Would you trust a semi-auto with a rusty barrel?

Clean the bores

Do you have any cleaning equip at all? If so, get the right size bronze brushes and scrub the snot outta the bores. Some JB paste would be good; otherwise, use whatever cleaning solution you have. Unless the rust has created lumps that won't come out, the guns can, in my opinion, be shot. I have a 100 year old Colt 32 with pitted barrel (no lumps) and it shoots more accurate than I'm capable of. Hang tight, I'm sure you'll get other opinions.

No sandpaper, just bore brushes. Get some good bronze brushes and some Hoppes, maybe some liquid wrench to finish removing the rust.

This mini 30 was found in a pond by a coworker who gave it to me.



Here it is now.


My answer is: Depends on the gun and how bad the rust is.

On a blow-back system pistol, which both of these are, a smooth chamber is more important to reliable functioning them a perfect bore. If the chambers are not rough and pitted you're probably good to go.

That said, they are both early pocket pistols and interesting collectables, with some collector value.

Uhh machinist... if that was found in a pond.. don't you think it was dumped there for some reason?

Don't use WD40 on ANY gun.

Three in one is the best household light lubricant for use on guns.

No sandpaper. 0000 steel wool and light oil for exterior surfaces, not to include the hard rubber grips.

Lots of Hoppes Number 9 for the bore, lots of time with the bronze brushes, lots of patches.

Rust.....................

That's right ,get a bore brush.....
'' Don't use WD40 on ANY gun''????
Please,why do people say this ? I've used WD 40 since 1965.It is a great penetrent.It will help you get rust or a few other blemishes off your weapon.Finish it off with a final coat of CLP...Quit that nonsensical anti WD 40 crap .

WD40 contains solvents, which will damage the finish of a gun, as well as any grips or furniture. Over time, it can result in pitting to ferrous metal surfaces. The solvents are in there to help the WD40 do its job as a penetrant. They are no friends to a firearm.

Not to hijack...but...
After shooting corrosive, I spray lots of watered-down Windex into the chamber and breech face. After that I use WD-40 liberally to displace the water. Then I clean and lube as usual. WD-40 has its uses.

I'm trying THR.........


Over 40 years of using different cleaning fluids,on many,many handguns,knives,swords and rifles. I haven't seen any finish taken off of anything......other than that cheap out of a bottle bluing.......with WD 40 . It's made for metal,not wood finishes.It will also shine up old faded crockery.
It will also assist in separating two pieces of ferrous metal.:banghead:

I have a friend in Portland Oregon who was trimming back his shrubs last year a found a rusty, loaded .357 revolver. He reported it to the police and they came and took the gun. A few weeks later they called him and told him that the weapon had no history and seeing as it was on his property it was legally his as long as he paid a small fee to have it registered.

If you find a weapon in Oregon apparently you can keep it as long as you report it.

As far as the rust clean her up real good and see if she shoots

Take a stroll around Verdun, Hertgenwald, Courland or Pitomnik. All the rusty old guns you could ever want. And other things ...

i would definetly clean the rust off, and then i might give them a shot no pun intended.

NO SANDPAPER PLEASE!

0000 steel-wool wrapped around a bore brush & solvent will not hurt the barrel..

Use JB Bore paste if you want to really get all the crud out.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=1160

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1161&title=J-B~ BORE BRIGHT


Use WD-40 if you want.
It will not harm a guns metal in the slightest.
It should not be used for long term protection, as it tends to dry out over time and disappear.

Anyway, even if it did harm guns, yours are already harmed, so it wouldn't matter, now would it?

rcmodel

I have never touched a gun with sandpaper or WD-40 and I don't feel I have missed out. I use Hoppe's cleaning and lube supplies almost exclusively. If those pistols were mine, I would disassemble them individually and go over each part with some Hoppe's No.9 and a cotton cloth just to remove any crap. Once she is cleaned and lubed, it's range time! Guns sometimes need a little love.

Both pistols will probably shoot as is, but you don't want to risk shooting an un-lubed semi-auto which may also have debris in it.

My wife has a .32 ACP Ortgies with a badly pitted barrel. It is a good shooter and more than adequately accurate at the ranges for which it was intended.

There's good advice here on cleaning them up. Once they've been cleaned and checked (and maybe had springs replaced, if needed), shoot them.

Wd40 ...

...is reputed to render primers inert.

It probably is useful around guns but I won't risk leaving any residue of on a gun. So I won't use it - there are plenty of other great cleaners out there and I'd rather leave a residue of CLP or something less suspect.

Uhh machinist... if that was found in a pond.. don't you think it was dumped there for some reason

Click to expand...

A friend ran the serial number for me, it isn't stolen. If it had been stolen, it would have been returned to the original owner.

Would not use WD-40. Hoppe's is great, and CLP works fine.
Clean bores well, and check for pitting. If the clean
up well, test fire them.

Clean well, get them checked by a Smith and if safe shoot away.

Rust isn't the question.

If I had my grandfather's pistols, I doubt I'd carry them as CCW.

You can clean them up carefully (NO sandpaper). If you're not comfortable with safety, you can have a qualified gunsmith inspect them before you shoot them.

If they were mine, I'd break them down, clean them, and maybe shoot them at the range since they're not real museum pieces. I wouldn't carry them though, simply becuase what you have don't fit my preference for carry. I'd shoot them at the range with my kids and then pass the keepsakes on in my own will to them when it's time.

If you ever have a mind to 'refinish' or 'refurb' an old firearm just because you think you're handy, get somebody else's opinion before you start. There's been many a fine firearm wrecked this way.

On my sharp and pointies, I always use Eagle One Nevr Dull.


That stuff'll rip the rust offa anything if you give it enough elbow grease.

as for hurting the gun, I have no idea.


Use CLP.

Clean those guns up and shoot them.

Sandpaper and steel wool is a no, for me. For the bores use brass brushes and Hoppes/CLP/ etc etc.

Why are some of us hating on WD40? If you use it for its purpose, and not for longterm lubrication, WD 40 has its place. It evaporates, sort of, and doesn't do lasting good as a lubricant.

But--I can't see "pitting to ferrous metal surfaces" anywhere on guns I have sprayed with WD40. Also, no damage to wood etc, since I know that it may cause damage to wood if used in excess and do not spray it on wood.