Otis Bore Sticks Keep Your Barrels Rust Free for Two Years [SHOT Show 2018]

Face it, if you have a fair number of firearms, you probably don’t shoot some of them very often. There are a couple of guns in the back of my safe that haven’t been shot in, well, years. The biggest problem with that — especially if you don’t have a humidity- and climate-cotrolled safe to store those little-used guns, is that dreaded enemy of all metallic objects…corrosion.

The old school way to guard against forming those blooms of rust — particularly in the barrel — is to take down your gun down, give it a thorough cleaning and apply a thin, even coat of a good gun oil (I don’t even want to think about how much Rem Oil I’ve bought over the years).

But now you have a different, simpler way to keep those barrels shiny and rust-free. Otis’s new Bore Sticks are pistol-, rifle- and shotgun-length cords with a rubber-like plug on the end. The plastic core of the Bore Stick is impregnated with a chemical called VCI (vapor corrosion inhibitor), which outgasses through a Nomex wrapping which is soft against your lands and grooves. The VCI forms a microscopic coating that protects any metal surface it touches.

The end cap seals the bore to contain the VCI and keep your bore protected for up to two years. Here’s a tip: write the date you open your Bore Stick on the orange plug so you know when it’s time to replace it.

The good news is that you can easily afford one for every gun in your safe. A bore stick — in any size — runs $4.99. You can get a two-pack for $6.99.