Looks like I’ve got some more saltwater fishing coming up in the near future, so I’m curious about what there is to know about having an AR as a boat gun. In the past our family + coworkers usual boat defense guns of choice were mostly M1 carbines (back when they were cheap…oh how I wish I weren’t a kid at the time…), occasional Garand or two, and whatever pistols we had at the time. Now that it’s just the wife and me I’m wondering which direction to go and am really partial to what we shoot the most. What’s the skinny on AR’s and saltwater environments? Oil more than usual? Any specific extra treatment? Or am I better off with something else?
I’d rather take an 870… I’d be concerned about corrosion in the gas tube on the AR.
Don’t have it anymore, but I used to take my marlin xlr in .45-70. 'twas perfect.
As for the AR, it shouldn’t really be a problem as long as you take care of it after. For years the navy and other seamen used their high carbon steel and iron muskets and swords with no coating or anything except oil. I think your AR will be fine.
As long as it is shielded from unnecessary salt water exposure and comes home every night to be cleaned, it should serve you well in the task.
I use Marine Wheel Bearing Grease to lube my guns. MWBG is a light grade, high temp wheel bearing grease that contains protectants for boat trailers that get immersed in water during boat launching and recovery. Has a high resistance to moisture and even saltwater.
After a thourough cleaning, I put a thin layer of MWBG on the surface of all steel parts, and then a bit extra on high wear areas and it will make a gun run great normally, and really helps protect against corrosion.
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I’d oil it up well with Eezox, put it in one of those mylar protectant bags, and then do your best to keep it out of salt spray, humidity, etc. I’d just inspect it on a regular basis, like after every trip or two and just wipe it down.
Personally, I agree with you and would rather have an AR for its long range capability, rapid reload, and rust resistance. We used to bring along a folding stock SS Mini-14 but if you had a tear in your eye and you looked at it, it would rust.
IG, might have more insight but I’d think the Pivot Pins, Barrel Nut threads, FCG, springs, and possibly the RE threads would be the concerns for hidden corrosion. Other than what is mentioned above, the Barrel is CL, Gas Tube is SS, and about everything else is Al.
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Stick it into a Pelican case and call it a day.
Ask the Navy Seals. How about a Mossberg Mariner?
This, you should really be fine OP
So I guess I have to ask and point out the obvious. Why would it be an issue? FYI- The Navy, USMC and the Coast Guard all use M16’s/M4’s out on the water.
You simply apply a protective lube or coating to areas that can rust. If you do basic maintenance it will be just fine.
Eh? The gas tube is stainless steel.
The AR handles salt water environments better than old wood and steel guns. Aluminum doesnt rust(or should I say it forms an oxidized surface that protects it from further rusting).
Salt spray isn’t a big deal with them. Keep steel parts lightly coated with a decent protectant (even CLP works fine). Use lense covers with optics. If for some reason the weapon is completely submerged just give it a freshwater douse and reapply protectant (including down the gas-tube).
A guy I know told me about how his gun would be orange with surface rust after salt water drilling. (his USMC gun had most of the finish worn off)
They’d just get out the nylon brush and CLP and bring it back to new.
We use to hose our weapons down with WD40 before getting in the zodiac. We really did know any better but it worked fine so it shows you a coat of lube will work. We of course cleaned weapons everyday unlike civilians. I vote wipe it down with RIG and throw it in a pelican case. David
I’ve spent a significant portion of my life on the water (salt) and have experience with this topic. While any metal will react to the environment, proper care will alleviate any concerns. If it’s short term, simply lube (coat) all exposed metal beforehand and clean / lube after the fact. If long term, periodically inspect and clean/lube as necessary. For my personal boat travels, I use the 870 marine version that is nickel plated. Ten years using that model with no problems, but I do keep up with it just like everything else on a boat.
I had a friend who lives on a Sailboat in the Columbia river. Just the humidity from the area does weird things to his guns. I broke down his AR to find green corrosion down the gas tube, his 10/22 was cover in a light rust, but his 870 marine magnum was pristine.
The green corrosion is more than likely from any powder residue or certain type of cleaners that people use and then the saltwater. I have seen it as well.
I think the few minutes of extra care and maintenance as others have pointed out are worth it to have a weapon that you are already familiar with.
While you should give the gun some extra attention at the end of the day, and give everything metal a light coating of oil, I think the AR system would fare as well or better than about any other choice.
Stainless Steel is rust resistant, not rust proof. I’ve seen Departmental issued Stainless S&W 5906 and later 5946’s (before we dumped those “boat anchors” for M&P’s) rust when guns left in the Safariland holster after being out in the rain. And that’s without the salt environment.
In a perfect world, I’d store the AR in a Pelican case with a light coating of oil on the metal parts and then enjoy the boat ride.
We used silicone spray. Worked well for helicasting and whatnot.
The problem with a pelican case is that storage space on a boat is a precious commodity and a pelican (or any) case takes up a lot of space. Most use an existing storage locker/cabinet/closet to store their defensive weapon. Plus, you still have the humidity in the foam when it was last opened. But as you said, normal care will alleviate any concerns.