RUSTY RIFLE

[jdt48653]

i received a rusty 7x57 Mauser, the bolt & rifling are in good condition but there is a lot of surface rust
is there any easier way to clean it up then sand paper and steel wool? thanks for any help.

[jh45gun]

Stay away from the sandpaper and use OOO or OOOO steel wool soaked in gun oil. this will take the surface rust off and leave any blueing that is left.

[rockbilly]

Agree.  Stay away from the sandpaper.  I like 0000 steel wool and Automatic Transmission fluid.  If the gun is real bad, you may want to let it soak overnight in equal parts of coal oil, and ATF, then go to work with the steel wool.   

[Savage .250]

  If the barrel and action is out out of the stock,  how about some of that spray on rust remover.  That stuff is good for "light"rust.
   Spray/wipe it on ,let it set, wipe it off.   Just a thought.

[jh45gun]

  If the barrel and action is out out of the stock,  how about some of that spray on rust remover.  That stuff is good for "light"rust.
   Spray/wipe it on ,let it set, wipe it off.   Just a thought.

Yea but how would that affect the blueing? I have cleaned up several guns for people  with surface rust that looked bad but the steel wool with oil cleaned them up fine left the blueing intact. Some times surface rust looks bad but if caught in time can be taken off with steel wool and oil and it looks good like there was never any rust. It all depends on wether it started to pit or not. Even then the Steel wool and oil will stop the rusting and if there is a few spots on a old gun that would look better than some one who stripped it with sandpaper as then you would have to try to get a mirror finish again and reblue. Lots of work and the gun would look better with a old patena and what ever blue or plum color was left.

[copilot001]

I concur....
 oooo steel wool and auto trans oil is the most anyone should use to clean up an old or lightly rusted rifle.
Once you take sandpaper or a wire wheel to a firearm, you,r looking at a re-blue job....if the rifle had any collector value....well... you,l be kicking yourself in the backside everytime you look at it.

[30-30man]

I've used some stuff called Never Dull that is in a tin can and can be found at Walmart in the automotive section.  It contains what looks like cotton soaked in some kind of chemical.  It's main use is polishing chrome but it works beautifully removing surface rust.  I used it on a Browning sweet sixteen that my son let go to pot.  I could have hung him as he duck hunted with it and never bothered cleaning it.  It was covered in surface rust and that was the last time I let him borrow it.  I've since bought a cheap Charles Daly pump that I let him use.

[Almtnman]

Two products that I use and found good for getting rid of rust and protecting a gun from rust is automatic transmission fluid or Marvel Mystery Oil. Do not sand the rifle as mentioned by others here, go with the 0000 steel wool soaked in either of the products I just mentioned.

I wipe my guns down with whichever I have on hand when I don't plan on using the gun for a while and they will stay rust free for at least a year with either product. I live in the Southeast where humidity is a big problem with guns getting and that had alleviated rust problems for me. If I hunt in the rain, I'll wipe the rifle down good with Marvel Mystery Oil and it's good to go.

[jdt48653]

THANKS,EVERYONE.i`ll try the wool&trans/mystery oil /never dull.this rust is heavy,so i`ll probably
have to re blue.

[Dee]

  If the barrel and action is out out of the stock,  how about some of that spray on rust remover.  That stuff is good for "light"rust.
   Spray/wipe it on ,let it set, wipe it off.   Just a thought.

Straight bleach does the same thing, just be carefull you want ALL the rust off. I once put an old pocket knife in a glass full of bleach for that purpose and left it over night. When I checked it the next morning all the rust was in the bottom of the glass except for a little that had bubbled up, and could be easliy brushed off with a tooth brush. Only problem was, the was a whole lot more rust than I thought on the INSIDE where I could not see. While brushing it off, it (the knife) fell apart. Oh, well.