Some folks can rust anything

[bwframe]

I remember Cedartop making reference that some folks have a body chemistry that promotes rust. He apologized before passing along the unflattering term, "**** finger." Apparently, those in the training biz run into such folks on occasion.

Regardless, I knew I was one of them. Nearly every stainless gun I have had, I have found a way to rust, certainly every one that I've carried on body.

My newest discovery:

 

[oldpink]

My best friend couldn't wear a wris****ch because the acids in his own natural body oils would somehow penetrate the bezel and corrode the watch from the inside out over a week or so.
My dad's body oils actually destroyed the headrest on his easy chair.
I'm happy to say that I don't have a corrosive issue of my own.

 

[rob63]

I had a next door neighbor like this, he touched a Ruger .22 that I had and the gun had rusty fingerprints the next morning. One time he leaned against a wall and left a hand print in the paint that remained there until I repainted the room. I'm not talking like a dirty hand print, I mean the paint itself had been altered to a slightly lighter color.

 

[Mgderf]

I'm like that.
I can't wear gold or silver. They don't bother me, but both turn my skin green and soon begin to rot away.
I had a problem for years with small pistols rusting on me, no matter how meticulously I cleaned them.

I bought a Taurus snubby in total titanium and that solved the issue with my carry revolver.
You might try having your gun Cerakoted.
Ceramic can't rust.

 

[Expat]

I am glad I never had this issue because I knew a guy that was like that. If he touched your gun you had to immediately wipe it down with an oily rag.

 

[Thegeek]

A friend of mine and I took a road trip in my Pontiac Vibe one time. All of the chrome trim (chrome over plastic) on the passenger side was pretty much destroyed. I told him his sweat or oils had to be caustic in some way. He thought I was crazy.

 

[88E30M50]

I've known people with corrosive personalities, but I don't think I've met someone that was genuinely corrosive.

 

[Hkindiana]

A friend of mine in college had to have the solver coating on her flute replated EVERY year because her hands were so corrosive

 

[lovemachine]

It's a Glock, I wouldn't worry about it. Now, if your 1911 had that much rust on it, it would definitely malfunction and crap out.

 

[Old Dog]

I used to have this problem when I was younger. Had to wipe any weapon down with oil rag if I touched it or it would rust. Real PITA. Went away as I got older. Go figure.

 

[Hopper]

I wonder... maybe high-sodium diets? Salt is pretty corrosive stuff.

Someone upthread mentioned watches. My Dad could never wear watches for very long, but not because of corrosion... his body had some kind of unusual electrical signaling going on, and would over time "magnetize" any watch he ever wore, wind-up or battery powered. My uncle (his younger brother) has the same issue. Heart murmurs as well.

 

[bwframe]

It's a Glock, I wouldn't worry about it. Now, if your 1911 had that much rust on it, it would definitely malfunction and crap out.

I switched to Glocks because you told me they were impervious to this sort of stuff.

 

[HubertGummer]

I didn't know it was possible for stainless steel to rust.

 

[oldpink]

I didn't know it was possible for stainless steel to rust.

Stainless isn't impervious to rust, only resistant to it.
I've seen plenty of stainless rust when neglected.
The process is just slower to get started and slower to progress, than with ordinary carbon steel.

 

[Woobie]

I didn't know it was possible for stainless steel to rust.

304 is nearly impervious, as well as some of the nitrogen alloyed stainless steels.

But guns almost always use a 410 series stainless, usually 416. These are 1) highly machinable and 2) martensitic (will harden)

The sulfur that aids in machinability increases susceptibility to corrosion by forming inclusions in the steel that give places for rust to form. Furthermore, Chromium content is in the 12% neighborhood, which is the bare minimum for a steel to be considered "stainless".

 

[HubertGummer]

Stainless isn't impervious to rust, only resistant to it.
I've seen plenty of stainless rust when neglected.
The process is just slower to get started and slower to progress, than with ordinary carbon steel.

304 is nearly impervious, as well as some of the nitrogen alloyed stainless steels.

But guns almost always use a 410 series stainless, usually 416. These are 1) highly machinable and 2) martensitic (will harden)

The sulfur that aids in machinability increases susceptibility to corrosion by forming inclusions in the steel that give places for rust to form. Furthermore, Chromium content is in the 12% neighborhood, which is the bare minimum for a steel to be considered "stainless".

Huh. Learn something new everyday.

 

[Sniper 79]

Glock got away from their tenifer process on their newer guns and also have a different finish than they used to. No big deal. Now it's broke in and has some character.

 

[Grelber]

Huh. Learn something new everyday.

Also a pain in the butt to work with. Used to build cabinets for power electronics which sometimes needed stainless construction to cut down on heating from magnetic fields.

Anyway, screws & bolts gall up and refuse to come loose (lube helps a lot), drilling & cutting is more of a pain, etc. I have always wondered if it is harder for manufacturers to make a good stainless gun ?

 

[oldpink]

Also a pain in the butt to work with. Used to build cabinets for power electronics which sometimes needed stainless construction to cut down on heating from magnetic fields.

Anyway, screws & bolts gall up and refuse to come loose (lube helps a lot), drilling & cutting is more of a pain, etc. I have always wondered if it is harder for manufacturers to make a good stainless gun ?

The gun makers have finally formulated alloys that machine well and don't gall, but it took a bit of trial and error until they did.
Just read up a bit on the history of the first incarnations of all stainless guns made by Smith & Wesson and others.
My all stainless S&W auto still has a carbon steel hammer (chromed) because apparently stainless hammers have a nasty habit of snapping off eventually.

 

[Alamo]

... I have always wondered if it is harder for manufacturers to make a good stainless gun ?

Smith and Wesson made a stainless steel version of the Model 19, called it the Model 66. It had some problems partially attributable to the use of stainless steel, at least according to Massad Ayoob.