Me Thinks I'm Screwed!

[Biscut]

I have a PC 629 44MAG that has been in storage for the last 2 years. It developed rust My fault. It was cleaned and wiped down before being stored in a gun sock and a padded case. Luckily this was the only handgun of mine that was affected.

Thoughts? Suggestions? I'm guessing not much can be done unless I want to loose the stampings and beadblast, etc... I'm thinking the remedy might be worse than just dealing with the ugly and making sure it does not get worse.

Can't hurt to ask.

 

[vintage40s]

... in storage for the last 2 years... developed rust... It was cleaned and wiped down before being stored in a gun sock and a padded case...

How could the rust have been prevented, then?
And that looks like an alloy lightweight with an applied finish like my 642-2 Airweight. Do they actually rust?

 

[1911-10MM]

Hello
Check with Fords Custom Gun Refinishing in Florida.
They now have the ability to restore logos / roll marks etc. on damaged guns that need refinishing. They could bring that gun back to new condition. I sent them a Colt years ago and it came back like new.

 

[H Richard]

Soak it with Kroil or Auto Transmission fluid, and using bronze wool themajority of it will clean up. Try it before sending off for refinishing.

 

[s&wchad]

Ouch!
I'd see if I could fix that with oil, fine sandpaper and a Scotchbrite pad. If that didn't turn out acceptable, I'd contact S&W and see if they can replace the barrel. The frame doesn't look that bad.

If you own a lot of guns and some aren't shooters (collectors), it's worth giving them a thorough cleaning and applying a coat or two of Renaissance Wax. It really help for long term storage. They should also be stored in a climate controlled environment.

 

[max503]

I never store a gun in contact with fabric. Used to remove the grips, put the gun in a baggie, hose it down with wd-40, then close up and wrap in newspaper. Then it would go into my safe deposit box. Some left for years, never any rust.

 

[SweetMK]

The picture is not clear enough to make a "for certain" call,,,
but,,

it is entirely possible that is not rust, it could simply be a stain transferred from the cloth that was touching it.

Try cleaning it with Greased Lightning, etc,,,

 

[__steve__]

That is stainless steel and not supposed to corrode like that. Have you tried to remove any of it?

Out of curiosity because I own close to same PC gun (different cal) Did you remove the grip and cover to see how it looks in those parts? Were other guns stored similarly and not effected?

 

[murphydog]

If you have the right (aka wrong) conditions, this can happen. The gun makers should call it "stain-less" as it is not rust-proof.

Agree with trying to remove the corrosion and rehab the surface as best you can, nothing to lose by trying.

 

[llowry61]

Me tends to agree, some good suggestions here. I agree with the soak and scrub using increasingly abrasive scrubbers. I would start with nylon scraping tool. I have a set that look like dental tools then move to a nylon bristled tool of some sort and then to a copper bore brush. Just go slow. You never know it might clean up better than you would expect. It doesn't really look like rust though in the pic. Best of luck to you.

 

[Biscut]

I appreciate everyone's help. There are lots of questions. As brief as I can be. I am LE and went through a messy divorce. We have 3 young kids. She filed for an order of protection and I had to secure all my firearms with the local police (I work in a different county). So a year later she lost custody of the 3 kids and the family home. Being NY nobody will give your firearms back without a court order despite never being even accused of a crime and certainly not even a conviction for a violation like an open container of alcohol or loud music. So it took forever to get em back.

Local police were great. Gave me a few days to clean and do what I could to preserve em before dropping them off. They knew the situation.

Out of MANY I had a PC 44 (the image) and a PC 357 of the same SS with a lot lighter rust on it. A Beretta 686 had a little rust on the top of the rib. Everything else was pristine.

I did remove the grips and everything is excellent shape there.

I have a Delta 3HP tablesaw and 8" jointer in my garage that I have had to clean up with various rust removal products. I have a less harsh rust removal gel I brushed on but not much affect. Maybe it isn't rust? Looks like it. I did rub the gel off with a 0000 steel wool. Didn't do much.

There is the whole story! You guys are great with all the help.

 

[Biscut]

How could the rust have been prevented, then?
And that looks like an alloy lightweight with an applied finish like my 642-2 Airweight. Do they actually rust?

I have no information on the conditions in the property room of the local police. It looks like it's a 3 walled concrete block room off of the garage area and the 4th wall is traditional 2x4 and sheetrock. It's all above ground but here in NY July can be humid and August usually has a few very humid hot weeks.

My understanding is this PC model is a bead blasted SS.

 

[Grayfox]

Maybe I'm not as picky as some. But I'd just clean it up as best I could and let it go at that. The spots aren't that big or bad and most normal folks probably won't even notice.
Guns get all sorts of marks on them as time goes on, its called character. And there's a story to go with it.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Smith & Wesson will redo that bead blast finish for 170 dollars.

Performance Center(R) Precision Gunsmithing | Smith & Wesson

 

[geekeye]

how pitted is it? if not too deep you might be able to get it off with a rust eraser (abrasive embedded in rubber). i use the naniwa rust eraser on my fancy japanese kitchen knives and it's pretty gentle.

 

[Drm50]

I had a guy that inherited his Dads guns. For over two years every time I ran into him he said he was bring those guns up to sell to me. Finally he showed up. He had put each gun in new Wally World hard case with egg carton type hard foam. Stacked them up in his basement. The side that had stored facing up looked brand new. The down side was horrible. It was even surface rust, it was like small pox and pitted deep.

 

[oysterer]

on blue guns: a few days in Kroil, work over with a bronze brush and then apply a thick amount of Birchwood Casey RIG grease to it, check a week or 2 later and be amazed how all this has magically healed...then move on, don't further temper with it. I am hoping this does the trick on SS also.

 

[jcs266]

Usually I soak the area with gun oil then gently scrub with a copper brush and try to remove it that way. Perhaps even a plastic scrubbing pad first. It may leave some very minor visual blemish but 90% of it will probably be gone.

 

[steelslaver]

Stain less as in not as much, not as in won't

 

[Buick]

I have one like that; i just tell people that was where the grizzly got ahold of it. Seriously though, replace the front sight if you wish, and chalk the other up to holster wear.