Wood stocked and blued rifles in the rain

Wood and blued is all I have, some are From the 60’s some from the 80’s-90’s and all still look great!! I hunt from august to March in all sorts of conditions! I keep a small piece of gun oil impregnated cloth in a ziplock that comes with me when i carry one of my rifle and I give it a wipe on all metal parts every now and again while in the field!
 
While my hunting rifles all happen to be plastic stocks, they are blued, and I haven't had issues with rust even on the west coast. My semi auto shotgun has wood stocks though, its a cheaper gun and so the inside surfaces of the stocks (eg under the forend where the mag tube runs) weren't coated with varnish or whatever the outside surfaces have, so I painted 'em up with some clear stuff I had on the shelf just to ensure they're sealed.
 
Been using walnut and blued steel guns since the mid 60's and I have never ever had a rust issue or a moisture affected stock issue. I hunted ducks and geese with my Win SX-1 in disgusting wet conditions, had the safety freeze on one of my M-70's one from rain and then in turned cold. Had to put the action under my arm to thaw it. After tough wet days I always strip my guns down then dry them off, let them sit and come up to room temp for an hour or so and dry some more, run a oily rag over all parts and bits, run an oily bore snake through the barrel a few times, put her all back together, re oil or wax the stock and your good to go.
Thats the trouble with us older Fudds we take care of our stuff, value it, and it lasts a life time. I simply can not bring myself to own a stainless, synthetic gun, its sacrilege. Right on par with wall papering your body with tattoos.
 
Here in Manitoba, about 5 years ago, I went looking for that exact stuff - Johnson's Paste Wax - for same uses as Ted describes. Had to settle for a tub of "Trewax Clear Paste Wax" - seems to work similar. Wherever I asked, all knew about the Johnson's stuff, but no one stocked it any more - not so many genuine hardwood floors around as there used to be. :)
 
Stainless synthetic for inclement conditions is always easier, and in some cases better.
But they are made from stainless steel which is rust resistant, not rust proof.
Plus they get handling marks as well, they are not impervious to regular damage from use.
Also, some manufacturers interpret stainless rifles differently, for some the barrel and action only are stainless, some are “stainless” coating and some take it more seriously.
SS rifles I’ve owned:
Ruger 10/22; I haven’t used this in inclement weather but I don’t think it would meet elevated expectations as stainless content isn’t 100%.
TC Icon; not everything is stainless, and what is can rust but takes a bit, one of the better ones I’ve had.
Savage 116; not everything is stainless, I didn’t use it in harsh weather so environmental issues were not my experience but lots will rust on it even if the stainless doesn’t.
Tikka T3 Lite; not everything is stainless and what was browned quickly if not kept oiled, rusted if left in some spots.
Tikka T3 Varmint; same, sweat even browned it on good days…I wasn’t completely happy with the quality of stainless they used.
Sako 85 Stainless Synthetic; Sako Stainless is amazing, the only thing not stainless or coated was the pistol grip cap screws, amazing resilience to weather, the best I’ve played with.
Weatherby Vanguard S2 WeatherShield; not everything is stainless, and what they say is rusts or marks easily.
So depending your personal expectations and hunt environment stainless isn’t always without its own issues.
Still, even the worst stainless is better than a blued rifle in ugly conditions, especially if your stuck in them for awhile.
However, if you don’t mind a little preventative maintenance while on a hunting trip and a deep cleaning after, a blued/wood rifle will stand up amazingly well.
As they have for well over a 100 years.
Get lazy, and well, let’s just say it has character and sentimental value…
 
I've got a can of Aerowax paste wax that's served me well since '70 for sealing wood stocks from absorbing moisture & as release agent for bedding work.
Folks wanting good results on wood sealing & metal protection on wet hunts can't go wrong by using Thompson's Water Seal in place of paste wax as well.
 
I have wood/blued rifles and shotguns that are over 50 years old still in "like new" condition (save a few character rubs and marks from hunting) simply by allowing to stand and dry at the end of a wet day. A wipe down with a rag and WD40 to repel residual moisture,then, with a light film of light gun oil and they're all set for the next outing. I only have 1 stainless/synthetic in the rack and there's no doubt I certainly have a place my heart for it,too. Best of both worlds for me.
 
SHELL SHUCKER said:
I've got a can of Aerowax paste wax that's served me well since '70 for sealing wood stocks from absorbing moisture & as release agent for bedding work.
Folks wanting good results on wood sealing & metal protection on wet hunts can't go wrong by using Thompson's Water Seal in place of paste wax as well.
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Same with me , the can I have is about as old as well!
Most of my guns have blued barrels and all of them have wood stocks .
I have hunted in rain and snow for days with no issues with any of them .
Cat
 
Potashminer said:
Here in Manitoba, about 5 years ago, I went looking for that exact stuff - Johnson's Paste Wax - for same uses as Ted describes. Had to settle for a tub of "Trewax Clear Paste Wax" - seems to work similar. Wherever I asked, all knew about the Johnson's stuff, but no one stocked it any more - not so many genuine hardwood floors around as there used to be. :)
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I have also tried to buy Johnsons paste wax or the like and when you ask the sales folks they all utterly don't know what your talking about. The one lady at Home Hardware said she remembered her grandmother mentioning using it. There is a possibility some of us on here are getting old.!! Snow Seal is not only good on leather boots etc. it is also a great release agent.
 
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iron cat said:
Same with me , the can I have is about as old as well!
Most of my guns have blued barrels and all of them have wood stocks .
I have hunted in rain and snow for days with no issues with any of them .
Cat
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True enough iron cat & SHELL SHUCKER and for the most part, same here. A little follow up TLC after a day in the field has kept things issue free for me as well. However, in post #26, MRP mentioned a name that jogged the memory a little when he mentioned the product Renaissance Wax. Every Friday morning, a group of us meet for coffee and to;) 'discuss' firearms, shooting and hunting. Anyway, a while back one of the guys gave me a tin of it. Looked and sure enough, there it is, still on the shelf. I'll have to give it a try:).
 
pacobillie said:
Do you hunt with your nice wood stocked / blued rifles when it rains? If not, what do you do: refrain from hunting, or grab a stainless Tupperware stocked rifle?

The reason I am asking is that all my rifles are wood stocked / blued, and I am considering picking up a stainless/synthetic rifle, for exactly that reason, to be used a s a foul weather rifle.
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The 1st day out ever with this rifle last year on a moose hunt was marked with a good rain later in the day. That's what I bought it for.

Saying that, if I know I'm in for a lot of rain or snow, I will take a rifle in synthetic.

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During the annual November deer hunt I usually hunt with a blued rifle, but if I wake-up in the morning and it is pouring rain I take out a stainless steel bolt rifle, or I just roll over and stay in bed! WK
 
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