Friends,

What's the general consensus on how to coat our rifle's metal to prevent rusting?
Now that I've decided to seek out a Remington 7600, I want to have the best anti-
rust treatment applied to it once I have it. Thanks as always!

Cerakote is supposed to be tops. It is working well for me.

Best would be a good hard chrome or nickel plating. Might look weird on a 7600…

Good would be parkerized or something like Birdsong Black-T.

Have not had the best longevity with Cerakote or similar.

I’ve had a couple cerakoted.

I’d try Nitride before I ever cerakote another.

My Remington 700 xcr2 has a nitride coating. I guess its about 10-12 years old gets carried around on an atv and banging around in a stand. I hunt in a muddy wet climate about four months a year. It has held up well and looks pretty much like new. Mine came from the manufacture with the nitride. I read it is more of a process that just a coating.

Yes, it is a process of diffusing nitrogen into the steel, not a coating. It would be my choice for rust resistance, as well as wear resistance. Performance in those respects far superior to Cerakote or other coatings, or any of the grades of stainless used in rifles for that matter.

Nitride as long as it's the real process not just a halfassed coating. H&M metal processing was great to work with... just note that it hardens the existing surface, it doesn't involve smoothing and buffing like a re-blue.

Ask my little buddy BigStick. He appears to regularly lay his rifles in the river while he fishes. Different strokes for different folks I guess. On another note, I've purchased rifles with both Nitride and Cerakote and never had a problem. Truth be told, I treat them the same as my non-protective coated rifles preventatively; so, I can't really tell if they work better or not for rust prevention.

I like old school parkerizing.

Powdercoating is tougher than hell. A side benefit to it is it's warmer to carry in cold weather.

How about wiping it down with oil after use

Im appreciative of everybody's answers and the sharing of experiences.
As to the quote below:

I asked the question because I've read of guys returned from their day out hunting, and seeing that rusting had started already!
It's better to prevent a problem than to successfully correct one, especially if it could have been avoided in the first place.

On my blued steel rifles and shotguns I use Rig. Absolutely no smell and never a spec of rust. My serious deer and elk hunting rifles are always camo painted over stainless steel or hard chrome plated. Easy touch up and no smell or shine.

My Dad hunted with a pre-64 Featherweight for 30 years. Rain or snow. Always wiped it down at the end of the day. I've been using that same gun now for 10 years. Clean it the same way. Has bluing wear from use, but never any rust.

My brother had his 760 Nitrided. That's what I'd do. It was around $100 and after 7 or 8 years, still look great.

Even though it's a pump, it can and will jam if the chamber isn't kept clean. He had his chamber polished before he sent it off to be done and it hasn't jammed since.

Nothing wrong with Cerakote on externals. Don’t want it on any internals. Nitride is very durable, (mostly as durable as your metal),but mainly only in black….and will show wear over time. Cerakote can be touched up. Birdsong is extremely slick and practically rust proof….but it will wear faster than nitride. Either would still last an average Hunter a lifetime, I’d imagine.

This may be contrary... But since long term is ambiguous... I'd say blue is the only thing we can prove works long term.
Properly cared for blue rifles from the 1800s still exist and function perfectly.

These answers are all beneficial to me. I read them all at least twice just to make sure that I missed nothing!

I had reserved comment until now.

You are correct, a slow-rust blue.

Is Birdsong still is business? I emailed them quite some time ago and didn't receive a response.

If they aren’t, it’s news to me.



Some things, blueing is great. Many guns/uses, it’s not. I generally keep my classic blued stuff the way it came….until wet and hard use dictate a more durable, practical, and rust resistant finish….then they’ll get coated/treated, too. When you’re watching blued guns rust in front of your eyes in a salt marsh or noticing every scratch they get from limbs, rocks, stands, etc…..you either take pity on them and leave them for the tea sipper hunts, or give them some protection beyond having to keep a jug of oil in your pack.

I will have to look up BIRDSONG, black-t.com as I've not heard of them before.
And I sure do understand hh4whiskey's below line of thought!