Stainless pitting

[focus]

I just got a series 70 stainless government model made in late 1972.It is in very good unmolested condition.When cleaning it I removed the grip panel's(original wood grip's) there was a slight amount of what look's like pitting where the front edge of the grip panel's were.I know stainless isn't rustproof,but does anyone else have a stainless firearm that has pitted?.........Thank's

[dakota1911]

Colt was late to the party with SS and I think their first SS 1911 was around the mid 80's. In 1972 they had Bright Nickle and Satin Nickle which sort of looked like SS.

Although SS can rust, it is more resistant than say nickle plate.

[Ericthenorse]

Yeah... There were no stainless sries 70 guns... Only nickel plate... If someone sold it to you as stainless, you might want to have a chat with them.... Nickel will pit... you can have Colt redo the plating, and it will not detract too much from the value....

[paul45]

Agreed....you have a satin nickel finish. Yes, SS will rust when abused. And yes, most guns will rust under the stocks when not cared for.....

[Ric4509]

I just got a series 70 stainless government model made in late 1972.It is in very good unmolested condition.When cleaning it I removed the grip panel's(original wood grip's) there was a slight amount of what look's like pitting where the front edge of the grip panel's were.I know stainless isn't rustproof,but does anyone else have a stainless firearm that has pitted?.........Thank's

focus - yes, my unfired SS 1991A1 developed what seem to be pitting under the wood grip panels. I had the pistol fitted with an EB grip safety, C&S ultralight hammer and the gunsmith refinished the firearm by bead blasting. I think the gunsmith did not do a good job. Or is it my fault that I just put the pistol inside a plastic bag and left it in the safe for a year. What do the experts out there think?

[swampthang]

Could the bag have caused condensation?

[Rio Vista Slim]

Could the bag have caused condensation?
That would be my guess.

[swampthang]

Ive seen a dehumidifier at gander mt that can be put in the oven and "recharged" after a month or so. anyone ever try one of these?

[pa_guns]

Hi

The best bet is to use a good grade oil on any pistol you are putting into storage.

Bob

[cliff731]

focus - (edit)... I just put the pistol inside a plastic bag and left it in the safe for a year. What do the experts out there think?

While I'm not qualified to claim myself an "expert" on corrosion control... I have had a firearm or two get a wee bit of rust on it before... most of us would recommend against placing a firearm in a plastic bag for long term storage- unless it is almost dripping in oil (they ship 'em this way, right?). But in the end, why do it? Toss the plastic bag, keep your pistol lightly oiled and once a month, take her out, inspect and re-oil... and while you're at it, you get some "hands on" admiration time for what your hard earned money bought ya.

Too, there are some gunsafe desiccant products you can choose from... Here's a thread from "another" forum regarding this very subject... (http://www.berettaforum.net/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008022) that offers some "jim dandy" solutions, including electric rod dehumidifiers. It is prudent for most of us to control humidity in a gunsafe or face inevitable rust on our firearms.

[cliff731]

This too... every now and then remove those grip panels and take a look at what they're covering up. Place a light coat of oil on the grip area of your pistol's frame before re-installing them. Wood grips can wick oil away from the frame. Rubber and synthetic compound grips can trap moisture.

[cliff731]

Could the bag have caused condensation?

Nope... the bag simply trapped the condensation.

[AKGUY]

Anyone use these to keep there firearms in?

[pa_guns]

Hi

Probably the best "home brew" long term storage approach is to pull the grips and pack the pistol in grease. Put the whole gooey mess in a good thick plastic bag. Keep the grips sperate - oil, grease, or what ever will not do them any good at all.

Bob

[TonyW]

Re: Ive seen a dehumidifier at gander mt that can be put in the oven and "recharged" after a month or so. anyone ever try one of these?

I have a big perforated metal cannister about 14" high and 4" in diameter called a Hydrosorbent Dehumidifier Mk 1. It has a removable indicator cap that must be removed before the unit is placed in the oven at 275 for 3 hours. Says on it distributed by Hydrosorbent Co, Box 675, Rye, NY 10580. Mine is about 25 years old - don't know if this is what you saw or not. It resides in my gun safe and goes months before having to be dryed out. I googled it and found this site: http://www.dehumidify.com/ProdDisc.html . They show a smaller version only 6" high that looks just like mine except for the size, and claim it protects 57 cu ft of enclosed space. They also show a small, flat metal unit like some that I have somewhere probably still packed from my recent move that is supposed to work for 3 cu ft, but I think you would have to reheat these once a week to be effective. Brownells and Midway are listed as dealers, but the company name and location have changed. Anyway, I find my big unit to be very effective.

[pa_guns]

Hi

A lot is going to depend on what part of the country you are in and what part of the house your safe is in. A setup that works for years on the back porch in Arizona will be totaly inadequate for the basement in Louisiana (blub blub blub ...).

If you are in the part of the world where it rains, then some form of humidity control is a good idea. I happen to prefer the "heat sticks", but they require you get power into the safe. Unless the safe comes pre-drilled that can be a chore. I never remember to recharge the canister gizmos ...

Bob

[TonyW]

Yeah- basements always seem to be a problem for guns and safes because of the humidity. I used one of those heat sticks - think it was called a 'golden rod' - in mine when it was in the basement. I think a lot of the big safes were moved around during construction with a 1/2" steel bolt threaded into their top, and have a threaded filler plug left in them which makes a good place to thread a wire through. I had to cut off the electrical plug of the heater rod and then put on a new one - not a problem - but I always worried about those things failing and catching on fire! It helps to check the rubber seal around the safe door to make sure there are no air leaks - then a desiccant or heat stick can be pretty effective.

[zenner22]

As far as Bore Stores bags go, I picked some up a few months ago for about half of my revolvers and autos. Put a coat of oil on and put them in the bags. I've heard little feedback of Bore Stores but it seemed like a good idea. I'll have to see how they do long term.