Stainless steel gun rust

[steve_010]

Just to add. It's called stainless steel for a reason. It still stains (and rusts), just less. Good way to remember that you still need to take care of it. Otherwise they'd call it stainfree steel

[rodspade]

air tight = retains moisture

Put a rechargable dessicant in there.

[God's Country]

It's called

Stain less

Lesson learned?

[Xringshooter]

...I'd say light oil and 0000 steel wool with a light touch.

NO, NO, NO, NEVER use steel wool on stainless steel unless you want it to look like crap. The steel wool will imbed particles of the steel in the finish and that steel will rust extremely fast. Do not even use stainless steel wool. Scotch Brite pads are the way to go.

Once cleaned, use a good protectant (not Rem Oil) IMO Weapon Shield works very well to ward of contaminates. I have even heard of people using mag wheel wax to help protect guns in areas of high humidity or if the gun is worn close to the body (touching skin).

In a worst case, if the rust is very bad, contact the gun maker to see what they will do. It happened to Ruger a few years back, they didn't passivate the material on some of the SR1911s as well as it should have been done and people had problems with rust under the grips. When someone with one of these guns contacted Ruger, Ruger had them send the gun back and they fixed the problem. I've got 3 SR1911's, all stainless steel and have not had that problem.

[Bang]

An oft-overlooked anti-rust is wax.

I have turned over a new leaf, and have not asked how many personnel were in that safe for all those months....

[gghbi]

An oft-overlooked anti-rust is wax.

I have turned over a new leaf, and have not asked how many personnel were in that safe for all those months....

Yes, and it works well. Some years ago I bought a nice S&W 27-2 with a long barrel from a collectors estate, and found it had been waxed. It both protected the bluing and brought out the beauty of the old time deep blue they used back then. I wish I could have kept it, but life intrudes...

[abner13]

To add-

4xx series stainless is magnetic. It is the "cheap" grade of stainless steel

3xx series is only slightly magnetic when heat treated or welded. Cold worked 304 (the most common grade) or 316 (food grade/used in highly corrosive environments) is not magnetic



Every "Stainless Steel" gun I have encountered is 400 series and takes to a magnet like regular steel

Ahhh , no.

416 stainless is a very high quality stainless alloy tool steel. It has is heat-treatable , dimensionally stable and the stainless equivalent of 4140 chrome-moly. Both are the respective standards for gun making. Yes , it will rust. I found out by getting some slivers in my eye.

440C is the standard for high quality cutlery and will also rust.

300 series (303 , 304 , 307) does not heat treat well. 316 is a bit stronger.

18-8 is what knives/spoons/forks are made from.


Here's a quick tutorial on the various grades and uses of stainless steel. http://www.precisionsteel.com/stainless-steel

[JenniferG]

There are three different types of stainles steels. The better name for all three would be rust resistant. All three have differing levels of rust resistance.

[JSPA]

I've had the same results with any Springfield stainless steel products - 3 1911s (including a TRP), and 4 XDs.
I take excellent care of my stuff so it's not me.
I have owned and still own several other stainless weapons from a bunch of other companies and NONE of them have ever had any issues.
I called SA and complained about it; there is no reason a well taken care of TRP should rust when a $300 beat-to-shit Ruger is perfect.
They had me send it in and they refinished every one of them.
Now this wasn't all at once, it was at several different times but each time, they refinished them at no charge. Upon their return, they were promptly sold/ traded.
That being said, I like SA and I still own a few of their 1911s but none of them are stainless and I will never own anything they make in stainless.
Over my lifetime I have owned Taurus, Ruger, S&W, HK, Rossi, Dan Wesson, Kahr, and Walther - all perfect.
My daily carry is a stainless Kahr that spends all day in my pocket; it's been in/out of weather for the better part of 6 yrs and has no issue.
On the other side of the coin, my wife's XD has been treated with high priced oil, wiped down with a silicon cloth and kept in a dehumidified safe... result: rust.
My opinion is that SA is not using a very good SS or their finishing process is sub-par.
Your results may vary.

[Jhaydeno]

3 series stainless does not rust, 4 series does. It is dependent on the amount or chrome and nickel in the alloy. Pitting requires removing metal.

To add- you

4xx series stainless is magnetic. It is the "cheap" grade of stainless steel

3xx series is only slightly magnetic when heat treated or welded. Cold worked 304 (the most common grade) or 316 (food grade/used in highly corrosive environments) is not magnetic...

304 and 316 also have a small percent of molybdenum, 301 does not (301 is toaster and refrigerator stainless). Generally speaking, the higher the last two numbers the higher the alloy percent - so 316 has more chrome and nickel and moly than 304. As noted above, that's good, because they form a hard oxidation layer that bonds to the substrate. That layer expands and contracts at the same rate as the base layer, so it doesn't flake off and expose fresh metal, like plain steel and its rust layers.