Question about maintaining a polished barrel

[tayloriand]

My 1377 has missing blueing on the tube and scratched barrel.

I have a polished 12" barrel from a previous deal and a Crooked Barn breech.

Question - what maintenance is needed to a polished barrel and tube to keep it shiny?

Cheers
Ian

[NorthStaR]

I keep a thin coat of oil on the gun and I also wrap the gun in an oily rag. Also wiping the gun with the rag before and after to remove
oils et cetera is worthwhile (excess gun and skin oils). And then it's stored in a case/box.

This seems to keep the tarnishing down and the shiny stays shiny.

Previously I hadn't bothered and it went vintage looking in a couple of weeks. Months later and they stay shiny this way. 

EDIT: It really depends on the metal in question though as to how long it lasts.

[eric]

was talking to the guy i bought my CR160 from and he has a few that are polishedand clear coated .i use a very fine sand paper when i see a problem ,steel wool will work for a satin finish

[1377x]

good question
i just read about some stuff  called ezzox
http://www.eezox.com/gun-care.html
from what i have read it keeps the metal free of rust better than most products and to me that means longer lasting luster.these are people who use the stuff on pb forums that swear by it
im going to order some soon.
on my polished barrel i used this stuff that was awhile ago still shiny no rust cant say the same for my blued guns
after a treatment of this the blued guns go back to blue without losing any coating

[NorthStaR]

Erics method is what I do to get the parts clean and then the oil sustains the sheen (not Charlie). 

So if you keep the shiny parts oiled, you will not have to remove a layer with sandpaper/wool hardly ever so a combo of the pre and post would work well...

If you've ever been to a military surplus warehouse and seen guns and bayonets that have been long term stored.
They are submerged in thick oil for protection against moisture et cetera. And then cleaned and coated with a thin oil for protection when in use.

They stay mint this way IMHO. I have a WWII bayonet that was stored this way and it's near new considering it's age (it is a used one so not mint).
Obviously you can't store your proposed gun submerged in oil. I'm just giving general info! 

Clear coat is OK and I guess on a barrel the contact would be far less than say a trigger frame so it may last longer. On contact areas it wears out fairly quick.
The other drawback is if you get a chip or worn patch it will need stripping and recoating each time.

Like I said though, tarnishing - it depends on the metal used. BTW oil is cheap and less damaging and not so permanent!

Whatever you do in time it will tarnish to a degree, it's just how long it takes and how you slow it.. Unless SS is an option, this stays shiny. 

[Davio]

Another old thread, I know, but I found it searching for information and soeone else may do the same.

A couple of products to consider to protect polished steel or brass:

Duracoat (made for firearms) and available in clear.  Go to link and scroll down for the clear.  http://www.houtsenterprises.net/dur_shakenspray.html

Cerakote (also made for firearms) and also available in clear low and high gloss.  http://www.cerakoteguncoatings.com/finishes/MC-155FQ/

FWIW 

[Crosshairs]

Like NS said wipe it off with a oil rag after use i also use flitz polish to keep her shinny.
                                                                    Mike 

[1377x]

you drive yourself batty using the blue wonder armidillo polish