Blued Steel - Cerakote or Just Leave It?

[Sevens]

I picked up a m70 featherweight in 30-06 for a good price recently. Will be restocking it with a synthetic, but am curious about the metal.

I know blued steel does not have the all-weather qualities of stainless, so I am debating cerakoting it. On the other hand, part of me says, since I got it at a good price, just shoot it and wipe it down as needed. Worse that happens is some surface rust and/or will need a new barrel. Can Cerakote it at that time of need be.

Curious what you all would do?

 

[Loebs]

I use my M70 in all kinds of bad weather so I did ceracote it for some added protection. I did the barreled action, bolt handle, bottom metal, and scope bases. Cost me $175, money well spent on a rifle I really like to begin with.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

 

[Oldffemt]

I’ve been hunting out west for 20 years with my blued M70 and the only rust I’ve gotten was on an extended backpack hunt when I forgot to throw an oiled rag in my pack to wipe it down.

 

[Frank Grimes]

I’d leave it. And the wood too, but thats me.

 

[Wapiti1]

Leave it and put regular old automotive wax on it just before the hunt. The water will bead and run off the metal. The oily rag in a bag to wipe down regularly works too.

It isn't like blued rifles haven't been used for every hunt on the planet or anything. Even really old ones that have no blue left seem to endure just fine.

Jeremy

 

[fightthenoise]

I apply RIG gun grease with a shaving brush to blued guns. Never had one rust and the brush gets the grease into all the crevices.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B004G97GN0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_B8MaFbCT54743

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B016I77CJA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Q9MaFbJVGTSR6

 

[Oldffemt]

Leave it and put regular old automotive wax on it just before the hunt. The water will bead and run off the metal. The oily rag in a bag to wipe down regularly works too.

It isn't like blued rifles haven't been used for every hunt on the planet or anything. Even really old ones that have no blue left seem to endure just fine.

Jeremy

My dads old m94 with no bluing and a beat up stock is my favorite rifle of all time.

 

[Bater]

My serious backpack/late season rifles are stainless or cerakoted but have never rusted the blues ones when using Rem oil wipes. Always have one ready to go in my pack

 

[Marbles]

Also look into salt bath nitriding.