32 Guage Shotgun Barrel Rust Removal

[RidgeRunner]

My Dad has an old single barrel 32 gauge shotgun.
He acquired it in a trade somewhere back in time.

I picked it up a few days ago and looked down the barrel.
This has to be rustest gun I have EVER seen. 

After much scrubbing with brass brush and oil the inside on the barrel is still coated with rust.

How can I remove the rust from the inside of the barrel? 
Have given some thought to figuring out to sandpaper it out but am afraid I will ruin the choke at the end of the barrel.

Any ideas???

Thanks
David

[PEARL DRUMS]

Im no gunsmith, but I play one on TV. Generally speaking when the inside of the barrel is that gnarly, it is deeply pitted and unsafe.

[osage outlaw]

Is there a gun doc in here 

[PEARL DRUMS]

That's a big 10-4 little buddy, I bet he is rolling down the hwy!

[RidgeRunner]

I had not thought of that....

Gun Doc where are you??

Pearley D You might be right.  This barrel may be beyond use.
Cant tell until I get the rust out.

If it is it wont be worth fixing....  However.... It "looks" like a Iver Johnson.
I dont think it is a Iver Johnson but it looks like one.

David

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Being that rusted I'm not sure if it's safe or not. But to clean it out I would try a gritty bore cleaner on a brush. if that still doesn't work I would try a patch soaked in vinegar. If you try that be very careful since it will eat steel pretty quickly though it will remove rust. This would be my last resort though. I would just get some JB bore cleaner, find a good show on tv and just start polishing the bore until the rust is gone and the pits are smoothed out.

Kyle

[RidgeRunner]

Kyle:
Just plain old Vinegar?

David

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Just plain vinegar. I use it to clean old heavily rusted traps. I put a gallon in a five gallon bucket throw the traps in and fill with water. Let it sit over night and hose off in the morning. Usually end up with bare metal. I've never done it but I've heard of people forgetting the traps for a week or two and the traps are almost gone. And seeing how bluing is a form of rust I would definitely be careful using this method since it will probably destroy the finish of you get much on the bluing. Which you can fix with the long process of slow rust bluing. I havnt done it yet but plan to on a Rossi shotgun, just to play with and learn the process in more detail.

Kyle

[Josh B]

Don't use vinegar.  Vinegar is an acid that will attack the steel as well as the rust.  It will not only cause more erosion damage but will react with the remaining steel to make it brittle.  There are two products that I use that are specifically designed for this application.  Birchwood casey rust and blue remover and brownells steel white.  I've used both and they both work great.  For a small project I recommend the birchwood casey simply cause you can buy it in the smaller bottle for about 5 bucks.  I use still white because it's cheaper in the long run if you have a lot of projects to do, but it comes in quarts and gallons.  At 45 bucks a quart, you would need to do a lot of projects to justify the cost.  Either project will strip the blueing or Browning off fast so don't get it on the outside  of the firearm.  Also once the bore is rust free, it will be completely stripped of oils or protective patina.  Oil it quick or rust will attack again with a vengeance.  I hope that helps.  Josh

[Mo_coon-catcher]

Never would have thought about the vinegar making the steel brittle. That would make a big difference. I only thought about how it would eat away the steel if left for any amount of time.

Kyle

[mullet]

Josh beat me to the vinegar. I ruined a barrel doing that.

[stickbender]

               
 Like Gun Doc said, also, just for future info, a Friend of mine used to clean rust out of the old metal boat motor gas tanks, by putting a little oil in it, and putting about half a pound of bird shot, or sometimes steel bb's , and then putting on a vibrator for a while.  When he was done, it looked like a brand new tank!  Could put some bird shot in, and put it on a vibrator, and let it beat the snot out of the rust.  Phosphoric acid will take rust off instantly, but be sure to rinse well with a solution of baking soda, and water.  Try Gun Doc's suggestion.  Good luck.

                                   Wayne

[Eric Krewson]

Naval jelly will take out the rust. The problem is the gun was probably shot with black powder and not cleaned. The barrel is probably toast which makes the gun a wall hanger.

[chamookman]

I have used a product called Evapo-Rust (not on firearms tho) with great success. It's water soluble/ph neutral/reusable/biodegradable/non toxic and non corrosive. Safe on skin & Eyes and removes rust to bare metal. Cool stuff - I brought back to life a Tamahawk head and some old axe heads that I thought were past help. I picked it up at a Harbor Freight store, but I believe most harewares carry it now and it not expensive. Be worth a try, good luck - Bob.

[caveman2533]

This is a timely topic, I was given, a Winchester 32 special  for Christmas, made in 1958. It had been setting in a closet for many years and has some lite surface rust on it. Barrel still has good blueing but has the rust. What should I use on it to bring it back to its better condition. Just a good scrub with WD-40 or gun oil?