Benelli Nova Owners, A question about the finish......

[cslinger]

Ok here is the situation. We have a Benelli Nova special purpose 18.5 inch, ghost rings etc. blah blah blah.

Now when I clean her up after a range session I will get a light brownish stuff on my rags or patches. I have a hard time believing that this would be rust as nothing is visible to the naked eye and the barrel and blued steel parts look fabulous. I also have never had a problem with any kind of rust on any of my firearms and they are all cleaned the same way with the same products etc.

So is this a packing type material??? Or is this some type of light surface rust? If so why is it occurring?

Does anybody else's Nova exhibet this? Take a white rag and give the barrel a good up and down side to side scrubbing and see if you get any light brown residue?

Thanks so much,
Chris

 

[J.M.]

I'm not familiar with the finish on the Nova of which you speak, but I suspect that it is a bead blasted finish either blued or black oxided.

Either way I'm going out on a limb and saying that YES - THAT IS RUST.

Those blasted finishes (no pun intended) rust like that very easily - even when you can't see it - it's there. Keep them oily.

The blasting makes millions of "pockets" for rust to start in. Just use a good oil (I like Rem Oil) and keep it wiped down.

It shouldn't be an issue, but I avoid those finishes for extended hunting in the snow when it will be exposed for several days in a row. - JM.

 

[cslinger]

I keep it oily but everytime I clean I get some off the barrel. Will this be a problem over the long haul?

I just tested it on another Nova and the same thing is occuring.

 

[J.M.]

How are you storing the gun when not in use? - JM.

 

[DJ E.]

I noticed this too when cleaning down the barrel of my brand spanking new Nova. Took it to the range and put 50 shots through it, cleaned it and noticed the brown stuff on my patches. It was also on the outside of the barrel also. Maybe I'll give Benelli a call tomorrow to see what they have to say about it. I sure do hope it's not rust though...

 

[cslinger]

Gun is stored in a lockbox/small safe in a climate controlled house. Plenty of airflow around the firearm and it is not in a basement or other damp place. I also always oil all metal surfaces.

Like I said the funny thing is you simply cannot tell unless you use a white rag and really scrub.

Chris

 

[J.M.]

Just keep it oily...it will be fine.

I've bought lots of guns cheap because they were rusted / pitted. The most cost effective way to remove the eye sores from them is to strip the gun, bead blast it, and dip it in the blueing tank. So I've owned lots of matte guns.

They really want to try to rust, but if you keep them oily - you will never see it on anything but their cleaning rags - not as big a deal as it seems. - JM.

 

[sm]

J.M. Welcome to THR !

You are quite correct with assessment and remedy.
In days of yore more time and trouble was taken to finish out guns and bbl. That deep bluing is actually a form of oxidation - form of rust in itself. Of Interest the properties of carbon steel and bluing is many times more easy to maintain and prevents rust moreso that some stainless - "less" meaning less prone to rust.

Today it is about the bottom line - money. Corners are cut in the finishing out of bbls, "new" finishes look in style...require a lot more care than the blue bbl of old.

If one uses a fancy catchy name for a finish...well names sell, the finish may not last, the names does tho'.

J.M. gave good advice. Some completely, clean , remove rust, degrease,and use a spray on/bake on finish that is better. Another is to get clean , remove rust, degrease and use carnuba car wax. RIG Universal Grease I have used for years. Guess what is the best kept secret? Vasoline...just a fancy version of cosmoline...yes it works , been used forever, both in the field and in storage.

Not a Benelli problem either.

Oh one other method is to degrease, get hot boiling water and just let it rust, it'll get to a point , you can clean up and it will quit rusting. 50 year old shot guns for serious hunting still have blue finish...it gets to a certain point and really does not deteriorate much more. It will hold any oil better and longer.

shush...reason the old farts want the old high polish and deep blue of old returned...it is better.

 

[J.M.]

Ohhhh...good answer.

I've used automotive wax on blued carry guns to prevent rust in the past...but I never thought of using it on a long gun...that should be just the ticket for matte guns and wet hunting seasons.

Thanks for the tip. - JM.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Some folks I know melt paraffin into the finish with a blow dryer. I use a standard product like CLP or SLIP mostly, tho I may invest a few dollars into a quart of Synthetic motor oil and try that. Had good reports, will advise.

Best to wipe on, wipe off. Extra lube plus dust or dirt is quite abrasive.

Vasoline? Worth trying....

 

[sm]

Vasoline...

Yes I learned about it from a Sage on a forum called TFL

I forget whom <insert any one of number of smart folks names>, Rich IIRC asked and he rec'd that as an reply. The question was more for long term storage. Sage mentioned Vasoline was similiar to Cosmoline. Getting Vasoline off a 2 yr old was a "tad easier" than Cosmoline off a Mil-Surp...but not by much. Sage said in days of yore this Vasoline worked when one used what had on hand...like out of RIG.

Now as the eldest of 4 sibs, I can attest to the difficulty of removing of Vasoline, cold creme , vegetable oil,and the worst...STP Oil treatment from from rug rats and curtain pullers . Lil, Sis learned that STP is not a 'conditioner'....btw, no matter what her lil brother told her...

That syn motor oil seems to be working for a lot folks, as does the parrafin wax.

 

[DBR]

After testing many of the more popular gun oil/preservatives with salt water spray: http://www.eezox.com/index.htm works the best by a good margin.

 

[Duke of Lawnchair]

cslinger,

Do you notice this when cleaning the inside or outside of the barrel?

I rubbed the outside of my girlfriend's Nova barrel with a white rag. No brown residue.

I hope that what you're talking about is on the outside and not the inside of the barrel.

Jim

 

[cslinger]

I have noticed this only on the outside of two barrels so far.

Chris

 

[9 m&m]

Ive had the same problem with mine at first, but i kept wiping it down and after a few months it went away. Ive not seen the stuff since.