A Pitiful Mossberg 500E 410

[wood714]

A friend asked me if I could fix up his Mossberg 410. He said he kept it in his garage, but his wife hid it. He found it a couple weeks ago. I honestly think he just forgot about it. Who would keep a gun behind some boxes on a shelf in their garage. He leaves his garage door open all the time for his dogs to come in and out. It's damp out there!

I was thinking a little surface rust that I could steel wool or lightly sand off, and do a little cold bluing on it. I was most wrong, it's a rod of rust. I'll probably take the barrel and magazine to the wire brush on my grinder. I might just spray paint the thing with some high heat paint at this point. I will field strip it and give the inside a good cleaning.

I wanted to get the forend off to clean the rust under it, but this one looks like it needs a special tool to remove. Maybe I could loosen the nut up by tapping it with a plastic, wood or brass punch?

Here's some pics, it hurts to view it. You can click them and they should go large.

 

[Bald1]

Mossberg forearms require a spanner wrench. Wire wheel and paint. Or check GB and eBay for used barrels

 

[DWalt]

It is not too difficult to make your own spinner wrench. I did it once. But the threads could be frozen. There is also a tool made for that specific purpose.

 

[wood714]

Mossberg forearms require a spanner wrench. Wire wheel and paint. Or check GB and eBay for used barrels

No point in a new barrel, it will probably look like it does now in another year or so.

He could at least wiped a little motor oil on it now and then.

 

[mauser9]

Crying shame it to let it go to pot like that! Hard to believe they let it get ruined

 

[lamarw]

I would use this method to clean off the rust:

How to Remove Rust Using Electrolysis.

Here is a before picture of some of the parts I worked with.

 

[lamarw]

I would use this method to clean off the rust:

How to Remove Rust Using Electrolysis.

I won a bunch of parts for an Ithaca Model 37 and built 3 shotguns after a lot of learning and effort.

Here is a before picture of some of the parts I worked with and the final products..

 

[67tempest]

I was given a VZ24 rifle that had sat in my buddy's fathers basement since he brought it back from Japan in 1946. The entire thing looked like it was coated in orange fuzz. I took it out of the stock and went over it with some 0000 bronze wool and Kroil. When I was done it looked like brand new with almost 99% of the original bluing still intact.

 

[2152hq]

I make spanners for the Win12 and 42 and the Rem31 from steel pipe that fits closely over the mag tube.

File the end away to leave the Spanner teeth and so they fit the slots in the nut closely.
The teeth aren't that high/deep and the shaping with a med or rough cut file only takes a few minutes.
If you make a mistake and cut the teeth too small, swipe them off with the file and start again on the leveled surface.

Place the Spanner in a bench vise horizontaly. Run the mag tube into the wrench and engage the spanner onto the nut.
With just your hand pressure and strength turn the nut off while pressing the assembly hard into the spanner so it doesn't skip out of the slots.

I'd flood this one with some oil for a day or so before trying too.

That rusty bbl and mag tube might respond favorably to a boiling in plain water for 15 or 20 minutes and than a carding with steel wool.

It'll never get rid of any pitting but it can sometimes leave you with a pretty decent rust blue surface.

Of course you need something long enough to submerge that length bbl in. But it can be done on a stove top.
It's just boiling water...
Make sure the Mrs. is reassured of that!

 

[moosedog]

A ex friend of mine had me find him a mint 586 Nickel 4 inch. Unknown to me, his wife made him store it in the garage. Next time I saw it, it looked like the kind you recover in a dope house.
Notice I said ex friend. No brains, no gonads, no friend.

 

[reddogs]

Think I may clean my guns tomorrow

 

[tops]

I once knew a farmer that kept a Rem. 550 in his equip. shed (3 walls and a dirt floor). Ever once in a while he would pour diesel fuel down the barrel and on the gun. It worked for him. Larry

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

One you fix it. it will be tossed back on the shelf to continue to rust away. I wouldn't put much over oil & steel wool in it

 

[kev74]

2nd vote for boiling the rusted metal parts in water and carding (buffing) with 0000 steel wool. It will come out much better than you expect.

 

[jeffrefrig]

His wife HID it? Maybe SHE could have at least wiped it down w/oil!
Luckily, my wife wouldn't even touch any of mine. That is/was a nice little gun. I believe it needs a new home. Maybe, say, Pittsburgh for example!

 

[Maddog 521]

Great job

Electrolysis works very well. I've used it many times to clean up cast iron cookware.

 

[murphydog]

As a good friend I would also remove all the rust and make sure it is 100% functioning.

Then put it inside a sealed tube filled with oil and tape a bright orange flag on the outside.

 

[wood714]

His wife HID it? Maybe SHE could have at least wiped it down w/oil!
Luckily, my wife wouldn't even touch any of mine. That is/was a nice little gun. I believe it needs a new home. Maybe, say, Pittsburgh for example!

When he was here yesterday, I told him he really needed to get a AR or similar type rifle. He laughed and said his wife would die.

 

[wood714]

Just went out in my garage to see what a wire wheel would do to it. I was expecting deep pitting and zero bluing.

Mossberg must do incredible bluing. I was shocked to see how well it came out.

 

[ColbyBruce]

You sir, are a miracle worker.