How can I remove rust inside a barrel?

Kelly Green

Kelly Green

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I have an old blued S&W M&P .38 that has rust in the barrel. The rust begins at the crown and continues down about 3/4”. The rest of the barrel looks to be in good shape. I used a brass brush with Hoppes and Breakfree to remove some of the rust. I got most of it off the lands but can’t seem to remove the rust in the groves. Is there a safe way to remove the rust without destroying the rifling?

Thank you in advance for your help.
Kel
 
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use a Lewis lead remover or some copper scare pad to remove. Then shoot some lead and then jacket bullets.
 
Try a stainless brush and let the Hoppe's sit in the bore for 10 - 15 min. before scrubbing more w/the brush. If the rust has been that resistant to brushing the bore, chances are you have some pitting already started. I have heard Naval Jelly suggested for hard rust, but since it's a type of acid, it's going to etch the bore even further. Buy a half-dozen stainless brushes, a quart of Hoppe's, and a gang of patches, add an equal part of elbow grease and scrub that puppy ! It will never be a mirror again in that spot, but if it's no longer red, you'll have done your job.
Hope this helps.

Larry
 
acid

How about some lemon or lime juice swabbed into the bore. I know that mild acids will disolve rust. Perhaps with a little 0000 steel wool followed by a rinse of clear water then dried and some good gun oil.
Has anyone tried this on a rusty bore? It should work if nothing else will.

Bruce
 
I'll be the first to say it. If there is an actual active rust patch as you say that is that hard to remove, there is probably some light peppery pitting already there. Even after killing the active (red) rust and / or removing it, chances are that the surface will remain "frosted" or somewhat dull. If it shoots OK and doesn't lead excessively don't worry about it.
If it bothers you get some abrasive paste as others have suggested. You can use J & B, Flitz, Autosol Chrome polish, put it on a snug fitting patch and polish it up.
 
Naval Jelly lemon juice
Anything that will chemically remove rust will also remove blue so a drip on the outside would mar the finish.

I would soak it well in an oily solvent - I use the old benchrest blend of Shooter's Choice and Kroil - and leave it for a while. Not minutes, days, to really soften the scale. Then brush well to mechanically remove rust. Then rub out with JB or other fine abrasive to dull the pitting.
 
To all who replied with advice and comments, Thank You. I don’t have any JB Bore Bright, I may have to buy some just to have it on hand. I soaked the end of the barrel in Hoppe’s for several hours and then worked the bore with a stainless brush and 0000 steel wool wrapped around a patch jag. I followed by applying non-chlorinated break cleaner to the bore to dry up the oil and made a few more passes with the steel wool. Next, I ran tight patches saturated with Flitz down the bore followed by a good buffing with dry cotton patches. I ended by applying a thin coat of Breakfree. That seemed to work pretty well. Unfortunately, the rust has slightly pitted that last 3/4” of the bore.
 
Rust

Sounds like you have a non problem. Since you don't have a great collector value, if it shoots well shoot the hell out of it and enjoy it. I have been using J-B bore Bright since about 1970 and wouldn't get caught without it.
 
I bought a can of dupont heavy duty rubbing compound and a can of dupont polishing compound. I take an well worn bore brush and wrap one of the military style cleaning patch around it. Then liberally coat the patch with the red rubbing compound. Run it back and forth in the bbl for about 40 strokes. Clean out all the nasty black stuff and leave a little hoppe's in the bore. You may have to repeat the heavy stuff to get all the crud out of the bbl. Your patches will come out looking like a coal mine. When you are ready do the same patch procedure and liberally coat the patch with the polishing compound. 40 strokes back and forth then clean out with hoppe's soaked patches on a jag as you will get the blackest, junk you ever saw. May take a few trials but while it will not remove any pitting it will clean up your bbl and gives you a chance to really see what you are dealing with. I have done this to a bunch of bbls one krag who's rifling I swear got deeper as I cleaned it, one garand, and a couple revolver bbls. Just remember these compounds were used on car finishes. But will clean your bbl. Frank
 
Might try spraying in some liquid wrench. That stuff really dissolves rust on bolts.
 
Now I don't want to start any controversy or flames, but I personally
would NOT use a stainless brush. If you reverse it while still in the
bore you can potentially cause the very pitting you are trying to get rid
of. If you want to use a metal brush, use brass or bronze. Anything
softer than the metal the barrel is made out of. I will never use
a stainless brush for anything. I bought a couple when I was a
few decades younger and have never seemed to need them.
After reading warnings similar to mine above and giving it some
thought (now that took awhile), I decided to never use them.

Many of the other ideas already given sound logical.
I am going to try a couple on my Winchester 10ga. cannon that
got a little rusty during a decade of (improper) storage.

---
Nemo
 
I purchased a 9MM Shield last week and when I went to clean it, I noticed rust inside the barrel. I used what I had to try and clean it. This included Hoppe's No 9, CLP and Ballistol. I soaked and scrubbed with a bronze brush to no avail. I then used Scotch Bright patches run through the bore with a jag. After four or five run throughs, the barrel was free of rust.
 
Jim Watson said:
I would soak it well in an oily solvent - I use the old benchrest blend of Shooter's Choice and Kroil - and leave it for a while. Not minutes, days, to really soften the scale. Then brush well to mechanically remove rust. Then rub out with JB or other fine abrasive to dull the pitting.
Click to expand...
This is what I would do.
Soak for days if necessary. When the rust becomes stubborn to remove, put the barrel back into the Kroil solution to soak and brush more later.
Repeat soak-brush cycle until satisfied...then run some JB Paste through it.
 
I have good luck using a bronze brush wrapped with some copper chore-boy pad. Do this dry. After that I used Flitz on a cotton mop. Really shines up the bore. Unfortunately, pitting probably can't be removed with anything. Bob
 
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