I recently purchased a blued gun that had been sitting unused for over 20 years. It had Hogue rubber grips on it. When I removed the grips, I found a few small areas of light surface rust, mostly under the spring clip that the Hogue gip system attaches to the frame cross pin. Acouple of other spots as well, all under the grips.
I would like to remove this rust to prevent it from progressing further. I'm thinking of using a liquid rust remover, and then using Perma Blue to restore the blueing on the areas in question. The gun is black, and so it the Perma Blue.
My question: What would you recommend me to use as a rust remover?

Thanks!

I wouldn't use a liquid rust remover on it.Take some bronze or 0000 steel wool with oil to remove it or else use a mild polish like Flitz****st remover is far too powerful for gun finishes.

I agree with arjay. I have used 0000 steel wool with Break Free oil and had great success. Take your time and do not be aggressive with the steel wool.

If the rust is light as you say, after using the oil and 0000 steel wool you should not have to do any re-bluing.

0000 steel wool and light oil. Rub gently and stop when the job is done. Don't try to get the spots bright, just card off the scale, and don't use cold blue.

Steel wool is dead soft and will not damage the finish of used with discretion and plenty of oil.

DO NOT even think about a rust remover!!!!!!!!!! Gun bluing, regardless of the exact process, is nothing more than FANCY RUST. The blue will be gone long before the rust spots!

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Gunsmithing since 1961

Don't use steel wool. Rubbing with steel wool causes really tiny "whiskers" to shed off and gravitate, if you don't find and remove all of them they will rust and cause problems anew.

Use fine bronze wool instead. Also, better results are obtained by taking a rust penetrating type oil (I use good old WD-40), and saturate the rust, and then let the WD-40 do its work overnight (or longer).

It will soften the rust spot making it easier to break apart and gently scrape away, using the edge of a real copper penny (made prior to 1982) which is a tried and true method.

The cooper is soft enough to not damage the surface but hard enough to work the rust off with. It will leave copper smears, but it come off readily with any copper removing bore cleaner like Hoppes.

The key is just don't spray the rust and then immediately start working way at it, you need to let the oil saturate into the rust to soften it.

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

Try this. It has worked great for me.

Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner

In THEORY you MIGHT be correct about the Steel Wool, HOWEVER in REALITY, it think it's just fine. I have been reading what you posted for years now and chuckle each time. I have been using nothing but 0000 Steel Wool & gun oil for 35+ years to clean surface rust off firearms and have NEVER had any problems at all - and I mean NEVER! I don;t even own a piece of bronze wool! And believe me, I am a FUSS-POT when it comes to guns, maintenance and appearance.

If I were starting out today and had no supplies, I'd more than likely buy the bronze wool, just because.......... but I still have many boxes of the 0000 Steel Wool and will continue to use it until I run out or there is a problem. Honestly ....... if I have not had a problem in 35 years I doubt I ever will. Just saying..........

Chief38

I would start with something much less abrasive like Flitz or Mothers Billet polish before I went to steel wool.

Post some photos of the rust so we can see how bad it is.

Chris

I've used the steel wool/oil/old penny method with very good success. Key is liberal application of oil, light pressure, and patience. For light rust without pitting, it should work fine.

The Flitz can not be used in conjunction with gun oil, where as steel wool can. The oil lets the wool glide effortlessly and will not remove bluing if done gently. I've done this many dozens of times with excellent results and no issues. Believe me, it works very well! By the way, Flitz will remove bluing even though it says it won't on the tube.

I have used 0000 steel wool with oil and it did scratch the finish on a high polish blued K22. You had to use a 10x loupe to see it, but you could see it.

Get yourself some Chore Boy copper pads for $2 in the grocery store. Soak the area overnight with Kroil. The keeping the area wet with Kroil, gently rub with the copper pad. It will not scratch the finish.

Charlie

Nothing "In Theory" about it, I experienced it with Liberon 0000 steel wool, tiny (and I mean tiny) whiskers made their way under the thumb latch and into the frame opening that the thumb latch stud protrudes from. I had rust form around the the edges of the frame opening, the underside of the thumb latch.

Just because you may not have personally experienced such an occurrence does not make it an impossibility.

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Conrad
SWCA #1830 SWHF #222

The problem is now confined to the bottom surface of the grip, where the serial number is stamped. There are two reddish brown bands running across this surface. These bands correspond to two rubber pads in the bottom of the Hogue grip that make hard contact when the grip is installed.
These bands cannot be felt with the finger, but they can be seen. The metal surface on this area is not highly polished, but has machine marks running the length of the surface, perpendicular to the bands. At this point it seems that the remaining red rust is in the machine marks and is difficult to get to with a wool pad. Considering the location, reblueing this surface is not out of the question for me.

You might want to try Flitz metal polish and bronze wool.

Never said it wasn't possible, but when I remove rust on a gun I ALWAYS strip the entire gun of ALL PARTS, screws and components, then wipe down the entire gun several times with a cotton Rag & Rig #2 oil prior to re-assembly. Yes, if precautions are not take, of course bad things can happen! Not for nothing, but any pad, bronze or Scotchbrite can get under small parts and while they may not rust like Steel Wool they can attract dirt, debris and moisture that will. Common sense and being thorough is the key with anything.

Thanks for all the replies. I have worked it to the point where you need magnification to see anything that doesn't look totally normal. I did reblue the two bands, and they blended in nicely with the rest of the surface.
With a 10X loupe, you can still see two faint bands that look a little different, but it is hard to say what is different about them.
I think what I have is some very small micro-pitting that would require mechanical buffing to remove.

Corrosion X on the rust. Leave it on. Brush the rusted areas with a bronze brush. The bristles will get down into machine marks where steel or bronze wool won't. Repeat as necessary. Leave Corrosion X on the surface(s). It protects extremely well and stays put. Shoot the gun.

What is corrosion X?

CorrosionX

Really good stuff.