Thread: Kimber hunter rust issues

I recently purchased a new kimber hunter stainless from my local hunting store.
It has sat in the safe since in a gun sock since while I gathered the rest of the components to to go with it.

Last week before heading away on holiday I pulled the kimber out of the gun sock to find it had rust spots all over the top of the action.

Is this a common issue with kimber stainless?

The rifle is 2 months old and never fired a shot or left the house

stainless the word is stain less it does not mean it wont rust it will just not rust as much as say a blued rifle - you have a moisture problem in your gun safe -do other rifles in your safe have rust ??tthis gun sock what is it made of - I say that since it could ?? have been damp and the rifle has been stored with moisture - members on here may be able to advise what sort of small electric dehumidifier they use when dealing with moisture - but a decent coating of a good oil will help once you have removed rust spots - I use remington oil and have done for over 20 years totally recommend it - there are others just as good - to remove rust do it slowly nothing abrasive - I use a piece of rough towel - dab rust spots and keep it up over a number of days - CRC and WD 40 are okay for this but I recommend carefully - they can get where you dont want them -some good tutorials on you tube - but moisture in safe needs dealing to-

I'm aware that stainless isn't bullet proof but the kimber wasn't a cheap rifle so I was expecting it to be a higher quality of stainless than the likes of howa etc. The stainless browning shown in the bottom photo is 2 years old and sits in the safe next to the kimber, the browning has never developed rust like the kimber has.

Over winter I put a damprid bag in the safe to help with the moisture but I've never had a problem over summer with moisture in the safe

I've owned 7 Kimber Montana's and never had an issue with RUST..... Ever !
I currently have 3, and one of those has sat in my gunsafe since the day I bought it new about 3 years ago. I have no moisture control system in my gunsafe, because I've never needed one, and the gunsafe is not in a atmosphere controlled location either.
So here's the rub, if you'll excuse the pun, every rifle that goes into my gunsafe gets a rubdown with a lightly oiled rag before I close the door. And in the case of the new one, it gets an inspection and light recoat about twice a year.
Yours being a new rifle probably hasn't seen oil since the day it passed inspection at the end of the assembly line. My conjecture only though, but its a safe bet.
Always always put guns away cleaned and oiled, and I'm not suggesting you haven't, but if they still show an inclination to rust, change your oil brand, but done with love and care I doubt you'll need to.
Hot barrels

PS..... try ditching the gunsock too and letting the rifle breathe

Nimrod may be right you may have imported the problem -if none of your other rifles are showing rust spots - clean it up - good oil and try again

Originally Posted by NIMROD

I've owned 7 Kimber Montana's and never had an issue with RUST..... Ever !
I currently have 3, and one of those has sat in my gunsafe since the day I bought it new about 3 years ago. I have no moisture control system in my gunsafe, because I've never needed one, and the gunsafe is not in a atmosphere controlled location either.
So here's the rub, if you'll excuse the pun, every rifle that goes into my gunsafe gets a rubdown with a lightly oiled rag before I close the door. And in the case of the new one, it gets an inspection and light recoat about twice a year.
Yours being a new rifle probably hasn't seen oil since the day it passed inspection at the end of the assembly line. My conjecture only though, but its a safe bet.
Always always put guns away cleaned and oiled, and I'm not suggesting you haven't, but if they still show an inclination to rust, change your oil brand, but done with love and care I doubt you'll need to.
Hot barrels

PS..... try ditching the gunsock too and letting the rifle breathe

Or, he could just buy a Sako

Originally Posted by 7mmsaum

Or, he could just buy a Sako

Then go to the gym religiously before use

That's not good. I've heard of long term use of gun socks precipitating corrosion before.

A general point. If guns are rusting in a safe, you have bigger issues to deal with than gun corrosion.

I have had rifles in my safe that were not oiled and biffed into the safe after a hunt and the door slammed, no problems. Sitting right next to them was a same brand rifle, cleaned, oiled, babied and the thing developed spot pox. Who knows, some rifles are just precious I figure. Leaving them in a bag or sock isn't a guarantee that they won't rust, but other times it's either something that's on the surface of the metal that you haven't cleaned off or didn't know about or you've covered up with oil thinking you've done a good thing.

It possibly has come into contact with/rubbed on non s steel (grinding dust etc)at manufacture or elsewhere.
My Kimber (about 12 yo) gets put away wet and generally not well looked after and no sign of rust.

pointless post to this thread but the ruger m77 stainless rifles have the best stainless steel on rifles known to man!they can abused and won't rust.

Yep cans beat that ruger stainless.
Take the whole rig in the shower with me after a dirty hunt.

Originally Posted by Scortched earth

Yep cans beat that ruger stainless.
Take the whole rig in the shower with me after a dirty hunt.

old man had one which is now mine,all of us boys used to use it when we were starting out been on hundreds of hunts,submarined into the Wanganui river,never cleaned, stored in damp farm safe for 25 odd years.still in as new condition!

yeah thats pretty standard for kimber stainless
keep them covered in oil and dont leave any fingerprints on them otherwise they will show up too
it all comes off with a rough wipe and wd40 or crc