Chopper,
We're talking shotguns here, not automobile rocker panels. With just reasonable care I see no reason why a gun should accumulate rust between the ribs, even if there was a slight breach of integrity. Adolph once stated that he had never seen a gun with rust between the ribs. For what it's worth. Chopper
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What reasonable care can you give to something you are unaware of, and unable to access?
Perhaps Adolph had never "seen" a gun with rust between the ribs, because he was in the habit of simply patching the problem.
I have seen it, and it's scary. So much so that I'm starting to believe a good squirt of boiled linseed or shellac, down the front bead hole, might be a good dose of preventative medicine for all old SxS's. At least if there is oxidation present, it may stop or slow it.
I've always carefully inspected a set of barrels before refinishing them. This way, if there are any problems, they can be taken care of first. The usual, wall thickness, bore condition and diameter, ring them, etc. That inspection now includes submersion in a tank of clean hot water. Any bubbling and I know I've got something to deal with first. It could be as simple as a leak around the front bead, or it could show you where to run a feeler along the rib to see how big the gap. Hot water is used because it expands the air in the void, creating enough pressure to push the excess air out, rather than let water in. Many American made guns have a hole in the bottom rib, near the forend loop. These can either be tapped and have a small screw inserted to plug the hole, or a piece of #6 shot peened, temporarily, into them. The peened shot doesn't always seal the hole completely, but it slows it down enough to check the rest.
Personally,I would think this little test important to use on every old gun one brings into a collection. It requires little work or clean up, and could show you a minor problem before it turns into a big one.
Jim
