AWK! I ruined two expensive shotgun barrels. What to do?

[mannyrock]

 
Dear Guys,
 
   About 8 years ago, I had a Beretta 390 shotgun.  After I got it, I bought two extra brand new barrels for it, and they were really expensive.  (One short, one long.)   After looking them over carefullly, I coated them in Rig, and wrapped each of them in a soft towel and put them in a plastic gun case.  The bluing on these barrels is a really dark blue/black.
 
   Boy, that 8 years really went by quick!  I decided to take them out with a view to selling them at a gunshow.
 
   When I opened the box, I wanted to be sick.   They were both covered with tiny freckles of rust.
 
   In order to try to remedy this, I sprayed them wet with WD-40, let them sit for 20 minutes, and wiped off the oily mess.  Then I resprayed them again, and wiped them vigorously with #000 steel wool, wetted with the oil.  Then I wiped them down again with a rough terry cloth.
 
   There is no color of rust on the barrels, but if I hold them up to bright light, I can see that in some places, there are the tiny "flecks" where the rust was.  Several are the size of grains of salt.  (To the naked eye, from 3 feet away, you can't see anything.  They look totallly blue/black.  But, when I run my thumbnail up and down against the barrels, I can feel some of the flecks.
 
   Please tell me what else I can do to improve or remedy this situation.  Should I use #00 steel wool, and them work back down to #000 and then #0000?    After I do this, what if anything can I do to protect the fleck areas from just turning to rust again?
 
   I though about degreasing the barrels, and then heating them slightly, and then running a rag with 44/40 blueing solution on it up and down the barrels a couple of times.  (This gives a really blue/black finish with a single treatment.)   But, it is my understanding that cold bluing gives no protection against rust.
 
   What to do?   
 
Thanks for all advice.
 
Mannyrock
 

[SHOOTALL]

Kroil them then Fritz them then Kroil once more .

[Graybeard]

Personally I'd never use anything coarser than 0000 steel wool on a blued surface.

If you put a gun or barrel in a soft plastic case and leave it for long it will rust. What else ya don't aside that plastic softcase will rust it. Wrapping in a cotton towel just draws in the moisture in the air even worse.

Good luck fixing it but I don't think you'll ever fix the barrels so they don't look like what they are rust pocked. Just be sure you learn a lesson from it and only use a soft plastic case to take a gun afield and return it home and get it out. They are not for storage.

[no guns here]

They ain't ruined... just don't look so good.  They'll still shoot fine.  Just lost part of your investment...  Sucks.
 
Might be better to just use them...
 
 
NGH
 

[smokehouserex]

 
 
  Hey mannyrock:
 
  I have encountered this type of problem a few times.  I have found that a good polishing, down to the clean metal, and some fine (white) polish on the buffing wheel normally takes care of the problem spots. Then a good blueing in the tanks are required to bring them back to like new condition, not cheap but effective.
  If they are not too bad, I have used a pencil(lead/graphite), a regular school pencil or a big carpenters pencil can sometimes remove very superficial flecks. Just use the pencil in the same fashon as you would do if you were trying to cover a writing mistake and had no eraser on your pencil,,,remember when you were in school as a child and you had already chewed the eraser off, made a mistake then scratch it out with the lead, you can rub pretty firmly. Well that's how I use it. Then you can use cold blueing to touch it up, not factory equivalent but a touch up only.    NO GUARANTEES, it's just what I do when people don't want to pay for reblueing. Try first on an unseen place which is normally covered/out of sight first, then proceed if satisfied with results.   On a nice gun,,,,,,I would opt for a professional job, unless I planned on a lot of field use was in the future for them then the cheaper solution would be acceptable to me.
  I agree with Graybeard about the plastic storeage and using only 0000 steel wool for rubbing the blueing. I learned about the plastic storeage on a mark 1 ruger,,pitted with rust that would not clean-up, still shoots good tho.
 
  These only my opinions and experiences, they have worked for me,,,I hope something here helps you.
  safety first
  HM

[mannyrock]

 
Dear Guys,
 
   Thanks for all of the advice.  I've been into this stuff for 40 years now, and I know what you mean about never getting it to look right again.
 
   Funny this is, if you buy something like this used at a gunshow, you can ignore all of those fleck marks and tiny pits, and enjoy the barrel as a back-up.  But, if you stupidly ruined it yourself (as I did), you can't stand to look at the thing because every time you see it you, feel like an idiot!
 
   OK.  Is it allowed for me to ask for recommendations for a gunsmith who will do a really good job on polishing and rebluing one of these, back to a deep blue high gloss finish?   I'm not looking for the cheapest price, but for a very reliable guy that will turn it around in a reasonable time.  Glad to mail it anywhere.
 
Thanks, Mannyrock

[tacklebury]

You could consider having them ceramic coated also.  Very durable and might even increase their value and those freckles would be gone. 
 
http://www.theshootersroost.com/ceramic.cfm

[Swampman]

You'll lose the least amount of money if you just sell them as is.  They can see what they are buying.

[smokehouserex]

 
 
  Hey mannyrock:
 
  Talk to, gunsmith@boltandbarrel.com.. I don't know if he blues but if not maybe he can steer you to a competent person.

[SHOOTALL]

flitz will remove the rust but not the blue in most cases. Kroil will remove the crust . If it needs rebluing check with the factory , they may offer the service.

[mannyrock]

 
Dear Guys,
 
   I forgot to mention that these are matte finish barrels, so they are a dark, dullish blue.
 
   Shootall, I gave one a good going over with Filtz, and soft cotton pads, and it removed alot of bluing (probably because it was matte to begin with.)  It is now a bright, lighter blue, and the freckles are flat but still dark.  Guess this means I have still not gotten that rust off.
 
   Funny thing is, there is zero rust inside the barrels.  They are sparkling bright.
 
   I tend to think that Swampman is correct, and that selling these as used barrels is the way to go.  These barrels are almost $400 new, so someone might like to get one for rough outdoor hunting, or just sporting clays, that doesn't really look bad at all and will do the job.  (This is not an offer to sell.)
 
   With this in mind, I'd better stop now and try not to "fix" them further.  As Swampman said, a buyer will see the condition and decide himself.
 
   Thanks again for all of your help.
 
Mannyrock

[oldandslow]

Well, I would consider it a lesson learned. The barrels are probably chrome lined is why the bore didn't rust. The case was the culprit but the cotton certainly didn't help anything. Cotton retains moisture. Not much wicking ability at all. I won't wear cotton socks just for that reason. Cold feet in the winter and sweaty feet in the summer.

[SHOOTALL]

The air that got trapped by the grease had moisture in it and it collected and could not escape.

[flmason]

Personally I'd never use anything coarser than 0000 steel wool on a blued surface.

If you put a gun or barrel in a soft plastic case and leave it for long it will rust. What else ya don't aside that plastic softcase will rust it. Wrapping in a cotton towel just draws in the moisture in the air even worse.

Good luck fixing it but I don't think you'll ever fix the barrels so they don't look like what they are rust pocked. Just be sure you learn a lesson from it and only use a soft plastic case to take a gun afield and return it home and get it out. They are not for storage.

Fill me in on this. Most guns I've bought new were wrapped in plastic bags. Are soft plastic cases somehow water magnets?

[Bugflipper]

I don't like polishing because it tends to make thing worse. To get the rust out you have to go down to bare metal. That promoted deep pitting, since you have to remove a little metal. It can also mess up the finish. And leave what you can't see to come back later. I use electrolysis. It is pretty simple. The only uncommon thing you need is arm and hammer washing powders. Most stores still carry it though. Not baking soda. http://www.instructables.com/id/Electrolytic-Rust-Removal-aka-Magic/
There are youtube videos as well. It does not remove the metal, just iron oxide.

[mannyrock]

 
   Thanks for all the info guys.
 
   The electrolysis looks very interesting, but I have to wonder what it may do to the chrome lining inside the barrel.  Though chrome doesn't have iron oxide in it per se, it was bonded to the barrel by some electronic process, and it would be a shame to see it "undone."
 
   Any ideas?
 
Mannyrock

[keith44]

normally I'd be the first to talk a job done, but in this case oldandslow seems to be on the right track.


For what it is worth, if you could get some re-bluing down into the pits, then keep it well oiled it may camouflage the damage, otherwise there seems little that can be done 

[Cornbelt]

  Well, lot of options here, but for long term starage, I've had good luck oiling w/Breakfree or Rig and wraping in wax paper. If no room for air, there won't be for moisture either. (Humid enough here we need to keep our welding rods under a light bulb.)

[Freezer]

Be honest. Sell'm as is it will be difficult to recover the cost of rebluing. Why try to cover a mistake?

[mannyrock]

Dear Guys,
 
    Following the great weight of advice here, I put the 28" on gunbroker with honest pictures and explanation, for pretty darned cheap.
 
    Thanks for all of your help.
 
Mannyrock