how to remove pitting from surface of barrel

[jalex1941]

Hello, I was recently given a Ruger Blackhawk .357 by a family member. The pistol was stored holstered in the closet for the past 20 or more years and had collected a large amount of surface rust which has destroyed the finish on everything except the cylinder and has pitted a large area on the top of the barrel, the pitting is not overly deep so I figured that I would be able to get rid of it with some sanding or possibly filing the metal. If anyone has any advice onto how I should proceed with this I would really appreciate.

Also on a side note, if anyone can tell me how to remove the revolvers front sight i'd appreciate that as well.

 

[LAGS]

The front sight Blade is held in the Base with a crosspin.
The Base is silver soldered to the barrel and it takes a lot of heat to remove it, almost turning the front sight base Cherry red.
Do not remove it unless you totally have to.

The pitting can be removed by using 240 to 600 grit wet and dry sandpaper and a paint stiring stick as a backer board.
Barrels take a little care so you dont create flat spots on your barrel.
You have to sand across the barrel following the curve of the barrel, with the stick at a 45 degree angle to the barrel.
The Shoe Shine method of a strip of sandpaper going across at a 45 degree angle to the barrel works for the final polishing.

 

[Kp321]

Before any type of refinish is possible, all of the rust must be removed from the bottom of the pits. I use a sandblaster with very fine sand but chemical methods such as EXO Rust or Naval Jelly work too.

 

[4v50 Gary]

You can have the pits cleaned/scrubbed to remove the rust. I suppose bead blasting with glass will do it. Then have the pits tig welded to cover up the holes. It will have to be filed and sanded smooth and refinished.

 

[LAGS]

@ 4v50gary
I bead blast my guns to remove the rust.
But unless really deep, I would not be welding in the craters, unless it is in a Non Critical part.
The Barrel IS a critical part, and can warp or go out of round fron any welding above 650 degrees. Same with the frame or receiver.
But Boiling the parts in distilled water in a steel pan will Stop the rust from progressing, and turn it to black Oxide. ( Bluing )
Besides if pitting is so deep that you can not Draw File or polish out, it is probably weakening the metal, and the weld job will always show, especially when you reblue the gun.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Heat sink in barrel. Wrap a wet towel around the hole to be welded. Have assistant drip water on it if necessary while you're welding. This dissipates the heat and will prevent it from reaching critical. Keep the work area small. Allow time to cool off between welds. We're talking about patching small holes, not welding two pieces of metal together.

As for the welding showing, that depends if you introduce a bonding metal that will take to the blue differently. This is a possibility.

 

[LAGS]

@ KP321
Bid you know that Naval Jelly also removes Bluing if you want to strip a gun for rebluing, and it makes polishing of the metal easier since there are no sanding marks to deal with from polishing off the old bluing in tight spots.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Naval Jelly works and so does toilet bowl cleaner (that's what we use). Do it outside otherwise you'll gas yourself out of the house.

 

[LAGS]

Posting pictures of things like Pitting , would be of a great help for some of us to give a Proper recomendation for addressing issues.
I like many others would not want to mislead someone or make an errant suggestion.
What may seem minor to one person, might be hiding a dangerous condition.

 

[jalex1941]

Yeah, I had originally planned on posting some pictures, just haven't had time with work, I am going to try to have some up Saturday. Thank you for suggestions.

 

[loose noose]

jalex, depending on how deep the rust, you might just try using some WD-40 and some 4-0 steel wool on the rust.

 

[LAGS]

@ LooseNoose.
The WD-40 and steel wool will remove the RUST, but it will not remove Pitting
But depending on the depth, will deternine how aggressive of grit of wet and dry sandpaper you have to use to polish DOWN the metal around the Pits.
Most of the guns I buy for restoration or salvaging are in Pretty bad shape, and they get polished up really good for rebluing.
I have one I am working on that was Rusted Shut when I got it, and it will polish up pretty good when I am done.
Just don't polish off the serial numbers.

 

[rcmodel]

IMO: If you have to ask how to do it?

Anything you can do with sandpaper & cold blue is going to look worse then it does now!

Send it back to Ruger or Fords refinishing and let them refinish it.

It will come back looking like new.

rc

 

[frankenstein406]

Lazer welding

 

[LAGS]

@ RCmodler
I dont know someone elses abilities, but I have a S&W Victory that was originally Parkerized and had pitting all over it.
I hand polished it and Cold Blued it 25 years ago.
It was so pitted that most of the stamping is now gone like the Proof marks and barrel stampings.
It still looks pretty good today.
One of the other members "Armoredman " has seen this gun in the last two weeks and can attest to the looks of the finish for a Cheap fix on a gun that isnt worth that much.
The gun is far from needing to be refinished from excessive wear right now, but I will be Slow Rust Bluing it sometime in the near future, just to make it a more durable lasting finish.
Back when I refinished the gun originally, I was living in an apartment and had no place to do anything but Cold Bluing.

 

[rcmodel]

A WWII S&W Victory Model is one thing, and cold blue stands a fairly good chance of bluing it.

The OP's Ruger Blackhawk is a whole nother matter, and the steels Ruger used on them will not respond to cold blue nearly as well.

Especially the mystery metal frame and other cast parts.

I still don't recommend it.

rc

 

[LAGS]

@ rcmodel
You do make a good point, especially about the Mystery metal Backstraps.
But I never recomended the cold bluing either for a permanent solution on any gun.
I am more talking about Metal Preperation options that will have to be done prior to any refinishing even Duracoat or other Bake on Finishes.
Lets help the OP to get his gun ready, and by asking for help, I take it he either likes learning how to do his own work, or does not want to spend a fortune on having someone else do the work.
One will never know his own abilities, until he makes the decision to Try.

 

[jalex1941]

Well, I plan on cold bluing it, I reblued my mosin, marlin .22, and my high standard double nine and they all came out looking fine. I always spend always spent a lot of time on the prep and have been using oxpho bluing.

Can you guys tell me if I can reblue this revolver and it look decent ? I know that I will more than likely not be able to get it back to the rich bluing it used to have. My other thoughts were to possibly use blue wonder blacker or Belgian blue on the revolver. So I would appreciate any advice given.

 

[rcmodel]

Can you guys tell me if I can reblue this revolver and it look decent ?

I thought I already tried too.

Even Ruger had hot blue problems back in the day when they were making flat-tops.
Purplish hued frames, deep purple loading gates, and blue barrels that didn't match.


I'd suggest if you just gotta do it anyway?

Take the ejector rod housing off and do some testing under it where you can't see it when you put it back on.

Maybe it will do better then I think it will.

Who knows.

rc

 

[jalex1941]

Well, my thought is that I will reblue the revolver and if it turns out bad then I will send it to ruger and if I like it then all's well, nothing ventured nothing gained.

Sorry to be so stubborn about it but sometimes you just have to try, I appreciate the help.

 

[788Ham]

rc, you tried buddy, you tried!

 

[LAGS]

The revolver being small, ( especially taken apart ) why dont you try your hand at Slow rust Bluing.
It is not that hard to do, and the finish is one of the most durable finishes of all the types of bluing.
You can Boil the parts on top of your stove or gas barbeque.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Express bluing. You can do it at home.