gun break-in "in the raw"

[not4you2know]

Hey guys,

I have a gun going to be built soon. I have questions about breaking a gun in "in the raw" prior to finish. Is there any real benefit to this and is there any special care that is needed to an unfinished gun? Currently my idea is to go with a cheaper finish until the gun is good and broken in, then refinish it in hard chrome. My thought is that breaking in a raw gun is going to require another break in period after finishing. Thanks in advance.

[2MoreChains]

I've had a few guns built by a local GS and I kept them in the white for a good while until I was certain I wasn't going to need anything ground/hacked/modified. After 6 months to a year-ish I sent one off for hardchroming, had another cerakoted by a local shop, and the other one is still in the white. I'll get around to having it refinished one of these days... but the other day I noticed a hard corner in the back strap that needs some attention from Mr. Dremel, so glad I didn't have it refinished.

I live in a dry climate, so worries about it rusting are minimal. That said, I wipe down the guns when I get home but that's about it. Clean them once a month or so.

[spraynpray]

I am currently running my in-progress STI in the white. High polished surfaces are much more resistant to corrosion than the blasted surfaces they have when they arrive from STI. Stay away from silicone-based lubricants, etc they can contaminate later finishing. I wipe the exterior surfaces with gear oil because it is a little thicker and stays better.

I have considered throwing some spray paint on it, but I don't think it will be an issue.

[Dranoel]

I highly recommend WD40 Specialist. I spray everything with it as soon as I take it out of the box. Once you have it finished it won't be necessary but in the white, this will keep the rust away.

http://www.wd40specialist.com/products/corrosion-inhibitor/