Removing rust in a barrel

[Jackrabbit1957]

Then you gotta get the sand and grease outta the barrel. Sounds like more trouble than it's worth.

 

[Patocazador]

I thought it was earlier like 68 or so, nowadays my brain is not what it used to be.

Here's a chart showing the composition of pennies.

History of composition[edit]​

The composition of the penny has varied over time:[4][5]

Years	Material	Weight (grains)	Weight (grams)
1793–1795	~100% copper	208 grains	13.48
1795–1857 †	~100% copper	168 grains	10.89
1856–1864	88% copper, 12% nickel (also known as NS-12)	72 grains	4.67
1864–1942	bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)	48 grains	3.11
1943	zinc-coated steel (also known as 1943 steel cent)	42 grains	2.72
1944–1946	gilding metal (95% copper, 5% zinc)	48 grains	3.11
1947–1962	bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)	48 grains	3.11
1962 – September 1982	gilding metal (95% copper, 5% zinc)	48 grains	3.11
October 1982 – present	copper-plated zinc (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper)	38.6 grains	2.5

 

[alsaqr]

Another vote for Evapo Rust.

 

[ms6852]

Here's a chart showing the composition of pennies.

History of composition[edit]​

The composition of the penny has varied over time:[4][5]

Years	Material	Weight (grains)	Weight (grams)
1793–1795	~100% copper	208 grains	13.48
1795–1857 †	~100% copper	168 grains	10.89
1856–1864	88% copper, 12% nickel (also known as NS-12)	72 grains	4.67
1864–1942	bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)	48 grains	3.11
1943	zinc-coated steel (also known as 1943 steel cent)	42 grains	2.72
1944–1946	gilding metal (95% copper, 5% zinc)	48 grains	3.11
1947–1962	bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)	48 grains	3.11
1962 – September 1982	gilding metal (95% copper, 5% zinc)	48 grains	3.11
October 1982 – present	copper-plated zinc (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper)	38.6 grains	2.5

Thanks! Appreciate the chart.

 

[Gumby0961]

I found a chunk of scotch brite, the dark green or maroon pad work great inside the barrel. Cut a piece as big as you can that will fit tight. I pull it through one of the brass jags with the slot in them.

 

[woodnbow]

Then you gotta get the sand and grease outta the barrel. Sounds like more trouble than it's worth.

Yeah, I’ve cleaned cast iron pans with sand, don’t believe I’ll be using it inside the bore of any rifle I value. Which is to say any of them.

 

[4v50 Gary]

I would not use scotch brite or any solid abrasive inside the barrel. Just keep shooting it and let the copper bullets do its work.

 

[doubleh]

Deleted

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Good luck, I have a barrel that nothing worked. Not even valve grinding compound. I'll have to try the sand, as there is no way I can hurt said barrel. It is junk, and if I could scrub all the lands out of it I'd be happy. (lands are not pitted, (much) just the grooves...dang) I hope yours is not "micro pitted" like the one I have is. It is almost impossible to load the second shot.

 

[Acorn Mush]

Good luck, I have a barrel that nothing worked. Not even valve grinding compound. I'll have to try the sand, as there is no way I can hurt said barrel. It is junk, and if I could scrub all the lands out of it I'd be happy. (lands are not pitted, (much) just the grooves...dang) I hope yours is not "micro pitted" like the one I have is. It is almost impossible to load the second shot.

Have you considered whether or not it is worth your while to send your barrel to Bobby Hoyt to be freshed out or smooth-bored? Just a thought.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Have you considered whether or not it is worth your while to send your barrel to Bobby Hoyt to be freshed out or smooth-bored? Just a thought.

Yes, I think about that often. Although a man of many assets, my cash-flow is low. I have two other barrels I'd love to send to Hoyt, and they would be higher on the list.

The barrel I speak of, was on a TC "Hawken" that someone gave me. I replaced it with a really cool barrel I got off eBay for $100, perfectly fine without any of the "warnings", "black powder only", etc. So the pitted barrel I cut down into short carbine length. Almost a "canoe" gun. It came out really good, as far as the shortening goes, but yeah the bore is junk. Toast. I'd love to smooth bore it out as far as possible. That would be one cool little backwoods survival carbine. I wish there was a way that the garage or "shade tree" gunsmith or anyone could wash out the rifling/lands and get the bore smooth with just hand tools and muscle.

 

[woodnbow]

Yes, I think about that often. Although a man of many assets, my cash-flow is low. I have two other barrels I'd love to send to Hoyt, and they would be higher on the list.

The barrel I speak of, was on a TC "Hawken" that someone gave me. I replaced it with a really cool barrel I got off eBay for $100, perfectly fine without any of the "warnings", "black powder only", etc. So the pitted barrel I cut down into short carbine length. Almost a "canoe" gun. It came out really good, as far as the shortening goes, but yeah the bore is junk. Toast. I'd love to smooth bore it out as far as possible. That would be one cool little backwoods survival carbine. I wish there was a way that the garage or "shade tree" gunsmith or anyone could wash out the rifling/lands and get the bore smooth with just hand tools and muscle.

View attachment 1175220

Know anyone who could braze a drill bit on a piece of tool steel? Perhaps he could also do that with a .560” reamer? Lots of cutting oil and away we go!

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I tried a drill on a short section of barrel, or the piece I sawed off. Went off center no problem. I'm not familiar with reamers, nor do I think I could ever get the breech plug off with the tools I have. I think if I really desired to continue with the "project", I'd just shop for another used barrel and cut it down.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

Maybe send that junker barrel my way, I could fiddle with it, my bench is clear for the moment. I really think the crown is the problem. Could square up the muzzle and crown and see if it shoots.

 

[HKGuns]

I'll just leave this one here.......as a follow-up to my post above, for additional context.

While your job certainly won't be as extensive as this one, doing it correcetly has its advantages. I've used this method extensively on 1930's Milwakee Snap On wrenches and sockets. It converts the rust and preserves the original finish.

 

[Ethan Verity]

Boil it for 45 minutes and run 0000 steel wool down that area of the barrel. Chemicals would be my last option.

This is the best option! I'm surprised chemical stripping or sanding of the rust down to bare steel is always recommended so many times, before someone suggests boiling.

That's exactly what I did recently on a 1960s vintage Remington Model 512 which had some rust near the end of the bore. After boiling, I ran a brass bore brush through it a few times... the bore looks brand new now, from chamber to crown. No finish loss!

 

[Acorn Mush]

Yes, I think about that often. Although a man of many assets, my cash-flow is low. I have two other barrels I'd love to send to Hoyt, and they would be higher on the list.

The barrel I speak of, was on a TC "Hawken" that someone gave me. I replaced it with a really cool barrel I got off eBay for $100, perfectly fine without any of the "warnings", "black powder only", etc. So the pitted barrel I cut down into short carbine length. Almost a "canoe" gun. It came out really good, as far as the shortening goes, but yeah the bore is junk. Toast. I'd love to smooth bore it out as far as possible. That would be one cool little backwoods survival carbine. I wish there was a way that the garage or "shade tree" gunsmith or anyone could wash out the rifling/lands and get the bore smooth with just hand tools and muscle.

View attachment 1175220

That is a slick-looking li'l outfit you have there, sir! I do hope you can find a satisfactory solution to your problem. Best of luck.

 

[Jim Watson]

My neighbor the gunsmith freshed out a .38-40 Winchester with hand tools. He cast a lead lap, chiseled a recess, and inlaid a groove width piece of hard steel with cutting tooth. He rotated around to all the grooves, the lands were not roughened much. He got smooth grooves soon enough that he was able to shoot as-cast bullets.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Maybe send that junker barrel my way, I could fiddle with it, my bench is clear for the moment. I really think the crown is the problem. Could square up the muzzle and crown and see if it shoots.

Oh it will shoot, just not more than once with out cleaning. And not just wiping, but a total cleaning. The last time I tried shooting it, (was out in the woods) I had to put the ram-rod in the barrel, and bang the ram-rod against a tree. That was to get the second shot to seat on the powder.

Do you have a lathe? If you'd like to experiment with a reamer, and attempt to smooth-bore it, that would be cool, and no loss if it didn't work. Or could a barrel be reamed without a lathe? But no, the crown is not the problem. It shoots, but only once.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

That is a slick-looking li'l outfit you have there, sir! I do hope you can find a satisfactory solution to your problem. Best of luck.

Yes, I think it made a pretty spiffy little carbine. However, not on the priority list.

 

[Big Bore 44]

A piece of 1/4" round stock with slot cut into through it near one end, with coarse sanding cloth through the slot, turned by a drill. Will rapidly remove the rifling and the pitting. Finish with progressively finer grits for a mirror bore.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

A piece of 1/4" round stock with slot cut into through it near one end, with coarse sanding cloth through the slot, turned by a drill. Will rapidly remove the rifling and the pitting. Finish with progressively finer grits for a mirror bore.

That makes sense. Do you think a larger round stock would work better, considering the hole is .50"?

 

[Big Bore 44]

3/8" maybe, however you need clearance for the sand cloth. Or you could get 1/2" flap wheels and buy/make an extension. Both the cloth and wheels are available from 24 grit to Crocus grade.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

Oh it will shoot, just not more than once with out cleaning. And not just wiping, but a total cleaning. The last time I tried shooting it, (was out in the woods) I had to put the ram-rod in the barrel, and bang the ram-rod against a tree. That was to get the second shot to seat on the powder.

Do you have a lathe? If you'd like to experiment with a reamer, and attempt to smooth-bore it, that would be cool, and no loss if it didn't work. Or could a barrel be reamed without a lathe? But no, the crown is not the problem. It shoots, but only once.

I do have a lathe and 4 jaw chuck set up and welders and drill bits oh my! I think it's possible to get something accomplished with it, I'm willing to try if you are!

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I do have a lathe and 4 jaw chuck set up and welders and drill bits oh my! I think it's possible to get something accomplished with it, I'm willing to try if you are!

Right on, will PM you. Certainly can't hurt that barrel, useless as is. Well, I guess good for one shot, throw it away and pull the pistol. How can ya wreck a wrecked barrel?? Nothing can go wrong. !!! Yeah, let's do it! And don't need no stinking FFL. Nice.