I am an Idiot - Need Help with Rust

[GoGriz]

I am not smart. I had two barrels that I took from their happy home (in a basement in a state without humidity) and I put them in the closet of a different house with a ton of humidity with the idea I would send them off to get threaded ASAP. Fast forward four months and I finally get around to getting ready to ship them and I pull them out and they have rust all over the barrels. The thought that this could happen never occurred to me as I haven’t had blued guns in humid places since buying my first gun 25 years ago.

Does anyone have any tips on how to take care of this issue and do we think it can be resolved in a decent manner, or are both of these screwed?

I tried using some elbow grease with a rag and gun oil, a rag and some PB Blaster and a brass brush and none are really working that hot after 30 mins of effort.

Help?

 

[Moserkr]

Flitz compound if its just surface rust, that will remove it and just show it as a very light patina. But once its there it will always be somewhat noticeable. If its pitted you are in trouble. Could always re-blue it. Or opt for a cerekote if you are having work done to them, my choice.

 

[Addicting]

Call Paul.

@p_ham

 

[44hunter45]

It's the bores that matter. How are they?

 

[Caseknife]

These actually work pretty well, but it looks as though the bluing has been compromised.

Birchwood Casey Rust Lead Remover Treated Gun Cleaning Cloth

Birchwood Casey Rust and Lead Remover Treated Gun Cleaning Cloth is the perfect for removing rust and lead on gun barrels, gun parts, and accessories....

www.midwayusa.com

 

[EastTNHunter]

Mineral spirits followed by oil

 

[stevejfarms]

ss steel wool

 

[GoGriz]

It's the bores that matter. How are they?

The bores are fine so that’s a plus.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I'd stay away from steel wool unless you plan on refinishing the barrels. The steel wool can get into your bbl and keep the rust developing unless you scrub the hell out of those barrels when you are done. Brass is a good metal to use as it is easier on the steel, but aggressive enough to clean the rust off so you can see what you are dealing with under the rust.

Flitz is a good suggestion as is the birchwood-casey cloth. Elbow greese and non-steel/iron abrasives. Lightly applied, and stop very often to make sure you are not over-doing it.

Hoppes baths as well. But that's something we should all do weekly -whether we need that or not.

 

[Redmt]

Not steel wool but copper wool and the
rust killer of your choice. I've found a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF is the best.

 

[44hunter45]

The bores are fine so that’s a plus.

Absolute worst case you can have them turned down a little.

 

[BrentD]

I do not know what you should do, but I know exactly what I would do. I would polish those barrels to 800 grit and rust blue them. Pretty simple but time consuming. When you get done, they'll look better than anything you own.

 

[44hunter45]

The bores are fine so that’s a plus.

I have two brand new Kreigers which are now oiled and in the gun safe.

I had sent them to a smith in the Seattle area. His shop was two blocks from the ferry terminus. As the project stretched from months to years I got to obsessing about that salt air on those barrels. I came to a point where I had to cancel the job and retrieve them. A world class smith and I was honored to work with him. He just hit the place where he was too old to do high volume work.

These are both in the queue to got to Fallon some day.