Removing Rust From Inside Of Barrel???

[mrshish]

I pulled my grandfathers old shotgun out of storage a few weeks ago. It had been sitting in the back of my parents closet for 15+ years in a leather case. The leather has mildewd and rotted and the gun isn't much better. It's covered with surface rust and the stock has seen better days.

I decided to restore it as a birthday present to my father. The one thing I'm not sure about is how to remove rust from inside the barrel. I'm going to bead blast the outside and refinish the stock but the inside of the barrel has me stumped. What's the best way to make it shiny on the inside?

 

[lycanthrope]

I use some solvent and several passes of OOOO steel wool.

 

[hoghunting]

The first thing I would try is Blue Wonder gun cleaner. It is made by Novum Solutions. Put some of the gel on a brass brush and scrub the inside of the barrel. Let the gel sit for about 15 minutes and clean it out with a clean patch. You can repeat the process if it looks as though it is working. It will also work well on the outside of the barrel and might save the bluing if it is not pitted.

If the rust is deeper than just the surface, you can go to www.brownells.com and they carry a barrel polishing flex hone. It is a flexible shaft that has hundreds of abrasive balls mounted to one end. Put the shaft in a drill and run it inside the barrel. Should come out very shiny.

Hope this helps and good luck on your refinishing job.

 

[rustymaggot]

apple cider vinegar

old trick is apple cider vinegar to eat rust. the vinegar will not damage the actual metal, but eats rust up pretty good. metal must be submerged to make it work! so, with a shotgun barrel you will need a cork, or other way to plug it up so it holds liquid. then leave the vinegar in for a few days, topping up as needed. its gonna smell bad so do it in a room you wont be in much. as soon as you are done with the vinegar scrub the barrel with a steel bore brush. the rust is softened but still needs good aggitation. wash with soap and water and then oil asap.

when the rust is gone i wouldnt be suprised if the barrel looks even rougher than before. remember, the apple cider vinegar doesnt smooth the metal, it just eats rust. the metal it leaves can look like a rasp file after the rust is gone. maybe a small cylender hone on a drill extention might smooth it out some, i dont know if thats good or not, just a thought. it might widen the barrel too much and do somthing bad, i dont know.

test my advice on a old rusty bolt(or rusty wrench socket) in a glass of apple cider vinegar before you use it on the gun, that way you know exactly what it does.


WARNING!!!!!! DO NOT USE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR ON ANYTHING BUT STEEL!!!

i used it to clean up a cheep revolver once and the frame turned to chalk! it crumbled in my hand! must have been an alloy.

 

[hoghunting]

I don't recommend vinegar

Sorry rusty, but I have worked in a lab for too many years. Vinegar is a very mild acid and it will etch metal. I would not use it on any metal unless it was scrap. That is why none of the gun cleaners uses vinegar.

 

[jungle]

Vinegar and other acids such as fruit juice, Coke(phosphoric acid), citric acid, and some bathroom cleaners will take bluing off as you watch. They will work on rust, Naval Jelly is phosphoric acid based, but will also etch metal at a rate dependent on the strength of the acid. Probably the vinegar wont do too much bad on your already damaged barrel, but don't leave it in more than 30 minutes.
I prefer the penetrating oil/scrubbing approach with long soaks and scrubbing over a period of a week or so.

 

[asknight]

Blue Wonder will also eat brass brushes. Stick with the 0000 or 000 steel wool, with whatever chemical you decide to use. I would start with WD-40 and a brass brush, then graduate up to Blue Wonder with coarse to fine steel wool if required.

 

[robbie35]

I used this.

I recently did the same thing with an old double barrel Baker that was my grandfathers.Kirk Thomas from Wheelin sportsmen and some other guys from wild turkey fed turned me on to a new cleaner lube thier endorsing from a small company in Fl. called ATL.It took out the rust and cleaned the outside without damaging the metal.It was easy to use and didn't have the smell of some other products.I think nwtf is selling it on thier site.If not post and I'll check the bottle for more info when I get home.
Robbie
glad I found this place!

 

[kimbernut]

12 bore rust removal

12 ga bronze brush wrapped with 000-0000 steel wool . Screw brush into an old cleaning rod and chuck it into your drill. Keep the brush moving forwards and backwards from one end of the barrel to the other including the chamber at all times that it is turning to prevent high and low spots in the bore and chamber. start with the brush and wool saturated with breakfree CLP. After a couple of dozen passes muzzle to breech clean out the bore with patches and CLP then dry patches and check progress. Depending on the extent of rust it may take more applications.

 

[Duncaninfrance]

RUST.

Go and look at
http://www.frfrogspad.com
You will find a lot of good info here. Rest removal with Brake fluid and also Electrolysis.

Some good finishing and lube tips as well.
Hope you succeed.
Duncan