Members feelings on rust!

[GaryR]

Seriously considering buying a 1948 mfg K38 Masterpiece (45k serial#). However… was stored badly and about 20% of the cylinder has pretty significant rust! Rest of the gun is 95%. Think I can prob. get into it for around $300 or so. Cylinder will need restoration. Any opinions on this? Thanks!

 

[mh51]

If you want it for a shooter, buy it as cheaply as possible and just clean it.. Trying to find someone who can remove the rust and then match the bluing will be difficult to do, and will probably drive the cost up to where you could have bought a 95% original condition gun.
Good luck, whatever you decide.

 

[Dino44]

I used to avoid guns with corrosion issues. Then I saw a no dash model 19 at an online auction and won it for a decent price. I cleaned it up the best I could, and now I have a remarkable shooter that has become one of my favorite range companions, and it has some pretty cool history. It shipped in 1959 to Evaluators Ltd. Quantico, VA. and was sold to a USMC Officer. Here are before and after photos of the worst side.


I also rescued a pre-model 29 that turned out pretty well too.

I'd say go for it, as it sounds like a good price as long as all the vitals check out good.

 

[Gun Relics]

The gun is a buy!

The K38's usually have matte finishes, so they are an easier match than a highly polished blue. The rust itself is not a problem unless it has damaged the metal under it. You can try boiling it for 10 minutes and then carding with 0000 steel wool. The boiling water will turn the rust black. If that's not enough, go over it with cold blue (I like Super Blue) and light steel wool, then douse with water. Polish and repeat until the surfaces are uniform. You can use 0000 and oil (lightly) on the final coats to blend the finish, then polish briskly with a cloth.

If the metal is corroded or damaged, this might be a good time to try your skill at completely refinishing the cylinder. the cylinder is easily removed by removing the right side screw opposite the trigger. Then remove the blue, sand the surfaces smooth with progressive grits of fine paper. Get a nice uniform shine to the metal, then cold blue.

Here is a cylinder I completely re-blued on a Highway Patrolman - it was pretty dinged up and rusted too. You can also rust blue, but in this case I don't see an advantage.

 

[Wiregrassguy]

You can make it prettier but you cannot restore collector value. I have refinished several guns and have lost money on each one that I later sold. I didn't do a refinish to make money. It just rankled me to see a scarce or rare gun in deplorable condition. Other folks are enjoying the ones I sold and that is reward enough for me.

 

[Jaco1234]

For light surface rust, 3in1, or kroil with bronze wool will take it off.
For heavy pitted rust a crimped wire wheel on a grinder will take off the rust and feather the pits without softening the edges. Do not use a twisted wire brush. Work the brush in the direction of the surfaces.
Polishing removes metal and smoothes out the contours of the surface.
Cold blueing will make a fair looking shooter. Even a professional hot blue job never matches the original.
As Wiregrassguy says you can dress it up but it will not be like new.