Randy ,
a quick recheck of the Periodic Table will turn up a listing called " Iron" , from which all cast iron and steel are made . I work for a welding shop , and I' ve worked with and around metals most of my life , so I' m pretty sure that I had that one right . The traditional recipe for seasoning cast iron is 1 hour at 350 ceg. with a light coat of cooking oil , and it has always worked in my experience . It has also worked for my Mom , and hers , and ...


Last I looked , the military hasn' t used BP for some time , and the powders they do use are allegedly non-corrosive . You might also note that most military rifle barrels , and some receivers , are chromed to reduce corrosion and wear . Ask the howitzer crowd what they use , I' ll bet they use something as a corrosion preventative sealant too . CAM2' s question dealt specifically with a muzzle loader , not an AK-47 .


A pore is a pore regardless of size , and if moisture and a corrosive agent enter that pore then galvanic cell corrosion will result . These are basic corrosion facts known to accepted metallurgy for centuries . The cure for that has always been the same , seal the metal against moisture and corrosive agents, whether with paint or some other sealant .


You don' t have to season yours if you honestly feel that it does no good , but some of us prefer to make that judgement for ourselves .