fun range toy, in not great shape, but it shoots great and is pretty accurate.
The cylinder Keeps getting verry rusty. Over the whole surface, and in the chambers. This issue built up gradually. I tried cold blue but it did nothing for the issue. I have to keep the cylinder heavily oiled to prevent rust.

How can I end this rust issue? And appearance is not an issue.

[Dan Cash]

Boil it in water, dry it, paint it?

[451 Pete]

:coffeecom Troy,
I see by your signature that you live in the Gulf area, someplace that has a very high humidity. You did not mention in your post how you store the revolver between trips to the range but my guess would be it is not in an environment with a controlled humidity. I would suggest suggest storing the revolver in a sealed container ( like a military ammo box or something similar ) with a dissicant to remove this moisture. This might allow you to get away with a light coat of oil instead of a heavy one.

Just my thughts ... Pete

[Boerrancher]

I agree with the boil it in water and scrub all of the rust off of it. I know the humidity here in MO is not like down there on the gulf, but with a good proper cleaning, hot soapy water and a light coat of gun oil inside and out, my cap and ball revolver sat in a damp basement for nearly 20 years before I found it and expected to find it rusted up. When I opened the box it was just as clean and bright as the day I put it there, before the ex-wife buried it under her junk. The cardboard box had a bit of mildew on it, but the gun was clean.

Best wishes,

Joe

[John Taylor]

Most people make the mistake that blue will protect the part from rust. Blue is a form of rust. It is the oil that protects. A good hot tank blue will help the surface hold oil. Like others have said, heat the part ( boiling water)and let dry, then apply oil while the part is still hot. Store in a dry place.

[Breadman03]

I have seem tests where Eezox significantly outperformed other gun oils. I haven't had any rust issues with my Eezox protected guns, but I'm no Gulf Coaster, either.

[Longwood]

Are there any gun oils tha are Jojoba based?

[Boerrancher]

One thing I forgot to mention was after the gun is properly cleaned (scrubbed with hot soapy water) and dried, spray in the chambers with DW40 while it is still warm. On the out side of the cylinder, and the entire gun apply a light coating of Johnson's Paste Wax and allow it to dry. It will form a film over the gun protecting it from rust.

Best wishes,

Joe

[troy_mclure]

i store the gun with many others in my safe, with lots of desiccant. i boiled it before i cold blued it.

[Omnivore]

FWIW; I quit using soap after I noticed some rusting immediately after the gun came out of the hot water. It makes sense-- soap cuts the protective oils off the surface, exposing it to oxygen. I haven't used soap for several years and the problem went away. Frankly I don't where the "Hot Soapy Water" meme came from, but I say don't trust it. Just use plain hot water. It'll disolve the corrosive salts away and leave some semblance of a protective film on the steel.

I never use WD 40, "gun oil" or other petro oil-- only olive oil or more recently canola oil (an industrial lubricant before it was a cooking oil) and that's only in the action, so the lube will stay on the moving parts. The rest of the gun, cylinder, chambers, barrel et al, gets only the Bore Butter, while the steel is piping hot.

It's not generaly humid around here in summer but I live on a river so there's always some humidity locally. In cold weather especially, things can end up with a coating of condensation, which leads to rapid rusting, and I've had a nice Winchester get rusted that way. I've left my revolvers in the vehicle in these conditions for months, outside, with the treatment described above, with zero problems. And I never have to fuss around, clearing oil out of a breech, or a chamber, before the gun will fire. One cap before loading, or sometimes not, and it's a sure deal.

Down around the Gulf, I like that idea of a **sealed** container with a fresh dessicant pack. We see musical instruments from down there a lot (been in that business a long time so I've seen a lot of 'em) and they're typically more tarnished or corroded than most others.