Removing rust in a barrel

Kwaynem

Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
177
I have a old Cva wolf that has some rust in the barrel especially the end it has had triple 7 powder shot through it for several years I would like to get it cleaned up for the grandson if I can get it to shoot worth a flip
 
You can use some steel wool on a jag to get the worse of it out of there. Then, you could use something like JB Bore Paste to try to clean things up a little bit more.

Even with the rust it would probably shoot just fine--it will just foul faster and be harder to clean.
 
I just cleaned a barrel with rust one my Dad gave me .

Was an inline muzzleloader .

He shot pyrodex in it and did not clean it when he put it away ( he was pretty sick so he just forgot )

Used evaporust and let it soak in the barrel for 24 hrs .

Fom there I cleaned it wth the normal cleaning process running some wet patches down the bore , then a nylon brush and dry patches .

Have to say it came out pretty good and no more rust .

The gun dit not have bluing on it but have heard to not get that stuff i used on it .

Good luck on the cleaning , hope it goes well for you .
 
Last edited:
Can the breechplug be easily removed? If so, remove it and then push a brush all the way through. A pitted bore can still shoot accurately.
 
If you have Evaporust I'd go with that. If not then vinegar rather than rushing out to buy anything. Switch out the Evaporust a few times to "stir" it up. Then drain, flush with water and dry. And right away oil.

If using Balistol and water " Moose Milk" the just flush the water with that directly.

That will remove the rust but not replace the steelý. The damage was already done. But if light enough it wont be all that bad.
 
Last edited:
Think I’ll try the vinegar tomorrow beings how I already have some then go from there thanks for all the help!
 
Recommend the vinegar and Corrosion X HD for marine products. Afterwards on some of the spots that are tough to remove use a copper penny like from the 50's or earlier because they are full copper and it won't scratch the bluing but will remove the rust spot.
 
+2 on the Evaporust. I've used it inside 2 muzzleloader barrels with good results. Also used it on a box of badly rusted molds given to me for safe keeping. A film of Evaporust was left on the molds; fours months now and no rust. Vinegar sounds good. Haven't tried but its way cheaper. Don't really need to scrub with Evaporust. Downside is its expensive and won't last forever.
tempImager6wUEb.png
 
+2 on the Evaporust. I've used it inside 2 muzzleloader barrels with good results. Also used it on a box of badly rusted molds given to me for safe keeping. A film of Evaporust was left on the molds; fours months now and no rust. Vinegar sounds good. Haven't tried but its way cheaper. Don't really need to scrub with Evaporust. Downside is its expensive and won't last forever.
View attachment 1172856

If you got anything in the mold cavities you may have to clean it out before using them.
 
If it's a light surface rust not a problem. Yes, a pitted barrel can still shoot well, but if it's pitted bad enough it becomes extremely hard to reload after even one shot. Don't ask me how I know that. :cuss: Hopefully your bore is not rusted badly.
 
Definitely hard to load even the first one second is a pain in the butt I soaked it in vinegar yesterday and it worked really well I did lose some bluing on the end of the barrel but the old rifle has seen better times and I’ll fix it with a camo paint job lol
 
You can use some steel wool on a jag to get the worse of it out of there. Then, you could use something like JB Bore Paste to try to clean things up a little bit more.

Even with the rust it would probably shoot just fine--it will just foul faster and be harder to clean.
I let the rust in the barrel soak in Kroil for a week or so, then go at it with JB Bore Paste. It has worked fine for me.
 
With muzzleloaders, it has to be something that does not come off inside the barrel. (Well, it doesn't have to be, but it is infinitely easier if it doesn't) This is why I agree with Mizar. Vinegar, and keep it off your blueing.
 
If the rust is on the exterior of the barrel I would not use 0000 steel wool. That's abrasive and you'll lose some of the finish. Use a nickel (5 cent piece) and coconut oil. It'll remove the rust but leave your finish intact.

Inside the bore, good idea to remove the rust but you don't want to harm the lands. There might be pitting but as mentioned earlier, even a pitted barrel can still shoot accurately.
 
If the rust is on the exterior of the barrel I would not use 0000 steel wool. That's abrasive and you'll lose some of the finish. Use a nickel (5 cent piece) and coconut oil. It'll remove the rust but leave your finish intact.

Inside the bore, good idea to remove the rust but you don't want to harm the lands. There might be pitting but as mentioned earlier, even a pitted barrel can still shoot accurately.

I have to disagree. I have used 0000 steel wool with oil many times and had no finish loss. I've Also used copper scrubbing pads and and pre 1982 pennies.
 
If the rust is on the exterior of the barrel I would not use 0000 steel wool. That's abrasive and you'll lose some of the finish.
I have used 4-0 steel wool on small rusty spots on blued barrels for over 50 years. The steel wool may have removed some finish but I can't tell that it has. BTW, I still have these guns and they function well and look OK to me.
 
when using 0000 steel wool and oil I start out pretty gentle and haven't noticed any damage to the finish from the wool either.
I've also used vinegar successfully to remove rust and bluing, it will take off bluing pretty quick so be careful if you want the bluing intact.
 
A snug fitting brass bore brush , wrap brush tightly with a thin layer of #0000 steel or copper wool and smear the brush/wool with J-B Bore Cleaning Compound .

Start scrubbing ... from stem to stern ... when the brush gets loose ... add more wraps of steel wool and more J-B Bore Compound . You are polishing the steel and removing the rust in a slow but safe manner .
It may take several sessions to complete , do as many sessions as it takes to polish and remove any rust . but when done there will be no damage and the smooth polished barrel ... think of it as now hand lapped ... will shoot great And no damage to the firearm or finish will be done .

I saved a 7X57 Mauser with a barrel that looked like a sewer pipe using this method ... and it does work .
I believe it took me 4 sessions , working that rod untill my arms tired out to get it all out ... it had some light frost on a few lands but no more sewer pipe look ... the rifle shoots well now .
Gary
 
I like to take old brush, put some grease on it then put allot of sand on the grease, it will get all the rust out. Sounds crude but worked pretty good, just have to gauge the amount of passes you make with the brush being careful not to make too many passes to damage the barrel. Sometimes you have to work with what's around.
 
Back
Top