doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ridding Surface Rust

A gunsmith friend uses a brass rifle cartridge to remove stubborn rust. The flattened mouth of the empty cartridge is rubbed against the rusted area which is first oiled. It's hard enough to remove the oxide, but not hard enough to mar the steel underneath.

I use 0000 steel wool. And oil, of course. Other methods work, though. Bronze wool is mainly useful in woodworking, where steel wool will get hung up in the pores and rust, causing minute streaks. Bronze won't do that. I guess it would work on rust, too.

You can get steel wool scouring pads at the grocery or hardware store. Work just like the Brownell's sponge, no damage to the bluing.

A copper roofing nail ( like that used for a slate roof) has worked well for me with oil for clumps of oxidation.

An easy way to remove barrel rust without damaging the blue is to soak the barrels with an ample supply of oil and let rest overnight. Then take a single edged razor blade [new] and cut the rust off much as you would shaving. Keep the blade at a low incline to the barrels and don't press too hard. The rust usually stands above the blue. Then finish off with one of the very fine metal wools as mentioned above.

Brownells also stocks the 4 ought bronze wool.I have used it for years with good results.

Makes me want to go rust something just to try it...

Copper kitchen scouring pads work also and you can get them at the supermarket.

I bought several grades of the finest steelwool about twenty yrs ago for this use. I still have most of it. It works well with oil, if my memory is correct. I haven't used it in so long I barely recall having it.

Man o Man! My head's spinning with all the tips that poured in. MANY Thanks to all.

JayCee - You're right on the money. The wealth of knowledge to be found on this site is overwhelming. The education I get here never ends.

Joe - I know what you mean! I'm going to have to sneak into the elementary school down the road to get some chalk so I can try this on ANYthing.

Gnomon - Back in the late 80's - early 90's I was a very active handgunner and there was a particular electrolysis set-up that was marketed heavily. Can't remember the product name at all. It was something everyone wanted to try but none did. I don't doubt it works, and thank you for the "home kit" version but switching on the lights is the closest I get to anything electrical!