Considering painting an 870 Wingmaster

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Brkenarrow

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I've got an old hand-me-down 870 that has some light surface rust. What's the best way to remove the rust that is on the receiver and the barrel?

After I get the rust off of the shotgun, would it be worth it to buy some high-temp paint like engine paint or barbecue paint and put that on the metal surfaces to keep moisture from the metal? If anybody has some experience painting guns, what prep work is required before starting to put the paint down?

Thanks in advance for your help!
 
When I used to hunt the salt marshes, and was busy buying and selling guns, I used to paint the guns' metal surfaces with Rustoleum and the stocks with bow paint. Later when I went to sell them I would strip the paint and they looked brand new, and I never lost a dime selling them. You don't need any high temperature paint. Automotive paint also works well. If you plan to leave it painted, prime first with zinc chromate auto primer.
 
If you are just concerned about protecting the metal, a good coat of paste wax works wonders. I currently have a tub of Johnson's, but have used automotive waxes as well.
 
If you paint it, it will rust under the paint!

What Dalecooper says go's a long way, wax or RIG wiped on with a sheepskin.
 
RIG or RIG Universal is a rust inhibiting grease, it has been around for a long time.

Many shooters use it on a sheep skin pad and wipe the guns down after a shooting session. The wool on the pad will leave a very thin film of the RIG on the metal surface.
 
You can use 0000 steel wool with a light oil and just gently rub the rust off.

I have an 870 and I painted mine years ago. Mine was a police riot gun that had spent a lot of time getting carried in a police car but did not get shot much at all. It was perfect inside and well worn outside.

I took it apart, cleaned it with brake parts cleaner and painted it with Krylon camo paint. It was primed first, painted dark brown then taped and painted with the black and two colors of tan. Came out looking great and was very durable.

This year I stripped all of the paint off of it and repainted it olive green and converted it from a turkey gun to a home defense shotgun with an extended mag.

If you have a rough exterior finish I'd paint it in a heartbeat. I have also used the rustoleum paints and they are very durable and will come out looking nice.
 
If you are lookin for a cheap durable finish, look into Duplicolor High Heat Engine Enamel with Ceramic in a spray can from the autoparts store. I did my beater 16 gauge Ithaca shotgun in primer grey and low-gloss black and it goes on super smooth. I never clean it and it still looks fresh. I did multiple layers using mesh cabinet liners to make it carbon fiber pattern (see youtube "plastidip carbon fiber" for a demo). That may give you a cheap option if you are artsy

Prep for painting a shotgun (or at least what I did):
1. lightly sand off rust and crappy blue finish (if its crappy like 'vintage' Ithaca)
2. make sure all sufaces are scuffed/sanded that you want to paint so the paint can stick. I use roughly a 320 grit, give or take. A "medium grit will do" because the paint will cover the sanding marks
3. clean all surfaces using Acetone and wearing nitrile/latex gloves as to no get our skin oils on the bare metal
4. Follow directions on the can (it's ad to do as a man, I know...). Most enamels have different procedures for recoating/topcoating times depending on chemical makeup, so just read the label.
5. Smoothly and lightly lay down our base layers and top layers, let dry, and shoot the crap out of it to get it hot to 'bake' on your new finish!!!

Worked like a charm for me, and it's easy to redo if you are bored. Budget cerakote if you ask me... one day I will do a write up with pictures to show you guys if you want
 
Quote:
If you paint it, it will rust under the paint!

Horsehockey.

Agreed. I painted this one with something called "Bowdull" about 40 years ago and it hasn't rusted yet. It's been in rain, snow, and sleet...strapped to the roll bars of my jeeps, tossed in bed of pickup trucks and left in the gun cabinet/safe in between

I'll keep an eye on it for you long term and let you know how it does.

Sears2.jpg

As for prep work...I don't remember doing anything in particular, but I probably did wipe it down with alcohol to get the oil off.
 
It may continue to rust underneath the paint if not properly stripped prior to painting. If you stop the oxidation of the metal (i.e. rust) then coat the metal to prevent further possibility of oxidation, you'll be fine.

Plenty of folks have painted over old beater scatterguns for years with no I'll effects, provided its done right.
 
about 14 years ago i was given an old single shot that had had the barrel cut back. ( with a dull axe by the kooks) i cleaned it with alcohol and painted it with a can of black engine paint i had. it has been left in a damp/wet rock cellar, the barn, truck, for weeks at a time with never a problem. i've grown to like this clunker so much that this year i cut the barrel straight and repainted it. clean it, degrease it, paint it, forget it. not a lot of fuss.
 
If you ant to paint it, get a can of Ceramacote (sp?) from Brownell's. It is a black finish that is hard and durable. You will have to completely disassemble the gun and bake the finish on in an oven at low temperature.
 
I used Brownells Alumahyde II about 5 years ago on a '63 model Wingmaster. I followed the directions on the video from the Brownells site and it turned out great and has held up very well. You just strip it and apply light coats from a rattle can, flash dry in between with a hairdryer, then let it cure for a few days. It's a little more involved than spray paint but not much, and it's a durable and consistent finish.

I've posted the pic here before, but here it is again. The only thing I didn't coat were the action bars because I wasn't sure about the added thickness or the possibility of the finish flaking off in the action.
rem870.jpg
 
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