Removing Surface Rust From Shotgun/Rifle..

[atsah]

To think I was only about 17 at the time and probably didn't even know what I was doing.

I wrecked one pretty good when I was 15, didn't want to do that again.. I could get a little more rust off but it looks good and I'll keep it oiled up and away from humidity..

 

[s219]

I wrecked one pretty good when I was 15, didn't want to do that again.. I could get a little more rust off but it looks good and I'll keep it oiled up and away from humidity..

I remember being more upset that I let the gun get rusty in the first place. It was stored down in a damp basement and I should have known better! My guns now live in an air conditioned and heated life of luxury compared to the old days (for that matter, so do I).

 

[atsah]

I remember being more upset that I let the gun get rusty in the first place. It was stored down in a damp basement and I should have known better! My guns now live in an air conditioned and heated life of luxury compared to the old days (for that matter, so do I).

My dad kept his guns in a zip up soft case that absorbed the oil off the gun in a house with no AC, nice old guns to, to bad..

 

[the old grind]

I wrecked one pretty good when I was 15, didn't want to do that again.. I could get a little more rust off but it looks good and I'll keep it oiled up and away from humidity..

Keeping it oiled will encapsulate what doesn't buff off, so "yes do that!" :thumbsup: I did exactly that with this guy, in < an hour. (no bluing touched-up, "must zoom to appreciate" detail):



I use 00 vs 0000 steel wool. IMO, any finer than 00 might as well be cotton balls. For this job, "oil is oil" a preservative above all others. Avoid 3-in-1 it contains shellac, and will cake when it dries. NEVER on our guns, but OK on tools.

 

[atsah]

Keeping it oiled will encapsulate what doesn't buff off, so "yes do that!" :thumbsup: I did exactly that with this guy, in < an hour. (no bluing touched-up, "must zoom to appreciate" detail):

View attachment 616407 View attachment 616408 View attachment 616409

I use 00 vs 0000 steel wool. IMO, any finer than 00 might as well be cotton balls. For this job, "oil is oil" a preservative above all others. Avoid 3-in-1 it contains shellac, and will cake when it dries. NEVER on our guns, but OK on tools.

Looks decent, it's tough to get it all off without wrecking it in the process, This 410 Winchester didn't look that bad so I able to do it with the copper sponge and rem oil.. I'm happy with the outcome.

 

[atsah]

Keeping it oiled will encapsulate what doesn't buff off, so "yes do that!" :thumbsup: I did exactly that with this guy, in < an hour. (no bluing touched-up, "must zoom to appreciate" detail):

View attachment 616407 View attachment 616408 View attachment 616409

I use 00 vs 0000 steel wool. IMO, any finer than 00 might as well be cotton balls. For this job, "oil is oil" a preservative above all others. Avoid 3-in-1 it contains shellac, and will cake when it dries. NEVER on our guns, but OK on tools.

I always coat the wood in oil and then with a dry clean cloth go over the wood to remove some of the excess oil because I use these guns when the need arises, is it a good idea to oil the wood?

 

[the old grind]

Copper (bronze wool if you clean/restore marine teak) may embed in tiny pits, or at least require a tad more elbow grease. (Oil will keep steel wool from scratching the blue, it 'cuts' better than 'softer' (yellow metal) buffing pads/wools).

If my pics were more clear, you'd see that I didn't go for patent leather perfect either. Halting rust is what we want, and we do that when we keep metal oiled like the PO did not. The outsides will be fine wherever you stop short of wrecking stuff. The bore is what matters from then on.

Pics of your W-A to come?

 

[atsah]

Copper (bronze wool if you clean/restore marine teak) may embed in tiny pits, or at least require a tad more elbow grease. (Oil will keep steel wool from scratching the blue, it 'cuts' better than 'softer' (yellow metal) buffing pads/wools).

If my pics were more clear, you'd see that I didn't go for patent leather perfect either. Halting rust is what we want, and we do that when we keep metal oiled like the PO did not. The outsides will be fine wherever you stop short of wrecking stuff. The bore is what matters from then on.

Pics of your W-A to come?

I didn't take one before, just one I posted after I did it..

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Had to do this years ago with a shotgun, and used fine steel wool and a variety of oils. The barrel had a brushed finish that was circular, around the barrel, so I was careful to do my rubbing that way too. After that I re-blued it. Came out looking beautiful. To think I was only about 17 at the time and probably didn't even know what I was doing.

Are you sure that wasn't a Damascus barrel?

 

[Egon]

All that said, IMO everybody should ruin a few guns by trial and error. Learn by doing. You never know when it's your turn.

For proper restoration it would be preferable to remove and neutralize all the rust and then Blue it again.

You can rub surface rust off till all is shinny but you can’t see the intergranular rust that remains.