Removing rust spots on case colored receiver?? Help!

[halvey]

I just picked up a nice older shotgun that is in 99% condition. The only exception is there are small rust spots on the receiver which has some nice case coloring.

I want the spots removed, but am concerned if I use steel wool; will that also remove the case coloring? I tried to remove them with super fine steel wool, and it did remove them somewhat. It appears no case coloring was removed at all. If I move to coarser steel wool, do I risk removing the finish?

Or are there better options to remove this rust?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[mete]

You may have to leave it as is.The color is an oxide layer and course steel wool would tend to remove it.The fine steel wool is fine for removing light rust . When you have pitting then there isn't anything to do than leave it.Just take good care of it to prevent further rusting.

 

[Rockstar]

Here's an old trick that won't hurt the finish and might work. I'd suggest that you try this on one rust spot: rub the spot with a pencil (#2). Wipe the deposited graphite off with a little oil on a cloth.

 

[dfariswheel]

About the least damaging method is the old gunsmith's method:

Get a good penetrating fluid like Kroil, or lacking that a good, thin lube like CLP Breakfree.

Apply a heavy coat to the rusted area, and let soak overnight.

Next day, apply more fluid, and use a brass "toothbrush" and-or a brass scraper made from brass sheet or a crushed brass cartridge case, to scrape and brush the rusted areas.

Unlike ANY steel wool or other abrasives, this doesn't attack the thin color case finish.

After the area is de-rusted, wipe off then apply a copper-fouling bore solvent to remove the brass marks.

Oil and your done.

Since rust actually eats INTO the steel and leaves pits, there is only so much that can be done, but this method is the least damaging to blue or color case finishes.

 

[45crittergitter]

I use Bronze wool and oil - a good anti-rust oil, like CorrosionX should work well.

 

[halvey]

Thanks!

Well they kind of all worked!

I had put a coat of some oil on the bottom of the receiver then put it in the safe the other night. The next day, the spots just rubbed off.

On the other side of the reciever, I used the pencil and oil trick and that worked too.

Thing is, it did mar the case color a bit. Now these guns are know for having the case color go fast, so I wasn't all that suprised. It really isn't very noticible unless you look under a bright light, but it's noticable to me.

From what I understand, all case coloring is not created equal. Any way to refinish or touch this up fairly cheaply? Kind of like a "cold blue" version of case coloring? I checked my local smiths prices on case coloring and it just wouldn't be worth it on a $250 gun.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[enfield]

I don't think there's any quick and cheap way to fake color case hardening. After all, it's not a so much a finish as it it a special method of hardening the outer surface of the receiver. It's pretty while it lasts, but I'm not a big fan of it -- I like stainless steel, preferably with a black finish.

 

[halvey]

I don't get then how they could sell these guns (Stevens 311 made until 1989) with this finish for so little. My local smith wants $200-500 for case coloring. Now it COULD be a bit less since it's just on a receiver, but I don't think it will be any less than $150.

Doesn't Ruger have some sort of case coloring on their SA revolvers and those are, what $350?

 

[dfariswheel]

The Ruger "color case" finish really ISN'T a color case finish.
It's apparently some kind of coating that just LOOKS like color case hardening.

The reason you see color casing on older, less expensive guns, is because since they needed to case harden the part anyway, it didn't really cost more to do a color job.
It did cost more to polish and blue a part, so on cheap guns it was actually cheaper to color case.

Color casing is thin and delicate, and that's why you often see parts with a varnish coating to help protect it.

 

[Jim Watson]

If I was bothered by a small patch of case color rubbed off, I would just apply some cold blue. The finish is supposed to be blotchy anyhow and anything that colored the metal would not likely be noticed.