mini 14....bore rust issues

[RDCL]

I have inherited from a deceased family member (among a few other firearms) a Ruger mini 14. I have no idea the age of this rifle but I'll guess it is about 15 years old because it has the curved buttplate and ramp front sight.

Ok, the gun looks pretty good on the outside but I discovered some surface rust on the inside of the reciever underneath where the metal contacts the wood stock, the trigger guard is rusty....but not the internal mechanisim, but that is fine I can clean it all up. My big concern is the bore. I discoverd that the bore had lots of rust inside and after lots of Hoppes #9 and then swabs of oil the swabs & patches came out an orange sludge from so much rust inside the bore. I scrubbed and scrubbed and now the bore appears bright and I can't see any pitting but there is still a just a trace of rust that I can see at the muzzle along side the edges of the lands & grooves.

So, my question is.....is this just surface rust that will be "wiped out" once I fire a few rounds through it and THEN clean it again......or if it were you....would you just buy a new barrel?

Obviously this poor little gun was not maintained well

Thanks for any opinions,
Russ

 

[carbine85]

Kinda hard to believe that modern ammo would cause a problem like that. I'm guess the gun was put away wet. It may have seen some of the corrosive import ammo. I would bet that it's ok but would suggest you have it checked out. Ruger will install a new barrel. I think they will put on the heavier barrel and gas block if you want.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Kinda hard to believe that modern ammo would cause a problem like that. I'm guess the gun was put away wet. It may have seen some of the corrosive import ammo. I would bet that it's ok but would suggest you have it checked out. Ruger will install a new barrel. I think they will put on the heavier barrel and gas block if you want.

True? Cost?

 

[briansmithwins]

Shoot it and see. A very little steel will make a whole bunch of rust.

You can always get another barrel later if needed. BSW

 

[RDCL]

FWIW....

I know that the gun spent the last several to ten years stored in an dank humid moist enviroment (a leaky mobile home converted into an equipment shed) in the Pennsylvania farm lands on the previous owners property....so I'm suprised it don't look worse.


Russ

 

[rangerruck]

after thoroughly cleaning it, keep it oiled. also you should get some vci emitter cloths, and vci emitter discs, and wipe it down, and put the discs, in the bag or safe where you keep it. I also see now the Remmyoil comes with vci chemical , in their oil. this would be a very good choice to do as well. this is what i use.
and believe me, after testing a rifle, that was covered in rust, and then put in a trunk after cleaned, a leaky trunk, from winter months, through to hot humid months, in Texas, and then opened the bag, and found no rust??? that's right, no rust... I am sold on anything vci emitter stuff. you can even get emitter bags, from the makers of them, out of Austin or Dallas I believe.
check this for the bag discs;
http://www.corrosionvci.com/corrosion/proddetail.php?prod=Daubrite10Disk
If you want anything, ANYTHING TO NOT RUST.... this may be the best , well
spent money you ever do, in my opinion.

Lastly, if you can find it, Eezox, in a can liquid pour, and wipe down. Eezox, has been used here
and shown , against several competitors, test slabs of metal in water, salt water, freezing water, etc., shown time and time again, to be best at keep rust at bay. for at least a short period of time, against other liquids you just rub on. the Eezox would keep metal rust free for the first about 2 to 3 weeks before showing signs of rust, in the worst of conditions. some of the other most popular gun rubs, would start rusting within a couple of days.
http://www.eezox.com/

lastly , if you are going to keep the rifle, and bbl the way it is, and you have the patience,
this is the best for everything , forever, and even helps in accuracy, it is just the top of the tops.
he also has some video of the product use on you tube.
http://www.shootersolutions.com/
a dime size, DIME SIZE DAB, of the paste, will coat your entire rifle, forever. just use your fingers, and hands, and slop it down everywhere, or even better, thorougly clean the crap out of your rifle bore; slop a wet patch of this stuff down the bore. make sure your bore is good and wet. then take the patch, and rub it anywhere and everywhere, you can get on the metal of the rifle. take the oil bottle you get, shake it up a bit, and apply JUST A FEW DROPS , to the action/trigger components, they will get slick as snot on a doorknob!!!! I have done this on a couple of my keeper rifles, and they look better than new. i did this treatment on my Saigas, and not only are they super accurate, they look so much better than new ones, I have dudes come up to me on the range, and start whipping out their money out of their wallets, and they ask how much do i want.
After I tell them 600 a piece, with nothing else, no bag, no mags, nothing, just the rifles, they cool it down a bit, But they allways wanna know why the hell my saigas look so much better than
other dudes. i tell them , I do all 3 of the treatments listed above, and when I am done shooting them, i just wipe them down with any old rag, and this is how they come out looking.

 

[41022collector]

Personally, w/o an inspection by a competent smithy, I would not recommend shooting it. Why risk a possible dangerous condition when a simple real inspection can give you the answer.

I would however recommend getting some Kano Labs Kroil in bulk form. Getting a gutter piece or trough or long container and soak that Mini 14 minus wood and leather for a few days in this Kroil Bath. You can also use a PVC pipe in large enough diameter with one end blocked or pluged.

Kroil is avail in spray, bulk and parts washer quantity. Below is the links to buy what you need. The google deal is for two cans of Kroil for the price of one.

http://www.kanolabs.com/

http://www.kanolabs.com/google/

Take it out of the bath and give it a through and through cleaning, every single part or if you are unsure of how to tear down this piece, a smithy, friend or whoever that knows how. If you were close I would do it for free in a heart beat in my Ultra Sonic Cleaner where I use Kroil as the wet media.

I am betting that barrel is just fine. The rest of the parts are just fine, just some TLC needs to happen and STAT. Mini 14's were made to Mil Standars and in the shadow of a M14/Garand. They are made for abuse and the US Coast Guard tests showed it was second only to the AK47 to be able to take abuse and keep on ticking.

I am a full time gunsmith and in 23 years have seen it all and very little rust wise that I have seen that cannot be beat by Kroil. Once you have the piece clean, use Sili-Kroil to keep the rust away.

Hope this helps

Mike

 

[Badger Arms]

That 'rust' you see in the bore might be copper fouling. I'd use some copper solvent. I like "Tetra Bore Solvent". IIRC, you put it in the bore and it dissolves the copper and lead (lead gets vaporized from the base and primer and deposited on the bore). Once the metals are dissolved, the fouling will come off pretty good. A bad bore will require two or even three treatments. The stuff has a strong ammonia smell and you should use nylon or stainless steel brushes with it. Otherwise, pretty easy to work with.

 

[RDCL]

I thank everyone for their input & advice. I appreciate it very much.

I've never been much of a mini 14 guy.....but after examining the gun I have to say I really like it, so either my brother or I will likely keep it. The gun did belong to my uncle (RIP) originally......and I'm suprised he did'nt maintain it better than he did as the other guns he left behind after his passing (a few shotguns & rifles) are in pristine condition......then again, those were not kept in a tool shed trailer.

As an interesting side note....my aunt sold the trailer and its contents to a complete stranger not even aware the mini 14 was in there. My brother & I only discovered the gun a couple days before the trailer was towed away by it's new owner. My brother & myself looked over the contents with aunty before the trailer was locked up and found the gun. Aunty told us to keep it. Had we not found the gun the trailers new owner would have had a nice little suprise would'nt you say?