Rust & Reblueing Questions on a Savage 99e & Pre-64 Winchester 94

[Bossloper]

Hey All,

I just picked up a Savage 99e in .308 (SN B789xxx) and a 1956 Winchester 94 30-30. I have $385 invested in the pair, but they have some rust issues. The rust is spotty on the barrels and receivers. I have been working on the Savage with oil and 000 steel wool, but unfortunatley it's to the degree that you can't remove it without removing the blueing too. The rust is light enough that the metal could be polished and reblued with out any scarring. They are both in about the same state, but the Winchester has pretty wood (pic below doesn't do it justice) and sure would be nice looking without the missing finish, not that it's not now. Both have excellent bores and are in perfect mechanical condition to the degree that I don't think either was used very much (internals are wicked clean), just not stored very well. My question is this, should I have them reblued or just shoot them? I know it would hurt their values, but to what degree, and would it hurt their values more than their current state is hurting them, or would it possibly enhance their values?

Thanks, Brett

Winchester 94 Stock

[gunnut69]

That's sure a pretty stock and not like most of the 94's produced.. I would likely touch up the blue that's there with oxphoblue and let it go at that..  Oxphoblue has an added benefit of killing the rust kernal in the bottom of existing pitting. Finish off the touch up with a bit of hard oil and then wax or just RustPrevent and lewt it go.. Should work really well.. The old M94's shoot really well. A close friends father, gone now sadly, had a very old '94. I clened it and sighted it in for 170 grain bullets,., It was and still is the most accurate traditional levergun I've ever sired on paper.. Good luck..

PS-that's a really great price on those 2 rifles..

[madcratebuilder]

A re-blue well hurt collector value.  If you are going to keep them, do what you want.  I use EEZOX and steelwool to go after rust, it works better than any other oil I have tried.  Personally I would deal with the rust and leave them in that condition.  Touch up blue never seems to look right, I prefer to see honest wear.

[Halwg]

In having experience in touching up 2 guns with Oxpho Blue, I wouldn't recommend it.  Although it will blue the metal, I wasn't satisfied on how it looked and how the bluing matched.  What I eventually did was have the entire gun reblued professionally.  I'm not much of one to consider "collector value" whatever that is.  My guns are for me to use and shoot, and so if I want them to look good, I have them refinished.  You have to decide what is right for you.  But to me, a gun missing bluing and having rust just doesn't appeal to me no matter how old it is.

[Frank46]

I've a post '64 94 winnie and this is one rifle that was carried a lot and shot very little. The outside of the bbl was in excellent condition but the receiver did show "patina" aka light rust. I tried Iosso bore cleaning paste and it did remove most of it but lots of fine pitting. The bore was almost like new. I decided to leave it as is in its present condition in as much it will never blue properly and has "character". Frank

[gunnut69]

Touch up blue is a product that requires experimentation. The oxphoblue product is the best I've found. It will usually blend with the remaining blue but of course nothing will hide the change in surface texture(pits). Several coats are almost always required but I've had good luck.. The Winchester 94's with the high silica content casr receivers are not easy to color. I have used paint but was always less than satisfied. Now I powder coat them and while they can usually be identified as powder coated the finish is tough as nails and wears like iron..it also covers a few pits if present...

[Nessmuk#1]

Touch up the 94.  The 99 is the economy version, so a re-blue will not matter.  A hot dip re blue will make it shine.  The 94's can have issues with re-bluing due to metallurgy, so another reason to hold off on doing it.  I just parkerized a very rust pitted one and the magazine tube came out lighter than the barrel and receiver.  It was fresh solution that did fine on on several more guns, so it must have been the metal.  If you want the 99 hot blued, pm me and we'll work something out.