2020 was unparalleled in many ways – including sales of firearms and ammo. The latest FBI data reveals the agency processed a record 40 million firearm background checks last year – far more than any other year. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reports nearly 9 million people purchased firearms for the very first time last year, accounting for approximately 40 percent of the total number of gun sales.

As any long-time gun owner knows, there is a learning curve when it comes to not only using your firearm, but also to ensuring its care and keeping. Ways to prevent gun rust should be at the top of that list.

Handguns generally retail at somewhere around $500, but it’s easy to spend over $1,000 for higher-end pieces, particularly for new models. Those who are first-time buyers are likely going to pay more because they need all the equipment that goes with it (spare magazine, rounds of ammunition for practice, a gun lock/safe, eye protection, cleaning materials, etc.). This is no minor investment for many, but beyond that, you want to know that rust isn’t going to cause functional issues with your firearm when you need it most.

Why Rust Ravages Guns

Keeping your firearm clean is an imperative to making sure your piece stands the test of time, whenever you’re out for a hunt or just spending the day using a Firearms Simulator. Dust and dirt can muck up the internal features. A rusty bore can impact a rifle’s accuracy. And the presence of moisture is going to create the potential for rust to sneak into internal components that can hinder functionality.

The combination of moisture, oxygen and metal kicks off a chemical reaction called oxidation. This can result in corrosion of the metal. When the metal involved is iron or an iron alloy, the chemical reaction is called rust.

Of course, you’re not going to intentionally submerge your piece, but it really doesn’t take much moisture for the chemical process of corrosion to take hold. A bit of humidity alone is enough for rust to attack your hardware.

Gun rust can appear as flecks of dust-like particles that can pretty easily be wiped clean (though beware of what you can’t see) to the visible corrosion of the metal. Although some sources will note that certain types of oxidation could actually offer a layer of protection, the truth is you should never disregard corrosion if you want to keep your firearms functioning reliably.

Rust can impact the moving parts of a firearm by increasing the amount of wear between points of contact inside. A magazine that is rusted could potentially cause failure to feed. A rusted slide could result in failure to cycle, extract or eject.

To prevent gun rust, all firearm owners need to follow some simple rules for cleaning and storing. That includes having a plan to keep rust in check.

How Zerust Can Help You Prevent Gun Rust

Zerust has several products to help you prevent gun rust, depending on the type of firearm you have and your current storage situation. All of our products use vapor corrosion-inhibiting technology (non-toxic, harmless and effective) to coat your metal items with a molecular layer of protection while it’s being stored. For guns, we also have top-rated gun oil and cleaning solutions.