I got an old revolver with some little rust spots along one side, as if it had laid in a drawer. The rust is starting to pit. What should I use to arrest the rust? The revolver is a shooter, not much finish left, but I don't want it to get worse.
Rust spots
- Thread starter Igiveup
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Kroil or Ballistol may do a very good job for you. A word of warning the Kroil smells. There are other more aggressive methods but those would be a good place to start.
DWalt
Member
Use a copper scouring pad or a stiff brass bore cleaning brush, apply a little light oil or even bore cleaner to the rust spots, and scour off the rust. Nothing fancy is needed.
What DWalt said. Copper, bronze, or brass brush or scouring pad and oil. Apply oil, rub gently to remove the crusty stuff and the copper will react with the steel, giving it a darker appearance without damaging the surrounding blued finish. Once you are satisfied with the result, apply oil or wax to protect the steel and the finish of the firearm.
mmaher94087
Member
".. or scouring pad.. ". Just make sure it is pure copper and not copper plated steel as that will scratch the finish.
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The Go-To for eons now has been four-ought steel wool with the oil of your choosing. Kroil is incredibly thin/viscous and would be a good start. Then dry-wipe, and repeat with something thicker like ordinary CLP or Ballistol.
IF you can find stainless-steel 0000 wool, so much the better.
IF you can find stainless-steel 0000 wool, so much the better.
OP
I have both Kroil and Balistol. Guess I will try them. I'll use a brass brush, shaped like a tooth brush. The finish is about gone, so won't hurt anything. Thanks for the help.
Yes, in other words, genuine Chore Boy pure copper pads, not cheap knock-off brands.
OP
I used Kroil that I already had, along with 0000 steel wool and a brass cleaning brush, it worked good. There isn't much blueing left on this old revolver, just wanted to stop the rust spots. I think it must have laid on one side in a drawer years and collected a few spots along the right side. Thanks for all the ideas.
Nothing wrong with the other suggestions. I like CorrosionX too! CorrosionX
– Corrosion Technologies
– Corrosion Technologies
heeter3
Member
Igiveup,I use an old real copper penny pre 1982 I think , that I rub over the blemishes.I learned that little trick right here on the forum and it works great for me.
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OP
heeter, I now remember that trick from when I was a young man, more like teenager. I think my dad taught me that, although I have long forgotten it. Glad you mentioned it.
I am a big fan of the Big45 pad because it will not harm bluing, not sure the same can be said for steel wool. Would use an older penny or brass wool or a copper scrubber before steel wool.
try a magnet.
or flatten the mouth of a fired shell casing and make a brass scraper
If I remember correctly (it's been quite a while since I retired), we had stopped cleaning stainless with steel wool and switched to Scotch bright when we realized that microscopic steel particles would become embedded in the stainless and would start rusting. The rust would then spread into the stainless steel.
Lesson learned: don't ever use steel wool for cleaning stainless steel!
Lesson learned: don't ever use steel wool for cleaning stainless steel!
Alk8944
US Veteran
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If you simply want to stop corrosion, use oil to wipe it down. You will never get more rust if the gun is wiped down occasionally. If a shooter, there is no need to scrape off the rust spots, as these cleaning methods can cause more damage if you are not experienced in doing it. Aerosol is not a good choice since they contain less than 10% actual light oil. The smell is the 90%+ volatile organic compounds that evaporate quickly leaving a little oil on the surface. Best long term option is to wipe the gun down with RIG grease on a RIG rag. Very long lasting rust protection.
Has anyone used a "Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner"? Claims to remove rust with no harm to the blue. Supposed to be made of a special alloy that is harder than rust but softer than bluing. It looks like a corse Brillo pad but it is magnetic. Got one but haven't used it.
Bluing is rust, so ??? Must be a scouring pad that physically removed rust, since it cannot be a rust removing chemical. Same issues as with any other method, use with great caution.
yes, they are fantastic. Some people with a very bad leading problem will remove a strand or two and wrap it into a brass or bronze bore brush and it will really get the lead out, but it is still softer than the steel of the barrel. Same for a corroded bore. You can scrub the rust out but not chew up what is left of the rifling.
I don't know the alloy of stainless they use, but it was specifically chosen to do what it does.
I first heard about them over on the RimfireCentral forum, where they do the strand in the bore brush trick. Remington Thunderbolts are notorious for leading barrels in just a few dozen shots. No idea why it happens to some, but not others. I've seen pictures of the lead actually flowing out over the crown.
Marksman
Member
Frontier Big .45 Metal Cleaning Pad is what I use, I was presented with a M/10 that had laid in a holster in an attic for more than 30 years. As you can imagine it was a mess of rust, I felt certain that it would need a reblue. That is until I used the Frontier Big .45 pad with Kroil on the gun, it removed every bit of the rust without any damage to the blue whatsoever. I was amazed and the customer was more than happy with the job it did.
Kroil does smell, but my wife thinks Ballistol does too. (The only gun cleaner she says doesn't smell is Hoppes #9).
I'll put in a plug for Ballistol, because it is a non-petrolium based oil that won't hurt your hands when used on a cloth for rubbing. Kroil is better at penetrating to loosen a screw or a bolt, but I think Ballistol is great at mitigating surface rust on tools, knives and guns.Marksman
Member
Birchwood Casey Sheath, now called Barricade is excellent for rust prevention.
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