Rust on my AK!

[Yo Mama]

I really am anal about cleaning my guns. Today was a gun cleaning day, and I found rust in my AK's gas tube. Brought to a Smith to examine after I polished it out mostly, and he said looks about normal.

Do your AKs seem to be prone to rust in this area, and does it even matter with an AK?

Also, while I'm on this thread, how long do you suppose an AK would last. I don't fire mine often, but want to know if it should last for my kids?

 

[Schofield3]

As long as you're using plenty of gun oil during & after cleanings I don't think you have anything to worry about..

 

[.45&TKD]

how long do you suppose an AK would last.

Good question. I'm sure someone here would know.

I would guess at least 50,000 rounds for the barrel, just as a quess.

 

[rcmodel]

Have you noticed any photo's of some of the ones they are dragging around Somolia and the middle east? Many are held together with duct tape & bailing wire and are still going strong.

Some of those guns are at least as old as the AK-47 design, and who could guess how many thousands of rounds they have fired on full-auto during wedding celebrations and wars!

With normal care & cleaning, I doubt any of us could afford enough ammo to completely wear one out in a lifetime.

rc

 

[briansmithwins]

I won't rust if you follow the directions in the manual: http://www.box.net/shared/cu2djae1zb

CLP works as a great rust preventative. I'm using Aeroshell Fluid 18 as it's closer to the original Sov gun oil. It's cheaper than CLP too. BSW

 

[Yo Mama]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Would re-bluing in the gas tube over the left rust that couldn't be removed do any good?

Also, is the gas tube prone to this?

 

[Ian]

Lol...I was just recently talking to an AK collector who was working on building replicas of one-off Taliban hack job AKs. His current dilemma was just how to get the right-looking kind of rust on his newest creation.

It was a cool gun, too. Started out as a Chinese RPK that took a shell fragment to the front sight. So the owner cut the barrel down to 16" and turned it to accept an AK47 (not AKM) front sight block. The cleaning rod had been replaced by a shishkebab skewer, because that was the most convenient place to carry it. It still had the RPK rear sight. The fixed stock rear tang had been cut off and welded up to fit a Russian AK74 triangle folder. My friend the collector duplicated everything except the receiver, which obviously had to be US-made (but the selector markings were correct!).

 

[briansmithwins]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

Would re-bluing in the gas tube over the left rust that couldn't be removed do any good?

Also, is the gas tube prone to this?

Blue is probably the worst finish for rust prevention. Plus, in the gas tube pretty much any finish is going to be scraped off by the piston.

You could have the interior of the tube hard chromed. I just clean mine in keep them lightly oiled, as per the manual I linked to. BSW

 

[Yo Mama]

You could have the interior of the tube hard chromed.

Interesting. Please elaborate on how much this would run, and if it would stand up over time and not clog up the gas port.

Thanks!

 

[9mmepiphany]

it might be cheaper to have the gun done in electroless nickel and than covered in a spray-n-bake finish if you don't like "white"...or you can get it done in Melonite

 

[briansmithwins]

A local guy did the interior of the gas tube in hard chrome for me.

You could always send it off to one of the places that hard chromes guns and gun parts.

Electroless nickel might work, but it's a lot softer than hard chrome and I suspect that it would get worn thru by the gas piston in short order. BSW

 

[gyvel]

It would be a lot easier and cheaper just to remove your gas tube after each shooting session and give a it thorough cleaning with bore solvent (just like your barrel) and a shotgun bore brush.

If it gets too bad, just buy a new gas tube; They're cheap and plentiful.

 

[Kurt_D]

It's normal to sometime get corrossion in that area. The manual (from several AKs) says do not put oil in the gas tube. I clean mine with Hoppes and a pistol brush, you know the "free" plastic ones that come with a lot of pistols, and run a paper towel through it to dry. You'll still have a little film of Hoppes in there to prevent rust that'll burn off quickly when fired.

The only rust issues I've had is with an abused WASR that doesn't know what oil is and my `74s with surplus ammo, and that was only when I didn't flush them with water before cleaning. None of them are pitted, just surface rust that came off when cleaning.

And yes, gas tubes are cheap.

 

[Yo Mama]

If it gets too bad, just buy a new gas tube; They're cheap and plentiful.

I did want an extra as it appears in this kit gun it's pitted also, but I can't find one under 70 bucks. It's a Yugo, so if you have anywhere you know to look I'd love to know. Thanks.

 

[Maverick223]

I won't rust if you follow the directions in the manual

LOL, AK...manual...hehehe.

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

LOL, you took an AK gas tube to a gunsmith cause you saw rust.

Grind it off, or hell, just leave it there. It's an AK! Have you SEEN the kind of shape these things are in and still running? I saw a somalian one that was completely covered in rust from years of salt water exposure.

 

[MD_Willington]

Nope, I use two things to clean it... a nylon bore brush and a tampon soaked in bore cleaner...

it works...

 

[-v-]

Rust on an AK, and in a gas tube: So umm what's the problem here?

 

[JCisHe]

You can remove all of the rust with a little oil, a piece of 000 steel wool, and some elbow grease.

Just keep your gun oiled and don't touch it much. After you touch it, wipe it, and then oil it again.

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

Nope, I use two things to clean it... a nylon bore brush and a tampon soaked in bore cleaner...

Yep, all mine ever get is a dish rag soaked in break free clp, i just give the whole damn thing a good wipe. I felt like splurging and bought a bore snake, but a knotted up bootlace would have worked too if I didn't feel like spending the $15.

 

[Yo Mama]

Rust on an AK, and in a gas tube: So umm what's the problem here?

just me, I'm so worried about rust affecting my guns. When I get responses not to worry I feel better.