Bleg: Question On Corrosion In The Muzzle
BY Herschel Smith
2 years, 2 months ago
I’ll set up an entirely hypothetical situation for you.
A potential buyer sees a used rifle that is a classic and cannot be obtained new (it’s no longer made). It’s noted by the gunsmith to be in good or very good condition with only customary wear marks on the receiver and stock. The exception mentioned is that there is a “patch” of corrosion in the barrel near the muzzle.
Brownells has a video up from years ago dealing with rust, mainly relying on solvent and brushing, with more work to be done by a gunsmith with bluing afterwards if necessary.
The 1911 forum also has some home remedies like use of lemon juice and water (which it is claimed doesn’t hurt the bluing).
Readers are welcome to weigh in on remedies for rust. The price is reasonable. In this hypothetical situation, should the buyer beware of the “patch” of corrosion beyond a certain point? The rifle is noted by the seller to be still good for hunting and target shooting, so they don’t think the gun has reached a point where this patch is a problem.
On August 28, 2022 at 9:34 pm, PubliusII said:
No experience using it on guns, blued or otherwise, but I use Evapo-Rust for derusting tools.
A lower-cost alternative, though slower to work, is apple-cider vinegar. I understand the citric acid in the vinegar gives it more kick than plain vinegar.
As one says, your mileage may vary —
On August 28, 2022 at 9:56 pm, Bradley A Graham said:
If the seller is beyond reproach then it is a non-issue. I have brought home many orphans
with questionable bores that have provided stellar service.
On August 29, 2022 at 6:52 am, George said:
exterior rust and bore corrosion are two different things.
bore corrosion is where the rust was left to deteriorate the bore surface.
lapping compound used sparingly can smooth up the bore. not necessary to overdo it. I would think that shooting would smooth it out as good as it is going to get.
On August 29, 2022 at 5:04 pm, John said:
Have a good look with a bore light. If pitting doesn’t look too bad you’ll likely never notice the effect on target. A little JB Bore paste will take it out, as will a good scrubbing with brass wool on a bore brush. If pitting looks moderate to severe then I would pass.
I’ve resurrected many basket cases with good result. Usually I will re-cut the muzzle crown to improve accuracy.
If you can, pull the stock off and look at the hidden metal to make sure there isn’t a lot of undeclared pitting.
On August 29, 2022 at 7:34 pm, Russell G. said:
“Metal Rescue” is the product.
On ebay and elsewhere.
It will NOT alter bluing of any kind that I’ve worked on. I’ve used it on C&R stuff going waaaaay back.
It’s not an acid. It’s not a base. It is something like a chelator. You will have to wait for some time for it to work and increased heat will accelerate the action…e.g. crock pot. For barrels you can also use a wallpaper trough with the Metal Rescue with a heating pad underneath.
Boiling the metal will also convert the iron oxide (red) back to black. Mark Novak shows how if you search here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM86hA7E1y3vOJuzdqCXh1Q
I’ve NEVER been able to do the boiling conversion as fast as Mark and generally it might take a half a day. But it works. Multiple cycles with boiling and carding. I brought back a completely rusted Sumoi KP31 barrel shroud to almost original midnight blue using his method.
Rust NEVER stops. It will continue working on the metal and blowing away metal…you just can’t see the molecular action working. You must convert it back to black.
On August 30, 2022 at 12:51 pm, bobmark said:
Minor pitting would probably no cause a problem with jacketed bullets, I might be more wary if intending to shoot cast bullets. but those often are fine with only minor pitting.
On August 30, 2022 at 4:23 pm, Steady Steve said:
I have an old single shot Remington bolt action. So old it has no serial number. The exterior of the barrel has lots of pitting, bore was dirty and leaded up when I bought it. After a thorough cleaning, which seemed to take forever,the bore showed some very minor pitting. This rifle turned out to be the most accurate .22 LR I own. They just don’t make them like this anymore unless you want to pay big money. Bought that little rifle at an estate auction for $150.