Cleaning rust from bluing

[otcconan]

I know I'm going to make myself look stupid here, but how, exactly does one go about cleaning rust from a blued finish without taking off the bluing?

My father passed on to me a sporterized Mauser '95 chambered in .30-'06. The last ten years of his life were basically wasted (don't want to go into details about that), and he totally neglected his gun collection. Thankfully his pistol (Ruger Mk II) was stainless, but the poor rifle did not have that advantage. The only rust is on the barrel and parts of the receiver. The rifle functions flawlessly and still drives tacks. I took my first deer with it when I was 15, so it kind of has some sentimental value.

 

[stchman]

You might try lightly running steel wool over the rust spots. It iwll more that likely take the blueing off.

I have had some old milsurp rifles with rust and I use Birchwood Casey kit. It has the rust/blue remover, cleaner, 400 grit sandpaper, and cold blueing stuff.

It does a decent job of fixing things up.

 

[zoom6zoom]

Use bronze wool, not steel, and oil. It won't take the blue off.

 

[Mudinyeri]

I like the Frontier Big 45 "scrubber" with Blue Wonder Gun Cleaner. Works like a charm.

 

[dagger dog]

0000 steel wool and some type penetrating oil, will remove rust without removing blueing, if used with care, many here have used this combo for years.

I like the stainless steel "chore girl-boy" type scouring pads, used along with KROIL, it sems the edges on the pad "cut" rust better than 0000 wool.
The "secret" is to use plenty of lube and spare the elbow grease, keep the 0000 wet and don't lay on the pad .

 

[jimmyraythomason]

4-0 steel wool and oil (I use WD-40). Saturate the 0000 steel wool with the oil and rub lightly at first then apply a little more pressure. Flush the area with the WD-40 (or equivalent) to remove rust and steel wool residue. It will not harm the remaining bluing.

 

[35Rem]

0000 steel wool and plenty of oil. Don't rub too hard, or you will polish off the blue. Take a dry paper towel and wipe off the oil and rust, then start over again. Do this several times.
You will NOT remove pitting. This is onlyfor surface rust.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

You will NOT remove pitting. This is only for surface rust.

That is worth repeating!

 

[Lee Roder]

0000 steel wool & oil is only for surface rust which extends ABOVE the surface. Anything at the surface (or below) you will need to "rub too hard" and so remove any finish (bluing OR park).

do NOT try any electrochemical methods (blueing IS rust)

 

[ArtP]

Something I've tried that worked with 50/50 results is using the back, rough part of a kitchen sponge. Some of these are made so they won't scratch teflon pans. They seem to be just abrasive enough to remove light rust.

It's worth a try before you put metal on metal and will cost you a total of $1.49.

 

[racine]

Flitz

I use Flitz to remove the rust. I'm pretty sure it's a rust inhibitor as well. So far I'm not seeing any removal of the bluing. I'm looking are having my 1911 chromed for this reason. I shoot in a very humid and wet area in the south and sweat gets all over this gun.

 

[Mudinyeri]

0000 steel wool & oil is only for surface rust which extends ABOVE the surface. Anything at the surface (or below) you will need to "rub too hard" and so remove any finish (bluing OR park).

do NOT try any electrochemical methods (blueing IS rust)

This is why I use the Frontier Big 45, which is made of nickel, and Blue Wonder cleaner. You can rub harder than steel wool and still not damage the blue.

 

[Curator]

In the museum business we use fine bronze wool and light oil. (Automobile ATF works great) The bronze wool won't scratch steel or even soft iron. It is usually safe on antique patina as well. It will also take leading and rust out of a rifled bore without damaging the rifling.

 

[bannockburn]

Flitz works fine and does not harm the bluing. I have used it for years on blued, plated, and stainless guns.

 

[mjkten]

I have used Flitz with good results over the years. Every now and then I polish off the burn rings on my SS revolvers. But it will remove metal, eventually. I used it to clean up the chrome on my motorcycle exhaust, removing melted boot heel marks, and the chrome eventually started showing a different color. So use with caution. I don't expect removing surface rust from firearms is necessary very often, right?

 

[natman]

+1 for 0000 (4 zero) steel wool and gentle rubbing with lots of light oil.

 

[mirage]

If the rust is not too bad, I have had good luck rubbing with a piece of denim wet with oil. I try this first before fine bronze wool.

 

[dougw47]

Try this...

For small spots and areas...I pull a penny out of my pocket and rub the rust...copper won't hurt the blue, is softer than steel and heck on rust!

Dab a little oil on first if you have some handy...you will be surprised!

 

[Dionysusigma]

Break-Free CLP and either bronze wool or 0000 steel wool. Used it earlier today, in fact, on my carry pistol grip screws (high humidity + sweat = instant rust).

 

[Zoidberg523]

If the rust is into the surface (not pitted, but level with the surface) and the gun has significant enough sentimental value that you never intend to sell it, you could consider getting it scrubbed and re-blued.

 

[otcconan]

Thanks for all your replies. The 0000 steel wool + oil worked. I just had to be gentle; I'm much more aggressive using steel wool on the necks of my guitars.

 

[dredd]

For small spots and areas...I pull a penny out of my pocket and rub the rust...copper won't hurt the blue, is softer than steel and heck on rust!

Dab a little oil on first if you have some handy...you will be surprised!

The Penny trick works.

Make sure you get an older Penny that is actually made from Copper.

 

[.22M.R.F.]

Removing Rust From Buled Finish

I'll share with you a trick taught by an old gun show exhibitor. He had an empty brass cartridge casing. The neck end had been mashed closed so as to have a brass scrape and he used it on an old blued butt plate and the bluing stayed on while the rust was removed, he had sprayed the butt plate with WD-40 before he started and after he finished, I was amazed at the results. Seems to be a very inexpensive solution to a major problem and if it doesn't work you have very little invested, hope this is helpful.

 

[Centaur 1]

In the museum business we use fine bronze wool and light oil. (Automobile ATF works great) The bronze wool won't scratch steel or even soft iron. It is usually safe on antique patina as well. It will also take leading and rust out of a rifled bore without damaging the rifling.

Curator gave the perfect answer. There are many good ways to remove rust but most of them require some delicacy. ATF is an excellent gun oil, great lubricant and rust inhibitor. I buy bronze wool from Ace hardware, it's a lot cheaper than going to a marine supply store like West Marine.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Curator gave the perfect answer.

maybe so but 0000 steel wool and WD-40 has work so well for me for so long, I see no reason to change. I really don't care about having my hunting guns smell like ATF. BTW,I'm not delicate when I use it either.