Hey all,

I know this has been discussed previously but I cannot find the thread, if some can post a link that would be great.

In the meantime, I have a blued carbon steel Colt 1911 and I want to ensure I keep it rust-free. At the recommendation of the shop owner where I purchased it years ago I’ve kept it in the plastic bag that it shipped with and I oil it periodically but I feel like I should be doing more.

How best should one care for a carbon steel 1911?

based on my 'testing' which is really oriented to long terms storage under adverse conditions without the need for periodic intervention...the best for what you describe is a sealed VCI bag, with an additional VCI emitter and well lubricated with a good rust preventative oil. This assumes you actually want to take it out and use it periodically. If you want pure long term storage I would make a slightly modified suggestion.

That is pretty much what I had in mind.

With the cost of .45 these days it may come out once a year for a range trip but otherwise it stays in the safe, thankfully I live in a dry climate and I keep those desiccation packs in the safe.

I usually wipe it down with M-Pro 7 or would you recommend a different oil? I’ll look into the VCI bag, thank you.

I've been a big fan of Corrosion-X for many years.
I use it on all my guns and tools and never have any rust problems.

Thank you both for the suggestions. I have ordered some of those Otis rust prevention bags and I will look into that oil.

I pretty much hate stainless and own almost exclusively carbon steel guns. I used to live in a rather humid area as well. They never needed any special attention to speak of. I never have been obsessed with caring for guns, and frequently wiping down with oil has never been done, and never have rust issues.
They are not as fragile as you might think
I have carbon steel guns that have sat in a storage unit or safe literally for years with no attention. No rust or issues at all

I've stored blued steel firearms in no more than Boyt cloth gun rugs, in un-air conditioned spaces, for years at a time, with no more than a wipe-down with a silicon gun and reel cloth, with no problem.

Heck, one S/A revolver was stored for so long the Hoppe's gun oil turned to lacquer and I had a helluva time getting the cylinder pin out.

If it's in open air; in a safe; in a relatively dry environment; with little in the way of rapid, wide temperature swings; and particularly if you have a Golden Rod in the safe, I wouldn't worry about it.

I think sometimes we over think things. I keep my gun stored with a light coat of Rem oil. I run a dehumidifier and my safes keep a humidity of 50-60%. Never have had any rust issues.

I keep most of mine on a shelf in the safe and just wipe them down with a lightly oiled rag before I put them in there and after cleaning. One lives in a sock drawer and gets wiped down when I think about it. Never an issue. Keep them clean and dry and wipe them down after handling and you're good unless you live somewhere coastal.