Today I went and picked up my M44 Moisin Nagant that I won on gunbroker. The seller said that the barrel was not in the best condition, and I figured that with a little work, I could have it back to normal. It looks like someone shot a few thousand rounds of corrosive ammo and then put it in storage for 50 years. When I looked down the muzzle, I could not believe my eyes. The rifiling is slightly visable, but there is so much rust in the barrel that I could not run a .30 patch down it. I have been running patches and brushes down it for just under an hour, and it still looks terrible. Do yall have any suggestions on how to get some serious rust out of the barrel?
Need help with Rusted Barrel
- Thread starter WestEnd65
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I've heard that you can use coca-cola on a rusted barrel. Just plug the muzzle and pour it in. Don't know how long to soak as I've never done it myself. I'd suggest maybe an initial 15 minute soak and if that doesn't work, maybe a 2 hour soak. If that doesn't work, maybe an overnight soak.
Have to ask since dried com-block "cosmolene" resembles rust color alot when cleaning it out.
Bright orange and fuzzy or duller red/oragnge/brown?
If cosmo, fill the barrel with 50/50 kerosene/mineral spirits and let soak overnight. This will really soften it up.
If rust: ammonia
NOT windex strength..you need something stronger.
Sweets 7.62 or plumbers ammonia strength. Will strip finish instantly if you get it on there, so be careful. Also that strength ammonia really bad juju if it gets in your eyes, so be careful.
The sweets bottle was easiest to handle for me. Put muzzle down over something to catch the drippings. Squeeze some sweets down the chamber end (be careful it does not go anywhere else in the action..if it does, ge it out of there right away) till it begins to run out the barrel. turn gun 180 degrees and repeat. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. (15 max) Bore brush it 20-30 strokes. Ammonia will eat your bore brushes quickly, so you may want to get a mix of nylon and bronze brushes. Also, as soon as you are done with the brush, rinse it well under hot water. Rinse cleaning rod as well and dry it.
Patch dry, clean with solvent like Butches bore shine or MP7 to get the last traces of sweets out and dry patch. Check the bore. Repeat process from the begining till its clean
You are still going to need lots of patches/passes through the bore (good old elbow grease), but it will clean up much faster than with regular bore solvents. Just have to be careful with the ammonia as it stinks, is VERY VERY nasty stuff to get on you/in you eyes, and will eat holes in carpet if it gets on it.
Naval jelly will also remove the rust, but starts etching the inside of the barrel faster than the ammonia would. Used as a last resort.
Bright orange and fuzzy or duller red/oragnge/brown?
If cosmo, fill the barrel with 50/50 kerosene/mineral spirits and let soak overnight. This will really soften it up.
If rust: ammonia
NOT windex strength..you need something stronger.
Sweets 7.62 or plumbers ammonia strength. Will strip finish instantly if you get it on there, so be careful. Also that strength ammonia really bad juju if it gets in your eyes, so be careful.
The sweets bottle was easiest to handle for me. Put muzzle down over something to catch the drippings. Squeeze some sweets down the chamber end (be careful it does not go anywhere else in the action..if it does, ge it out of there right away) till it begins to run out the barrel. turn gun 180 degrees and repeat. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. (15 max) Bore brush it 20-30 strokes. Ammonia will eat your bore brushes quickly, so you may want to get a mix of nylon and bronze brushes. Also, as soon as you are done with the brush, rinse it well under hot water. Rinse cleaning rod as well and dry it.
Patch dry, clean with solvent like Butches bore shine or MP7 to get the last traces of sweets out and dry patch. Check the bore. Repeat process from the begining till its clean
You are still going to need lots of patches/passes through the bore (good old elbow grease), but it will clean up much faster than with regular bore solvents. Just have to be careful with the ammonia as it stinks, is VERY VERY nasty stuff to get on you/in you eyes, and will eat holes in carpet if it gets on it.
Naval jelly will also remove the rust, but starts etching the inside of the barrel faster than the ammonia would. Used as a last resort.
Al Thompson
Moderator Emeritus
I'd pour boiling soapy water through it before moving to harsher methods. If it's cosmoline, that should work fairly quickly. After that I'd try the mineral spirits. If your sure it's rust, then I'd go H&H's route.
Jeremy2171
Member
Scrub it a few times with a 9mm bore brush to get the big junk out then ensure the chamber is clean THEN go and shoot about 20-40 rounds through it fast as you can THEN clean it again.
Let 50,000 psi do the hard work....
Let 50,000 psi do the hard work....
Uncle Mike
Member
Dried Cosmoline....M.E.K. or Acetone will strip it, and these two will not harm your barrel, they'll strip pretty much all stock finishes and wreck havoc on plastic and painted parts, so careful!
I got it to the point where it was good enough, then I went out back and shot 40 rounds. I have to say, this was my first time shooting a Moisin and I love it. Tonight I am going to soak the barrel is break free and see where that gets me.
jim147
Member
If I have a real dirty bore I like to soak it with Marvel Mystery Oil.
I have an old .303 that looks pretty good now but it came in rough and fuzzy. I wore out two brushes but the MMO is very easy on the metal.
jim
I have an old .303 that looks pretty good now but it came in rough and fuzzy. I wore out two brushes but the MMO is very easy on the metal.
jim
the rifleer
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You might just want to go and shoot it, then clean it out. thats that i do with my black powder rifle when it gets a little rust in it.
Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
"All's well that ends well." -- Willie Jakesbeer
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