Seeking experienced knowlege

[jscheck]

Okay ladies and gents-I need some help from people with firearm rust removal. In my current position as a Crime Scene Investigator one of my collateral duties is to make firearms safe before storage. This doesn't seem too hard until you consider the condition we often receive them in! I am trying to set up a small area to make the worst of them clear of ammo. We get revolvers and pistols with varying amounts of rust and usually loaded. I would like to find a rust solvent to soak them in that will enable me to operate the action enough to remove ammo. I think from what I've read here that Kroil would work. Current work conditions are a danger to all involved and I'm retiring in about a year and a half. I'd like to set up a work station to make this process safe. Anyone have suggestions or experience with Kroil or others? Thanks in advance!

 

[DWalt]

Kroil would work, but it is not actually a rust solvent. Even kerosene or diesel fuel would probably work just as well as Kroil to soften up a layer of rust. Following soaking, scrubbing with copper wool (such as Chore Boy) would allow some rust to be removed with minimal damage to the metal below it. If you want true rust removal, then dilute hydrochloric or phosphoric acid would work (Naval Jelly is essentially gelled phosphoric acid) but will attack the metal to some extent. There are also reverse electrolysis methods which will convert rust back into iron. There are some YouTube videos concerning reverse electrolysis for restoring badly corroded guns.

 

[6518John]

Rusty, etched 3" Baby Chiefs -- hammer down - range day at post #55

 

[H Richard]

A 50 gal drum filled 3/*4 full of sand for a safe station to remove rounds . Keep the gun below the sides of the drum and muzzle down towards the sand.

 

[pharman]

Brake fluid

Use brake fluid...

 

[Leslie Sapp]

"Ed's Red"
Cheap and more effective than most store bought penetrating oils. The are several different formulas out there on the net. The one I use is:
1 Qt. Mobil one synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid
1 Qt. Acetone
1 Qt. Odorless Kerosene

I keep a gallon of this out by the farm equipment and several old fashioned oil cans full in other strategic places about the farm.

 

[rustythread]

You might think twice before using electrolysis on a loaded firearm--the electric current could do interesting things to the primer or powder.

Another penetrant used a lot on rusty machinery is 50% automatic trans fluid and 50% kerosene.

While WD-40 is a lousy lubricant, it is not a bad penetrant, and it is known to kill primers frequently.

 

[Sistema1927]

Another vote for "Ed's Red".

 

[Bat Guano]

Ed's Red and a clearing barrel.

 

[HOGSTR]

Try Evaporust, you let it soak and the solution can be used multiple times. I picked up some at Walmart but have also seen it at auto parts stores.

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/Evapo-Rust-Original-Water-based-Non-Toxic-Biodegradable/dp/B00GRSOJSS[/ame]

 

[DWalt]

"You might think twice before using electrolysis on a loaded firearm--the electric current could do interesting things to the primer or powder."
Extremely unlikely. Current and voltage used are very low, and even if they were higher, it would do nothing to ignite the propellant and primer.

 

[jscheck]

Sorry it took so long to check back for replies (got busy at work). Thank you all! I'm not interested in restoration I just want to free up moving parts as much as possible to unload the firearm and make it safe. I'm afraid I may have worded my post poorly. "Ed's Red" and "Evapo Rust" look promising so I'll try one or both. I was thinking of having a tank to soak the firearm overnight which would necessitate I think around a gallon. Just have to work out a couple of containers I can store at the office. Thanks again!

P.S.-We have a clearing barrel. I just need to remove enough rust to free up the action to clear the firearm.

 

[andy52]

"Ed's Red"
Cheap and more effective than most store bought penetrating oils. The are several different formulas out there on the net. The one I use is:
1 Qt. Mobil one synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid
1 Qt. Acetone
1 Qt. Odorless Kerosene

I keep a gallon of this out by the farm equipment and several old fashioned oil cans full in other strategic places about the farm.

^^^^^^^^
X2

 

[wetdog1911]

"Ed's Red"
Cheap and more effective than most store bought penetrating oils. The are several different formulas out there on the net. The one I use is:
1 Qt. Mobil one synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid
1 Qt. Acetone
1 Qt. Odorless Kerosene

I keep a gallon of this out by the farm equipment and several old fashioned oil cans full in other strategic places about the farm.

I may be confused, but when researching this to get my M41 unstuck the formulations specified NON synthetic ATF. The reason being that the synthetic would not blend/stay blended, with the other ingredients.

Anyway, I went with a 50/50 blend of ATF/Acetone and it worked great. However, there was zero rust involved, just dried 'gunk' from old lube and burnt powder.

So, no help with the rust aspect, but it sure did work on the old gunk in there.

Rob

 

[Abbynormal]

Pour a can of Auto Tranny Fluid into a low/wide container and put the gun into it and make sure it is completely covered. That will dissolve the rust and loosen stuck screws/ammo/etc.

It's not real beneficial to wood though.

Just keep soaking it for the appropriate time for the condition the gun is in.

 

[Rule3]

It is really not difficult. Use any penetrating oil and soak the firearm or slather it and wrap in a plastic bag.
Kroil, Liquid Wrench, Blaster whatever, They all work.

 

[billwill]

Ed's Red or the ATF mix is good but if you need a branded product, CorrosionX is great stuff. Grainger supply or most any good supply house will carry it. I've had good experience with it