S&W 19 rust, what to do?

[bkjeffrey]

I have a S&W 19-4 blue 357 that has always been in near perfect condition. Last week I pulled it out of the safe and it had sever rust all over the gun! I always clean and liberally oil this piece, and over the years it has kept its beautiful blue. Im contemplating getting the weapon reblued. Any ideas, comments, concerns, or bits of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

It might be surface rust that didn't penetrate the finish. Soak it in a good gun oil or Break Free CLP and see what happens.

 

[XavierBreath]

I agree. Soak it in CLP, BreakFree, or Ballistol. Let it sit overnight. Then see how much you can wipe away.

For more stubborn rust, I often use a copper penny as a scraper.

 

[bkjeffrey]

Thanks for the quick reply. I did soak the weapon in WD-40 for a few days. I wiped it down with a clean rag but the rust didnt budge. Im afraid it has begun to pit a bit on the cylinder and barrell. I know that reblueing it would ruin the value of the weapon, so Im reluctant to go that route.:banghead:any other thoughts?

 

[bkjeffrey]

Ballistol, Im not familliar with that. And the copper penny is also a good idea that I will try. What exactly is Ballistol?

 

[XavierBreath]

Ballistol is a very slickery lubricant. Sometimes when others refuse to work, Ballistol comes through. I use it when I am fitting very close tolerance parts.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Try the Break Free first. The penny is just used as a scraper because it's soft enough not to damage your revolver.

If you must re-blue I would send it to S&W and let them do it.

 

[Majic]

If indeed it has started to develop pits then don't worry about losing value in rebluing as the value has already been lost as a collector. It's now just a shooter.

 

[bannockburn]

Maybe you should consider going another route if you choose to refinish. Instead of rebluing, maybe try something like hard chrome plating. It has the appearance of stainless steel, gives the gun a higher surface hardness, and is virtually impervious to any visible wear. It's been a very effective finish that I've had done to a number of guns over the years.

 

[Ken Rainey]

I've had good luck using 0000 steel wool and WD-40 or other oil...be sure to wipe it clean with WD-40 soaked paper towels or cloths after you are finished to remove all of the small steel wool fibers and apply regular oil or whatever to protect. If the rust is removed and some of the bluing with it you could try a cold blue to fill it back in but if you want that deep dark glossy blued finish back you'll have to have it hot blued again....hmm, I think if I was faced with that situation, I'd consider having one of the durable aftermarket finishes applied...in either a matte black or matte silver finish - depending on which finish you chose...

 

[bkjeffrey]

thanks guys, lots of good info.

 

[.41Dave]

Soak the gun in CorrosionX and rub down with 0000 steel wool. CorrosionX works better than anything I've ever seen for stopping the corrosion process and removing existing rust.

 

[Fisherman_48768]

Use the model 19 as a learning tool and coat all of your stored firearms with some RIG or similiar metal preservative so this doesn't happen again. Good luck

 

[pinkymingeo]

If the gun must be reblued, and you're concerned about value, have the job done by S&W. A factory reblue has less effect at resale, and 20-30yrs from now might not bother the prospective buyer at all. Save the receipt.

 

[Silvanus]

Ballistol is a very slickery lubricant. Sometimes when others refuse to work, Ballistol comes through. I use it when I am fitting very close tolerance parts.

I like Ballistol (and Brunox) a lot. They both work great on my guns. That's what I used on my Model 17 when I spotted a little rust.

 

[harmonic]

I'm very sorry for your loss. I know it's heartbreaking. At least, it would be for me.

May I ask some questions? What kind of safe do you own? Where in the US do you live and what is the climate there? Where in your house is your safe stored (garage, basement, etc). How are your guns stored in your safe? And is your safe lined? Finally, how often did you wipe down your gun?

 

[Slamfire]

If indeed it has started to develop pits then don't worry about losing value in rebluing as the value has already been lost as a collector. It's now just a shooter

I agree, but without pictures it is impossible to understand just how much rust you have.

If you only have a few rust spots, don't do anything. Leave it as it is, and shoot it.

If you have a lot, and really want to refinish, don't blue it. Parkerize it. Parkerization lasts longer and is more durable than bluing. The surface will be bead blasted clean and the pits will be hard to find. When they reblue they polish the surface and all the surface markings will become faint. Looks awful. Faint lettering on a bright surface. Yuck.

 

[langenc]

Ditto RIG-

 

[Bear41mag]

Can't add anything else to the advise already given to remove the rust, but I would strongly consider putting a golden rod in your gun safe to keep it from happening again.

My Safe is a the basement of an old farm house which does get damp at times and my golden rod has kept my guns nice and clean when combined with a light spray of Sheath.

Hope you can get it cleaned up and still keep the finish.

 

[rcmodel]

+1. R.I.G.
+2. Golden Rod.
+3. R.I.G. Rig-Rag wiping cloth every time you handle a gun.

Lose the WD-40.
It's not good oil.
It's not a good rust preventive.
It's not a good storage medium.
It not good for much of anything around guns, really.

BTW: Was the 19 stored in a leather holster, or plastic gun rug?
+4. Lose the holsters & gun rugs for storage.


rcmodel

 

[bkjeffrey]

While the rust was sporratic, it seems to be only surface rust. The majority of it was removed with Striker CC (corrosion cracker) and 0000 steel wool. Now unless I point out a few minor pits the average person doesnt even notice. The real problem area was the grooved back strap of the grip frame. It seems to have a permanent brownish color to it now. But as Fisherman 48768 said, learning experience for me. The thing that gets me is after 2 years of owning the weapon with no problems this seemed to happen over night. I live in the south and there is alot of humidity. The gun is kept in a small Pelican pistol case, supposed to be air tight. The case is in an cheapo walmart gun safe. Parkerizing was a thought that crossed my mind. I really love the finish on the S&W 327 TRR8. That appears to be a park of some sorts, but I really love that deep blue S&W used to produce. I swear you can swim in it! Anyway, any other thoughts?

 

[ACORN]

I've used Happich Simichrome, Flitz, and Nevrdull metal polishes to remove surface rust. Be careful they are abrasive, albeit very mildly abrasive. Go easy on it with only a little polish on a soft rag. You'll be suprised how much microscopic rust they'll take off of a seemingly good surface. The Nevrdull comes in a can and is like dryer lint impregnated with some kind of chemicals to remove rust and oxidation. Good luck. I feel your pain.

 

[bkjeffrey]

Neverdull huh? I never thought of that. Which is funny because being active military I've gone throught my fair share of never dull. Haha.

 

[Bear41mag]

The foam in those hardcases have a bad habit of holding moisture. If your going to keep you gun in it, spray a rag big enough to wrap the gun in liberally with any of the GOOD gun oils out there, stay away from WD 40. Then wrap the gun in it before putting it in the case. This will help some.

Never leave it stored against the foam unprotected.

 

[ojibweindian]

Anyway, any other thoughts?

Yep. Never store a gun in a case whose interior is made of foam rubber. Like Bear41mag said, those types of cases can hold quite a bit of moisture. When storing for long periods of time, coat your gun in BreakFree CLP and check it on a monthly basis. Works for me and my 586, Springfield 45, and 7mm Rem. Mag here in Alabama.