Surface rust on Bobcat Mk1

[Jumbles72]

I had the chance to camp out at our range over the weekend for a State title shoot (not airgun related) and took my Bobcat with me to do some plinking.
It resides in a double shotgun case made of aluminium with foam insert. which was inside my toolbox in the back of my ute.

Pulled it out to show someone after a night stored this way and was surprised to find the foster fitting had grown a large amount of surface rust as well as the stock screw head. Unusual as it wasn't raining or humid where i was and it was fine when i filled it before leaving home.

When i finished for the weekend I decided to pull it out of the stock and clean it up. And was also surprised to see the linkage arms had started to grow surface rust.
Previously i had thought these were stainless steel. But are most definitely not.

Having been around Swedish Mausers for the past 25 odd years and trade tools made in Sweden I expected these air guns to have a similar quality of steel used in them. Was I expecting too much?

 

[Strikey]

Seen the same thing with a mate's "stainless" Tikka on the weekend, swears he wiped it over with an oily rag after its last outing then pulled it out of the gunsafe to find rusty hand prints on the receiver and barrel, perhaps the humidity is up ( therefore the foam in the gun case would absorb some of the moisture) and we might get some rain? I have been using Ballistol on my guns and silicone socks while they are stored, so far no problems with surface rust.
I take it that you were at the Hunter class B/R Titles on the weekend?

 

[Guest]

I only use rifle cases for transport, never for storage. I leave my rifles out where they can breathe and not accumulate moisture.

 

[Jumbles72]

Nah, I'm in North Queensland - we don't get rain and it isn't wet.

The rifle is stored in the same case in my safe whenever i'm not shooting it, no rusting there, so apart from a slight dew outside of the case and box it was stored it, no direct contact with moisture. This all happened in the space of about 10 hours.
Allen key bolt appears to be mild steel with a cheap bluing - something you would get from the local hardware store.

Anyway, I know it doesn't take much now so will be storing desiccant with it if i take it out overnight again.

Others may want to occasionally check theirs inside the stock occasionally or get a nice surprise later on.

Was shooting in the Combined Services State shoot.

 

[Michael]

I had a similar experience. I was testing a new barrel and I removed the original barrel and set it aside (without wiping it down). A few days later there was some rust in the exact spots that my oily fingers touched. I'll never do that again.

 

[John "spysir" Blount]

Most people I know will NOT store a rifle in a foam lined case, rust, crumbling foam, other.
And some stainless steel ( very lowest grade) does rust so don't think you can just ignore "stainless" steel.
Personally I like using Birchwood Casey Barricade ( used to be called sheath I believe) it will protect bare metal for 7 days in a salt fog machine, not bad.
Also occasionally the bluing is not 100% cleaned of salts from the factory ( just check out some Chinese rifles) so a good "scubbing" ( just cloth & oil) on a brand new rifle is a good idea esp. in hiiden little areas.

John