Waxing your gun?

[66chevelle]

A guy at my work told me today that he waxed all his guns last night with carnauba wax. He said he heats the guns up with a heat gun then waxes them. He lets the wax sit on the hot gun for 2 minutes then rubs it off. He said that he was told by high end gun collectors to do this. I have never heard of it. I think this guy is crazy most of the time when he talks but figured I would see what you guys thought or have heard.

 

[DHolder]

Sounds like he's got a lot of free time on his hands. I do put a little Pledge on a rag, and use on my wood stock rifles, but they are muzzleloaders and dont get used much.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Keeps the hair from growing back as quickly!


Seriously, wax lasts a little longer than oil. Sounds like a lot of effort though. I admit to being the "drench the thing in rem oil and shake it off sort when I am putting a gun away for any length of time.

 

[cosermann]

I've waxed wood stocks before. Works nicely. Never used it on the metal/action.

 

[dustjunky2000]

he was told by high end gun collectors to do this.

Sort of like telling someone to go get some I.D.10-T forms eh? Sounds like someone was having a bit of fun with the crazy guy.

 

[Cemetery-man]

I've been told the same thing. Co-worker said he was told by a LGS owner to wax all of his guns with floor wax and he would never have any corrosion problems. I think I'll just stick to products like Break Free CLP or Hoppes to protect my firearms.

 

[Mr. Habib]

I have heard that some collectors use this for long term storage. Don't know of anybody doing this for an EDC though.

 

[singlestacksig]

it is no joke, wax lasts longer than oil and does not make the gun slippery..
you don't have to heat the gun, in fact heating it before applying wax to the action risks gumming it up..
I have used both paste (floor) wax and turtle wax..
I found the turtle wax worked out better for my field guns beause solvents for cleaning the bore don't remove it as fast as paste wax..
on some cans of paste wax it specificly say for use on firearms..

 

[andyrping]

I've heard of using paraffin wax to weather/moisture proof a gun if you're gonna use it as a truck gun. Heard from numerous sources actually, but never read too far into it.

 

[ilfishin]

Back when I used to hunt I used to wax my shotguns(metal parts) with Turtlewax about twice a year. It worked really well for keeping the rain off the gun. Also it makes any stamped lettering white. Which I like the way that looks. I have one that the last time I waxed it was about 12 years ago and the lettering is still white.(went and looked after I seen this thread). As far as I can tell, there are not any adverse effects from doing this.

 

[singlestacksig]

GUN. Cleaning 101 - page 2 | Guns Magazine

"For the exterior preservation of a firearm, we're somewhat sold on wax rather than on oil-based compounds. Wax is a tough moisture barrier, doesn't rot wood or synthetic stocks, and doesn't attract dirt. The museum-grade Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax and Cleaner sold by Brownells is superb protection for metal, wood and leather, and a can of it seems to last forever.

When we go afield in tough weather, we prefer a tough floor wax. Shooter's Choice All Weather Grease gets the nod on high-friction parts like cocking cams and bolt lugs. Remington Dry Lube is useful for internal working parts since it won't thicken in cold weather. Inside barrels, we favor a light film of Break Free CLP, Hoppe's MDL or Shooter's Choice Rust Prevent.
"

 

[dubsac]

might as well go all out.

 

[rvb]

I have one safequeen that I inherited that has never been shot. I put a heavy coat of wax on it and put it back in the safe. It has stored very well, w/ no additional maintenance in several years. Yes, most museums do this based on my discussion w/ a curator a while back.

-rvb

 

[Claddagh]

Scoff all you like, but the process works and very, very well. The heat gun bit isn't necessary, FWTIW. My friends and I first tried putting a coat of silicone car wax on our hunting and carry weapons to help protect them from moisture and subsequent corrosion over forty years ago. Doing so cut the amount of time and effort needed to maintain their finish in good condition dramatically.

It was no longer mandatory to do a detailed inspection, cleaning and reapplication of a protective coating of oil or grease at the end of every day's use. And the incidence of getting an unpleasant surprise after they'd spent weeks or months in the closet, cabinet or safe between seasons became effectively "zero".

Renaissance Wax is a great product used by many museums, galleries and private collectors to preserve and protect artifacts of all sorts from deterioration in the course of display and/or long-term storage. A small jar may seem expensive at first, but a tiny bit goes a long, long way.

"Hard" automotive wax products also work well and are readily available. Just avoid any product that contains the words "cleaner" or "polish" on the label. These nearly always contain either chemical or abrasive ingredients that can wreak havoc on wood or metal finishes.

Blue Wonder's "Armadillo" polymer product was specifically formulated for firearms use and also does an outstanding job.

 

[CarmelHP]

Car wax I've heard, not floor wax. Car wax is designed to provide protection to metal, floor wax is designed to make your linoleum shine. See the difference? I've used car wax on my stored guns for the last few years.

 

[singlestacksig]

Car wax I've heard, not floor wax. Car wax is designed to provide protection to metal, floor wax is designed to make your linoleum shine. See the difference? I've used car wax on my stored guns for the last few years.

real paste floor wax, you don't use it on your linoleum. You use it on wood and maybe stone floors.. also can be used on your car.. most common is Johnson's paste wax.. comes in yellow cans.. caution the stuff is very flammable until it dries..

 

[dustjunky2000]

Well I'll be damned. I've never heard of doing this. Sounded like a joke at first. Now I might have to give it a try. Sometimes being wrong is a good thing eh?

 

[rjhans53]

I never even considered this. I've used turtle wax on my table saw to protect it so it even sounds to me like it should work. Now I can say this is not a wasted day, I LEARNED something new

 

[66chevelle]

well I guess the old man isnt as crazy as I thought. I thought this was just another one of his stories.

 

[boozoo]

Try this stuff out - you won't be disappointed.
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A bunch of guys on SurplusRifle.com (in the "Stock Care" folder) rave about this stuff.