Protection for guns used in the salt

[Fungunnin]

What do you guys use for your guns that see saltwater action? I feel like if I stop to fill the tank before I get home my gun is going to rust.
First thing I do every trip is strip it down, wipe it clean and spray it with silicone grease. I'm hunting a Benelli Nova camo so most of the gun is either plastic or wrapped in camo. Salt is still some evil *censored*!

And because we all love pictures, here is my limit from today.

[JJB11B]

what about a bucket of soapy water and a rag? Tear it down throw the small stuff in the bucket and wipe the rest down with a rag sopping wet with soapy water. Rinse, Dry, and clean when you get home

[Boss .300 winmag]

Liberally spray down with WD-40 after the hunt. 

[hollymaster]

Liberally spray down with WD-40 after the hunt. 

Rem oil? 

[BigGoonTuna]

A good wipe down with clp before and after every hunt does the trick for me.

[h2ofowlr]

I typically use Corrosion X, Frog Lube, M-Pro 7, Ballistol or Barridade by Birchsood casey on my shotguns.  Another good sight to check out for info on corrosion and salt protection is this one:

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=398836

[NW-GSP]

I have never had any issues with my nova having rust issues. Get a silicone impregnated rag and wipe the gun before you head home after hunting. Do not put your gun in a case on your way home. Take it home and take it apart and wipe down all metal surfaces.

[sakoshooter]

I've been hunting the Nisqually Delta for close to 30 years with a few guns. Willapa Bay sees a few trips from every year also.
A thorough cleaning and lubrication prior to hunting probably helps a lot. When I get home, I spray the whole gun down with WD-40, Rem Oil, Red Head Oil etc covering everything including a heavy dose all over in the action and down the barrel from both ends. Work the action manually a few times and stand it in the corner, barrel down on a rag so the crud runs away from the action, down the barrel into the rag. I then wipe it off the next day when I have time or the next weekend prior to leaving again. Liberal coatings. Oil is cheap compared to the damage from corrosion. I"ve never had an issue.
This was the method used to test the reliability of my 1st SBEII for 2 seasons without a single tear down. Honestly. Not bragging on my horrible gun maintenance program but it does show that if it's covered in oil, salt or fresh water cannot hurt it.

[CP]

If you use WD-40 be sure to wipe it off then apply a coat of oil.  WD-40 is a solvent, it cleans well and displaces water but it is not a lubricant or a corrosion inhibitor.

[Badhabit]

H2ofowlr, great article. I think I'm changing products for my weapons.

[Bob33]

A few years back I did my own test of products designed to prevent rust. I got some pieces of sheet metal, and treated them with various products. I then left the metal outside in wetside winter weather for a few weeks. I can't recall every product I tested, but I can say that one product clearly outperformed everything else in preventing rust in my test. It was WD40.

[Bill W]

when I was a wetsider I used Boeshield on my guns before I went out.

[AWS]

The best thing I've found is Johnson's Paste Wax cover the gun liberally and Don't buff it off.  Clean as usuāll when you get home.

[T-Bone]

Before moving to E.WA, I hunted Skagit Bay's salt marshes for over 20 years with walnut stocked/blued guns. Some tips:

Never store a gun a soft case and never put a gun in a soft case to "clean later"; one regular hunting friend had an 870 turn orange with pitting and the stock finish warp. Wipe the gun down with a rag upon returning to the vehicle and upon returning home, take off the barrel and let the gun air dry overnight.

Within a day or two, clean the gun and on the final patch use CorrosionX or Birchwood Casey's Barricade for the bore and all exposed metal. Frogg Lube is very good, too.

By useing these procedures and CorrosionX, I had ZERO rust problems. I never used the shower idea and I still kept my guns in nice shape. I sold a couple every week, saltwater hunting shotguns and the buyers thought that they were virtually unused.

[300rum]

Rem Oil.  It is a lousy lubricant but an excellent thin oil that applies easily and very thin.  Spray all metal parts and wipe off ever so lightly or just lightly spray on and leave it.  You just need a coating and it will protect the metal.   

I use it on my Dillon for storage, spray my come-a-long when storing and quite a few other things.  I also spray it on my carry gun when I am wearing it down at the beach.   

[headshot5]

Here is a good comprehensive look at 46 different gun oils/protectants and some different tests   It is an interesting read.   

http://www.dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667

[The Gobble-stopper]

32 years on a Rem 870. All I did was clean it with alcohol. And spray it with XO rust, in a camo pattern. Followed up with yearly touch ups of flat camo paint. Not a miss fire or broken part in all those years. Nor a swollen stock! Each day I come home I run a garden hose through it. Dry it by the wood stove. And add a little oil to the slides, trigger and firing pin. That's it. I've done it to several of my deer/elk rifles as well as my coyote slayer.. And same results in all of them.

[crazywednesday]

I love this style of evaluations when it comes to gun care. If you have something you love and are confident in, then use it. If you are open minded just look at the data. I have seen several of these and the one that stands alone for me is the Hornady product. I have never had any loyalty to any lube, corrosion inhibitor, or general gun treatment product due to wives tails, old timers advise or 40+ years of experience. I never disregard experience, but I always look at data. Many products are very purpose driven so obviously one product usually doesn't fit all. Good luck in your search. For me, I use the One Shot stuff with lots of success and no corrosion on all metal parts that don't require excessive pressure (ar-15 bolt locking lugs ect...).

Justin

[sakoshooter]

Kind of funny that good ol 3+1 Oil was rated pretty high and the oil everyone cusses(WD-40)rated pretty high also. I've been spraying WD-40 on almost everything for as long as I can remember with no complaints.