Barrel rust removal from a rifle

[Sky Zero]

I didn't want to put this in the restoration forum because this isn't on one of my lugers.

My friend gave me his old russian rifle the other day, for free! The problem with it, though, is that there's quite a bit of rust on it. Not so much that its ruined, but I'm looking for solutions on how to get the rust out of the barrel? Simply using copper brushes and patches, like you normally do, isn't really working, or it's taking a very, very long time. Any suggestions? I heard a guy attach a cleaning rod to his drill wikth some fine steel wool and run that through the barrel

I also saw another video where a guy dunked his whole barrel in a PVC pipe full of this rust removal solution, but it also stripped blueing. Thanks!

[rolandtg]

I cleaned a buddies M44 Mosin using long stainless wire brushes I got a Harbor Freight.
They sell them several in a package.
He had fired some ancient corrosive ammo and then then just chucked the rifle in the closet.
It was really sad. I tried conventional cleaning methods and finally resorted to the wire brushes.
It took quite a while but I got the barrel cleaned up pretty well. It was still pitted, but clean.

[Sky Zero]

Originally Posted by rolandtg

I cleaned a buddies M44 Mosin using long stainless wire brushes I got a Harbor Freight.
They sell them several in a package.
He had fired some ancient corrosive ammo and then then just chucked the rifle in the closet.
It was really sad. I tried conventional cleaning methods and finally resorted to the wire brushes.
It took quite a while but I got the barrel cleaned up pretty well. It was still pitted, but clean.

Do you remember what sized brushes? Mine is also the mosin, so whatever you used will work for me. Thanks!

[4 Scale]

One way I've wondered about would be electrolysis, with the electrolyte placed only in the barrel. It would be tricky, you'd need to somehow seal one end of the barrel and suspend the anode in the solution in the barrel without touching the sides.

But why worry about it? Bore rust is hard to see without effort, and any rust is soft so its presence or not in a bore doesn't affect accuracy. If you keep moisture out of the barrel and a lubricant barrier on the bore surface the rust should not propagate further. IMO rust does not effect accuracy as by definition it is below the surface of the bore, as long as visible rifling is present the firearm will be accurate. I don't own any rifles with rust in the barrels, but I own some Luger shooters. One has a pristine bore, the others have bores that are fair to good due to wear and rust, all are equally accurate.

[rolandtg]

Originally Posted by Sky Zero

Do you remember what sized brushes? Mine is also the Mosin, so whatever you used will work for me. Thanks!

Here's the package I bought.
https://www.harborfreight.com/6-piec...set-61923.html

I had to tie string to both ends of the brushes and pull them through the bore. I used Hoppes, Windex, oil, a bore snake, brushes, patches, basically everything...
Fortunately the M44 was not in collectable condition to begin with.

[Sieger]

Sky Zero,

I would really just try shooting it about 20 to 30 times first. This will "break up" the "loose stuff".

Afterward, I would use regular brass type brushes with water based solvents, as oil based solvents will not clean out the salts remaining from corrosive ammo. Ballistol works perfectly for this (follow the instruction on the can).

Mosins can be VERY accurate rifles. My Finnish 91/30 (with Tika Barrel) shoots .45 inch groups at 100 yards, regularly.

Enjoy your Mosin.


Respectfully,


Sieger

[Curly1]

+1 shoot it some then clean it.

[gunbugs]

Shooting it will certainly blow a bunch of the corrosion out of the end of the barrel. And will "soften up" what is left. After that, a good cleaning and keeping it lightly oiled will help prevent further damage.

[DavidJayUden]

Lee used to market a lead removal kit where you would pull an expandable rubber plug wrapped in bronze screen thru the barrel to remove heavy leading. A few passes should get the big stuff, but shooting and cleaning, shooting and cleaning, is probably best.
dju

[DonVoigt]

I guess there are rusty bores and really rusty bores, but I would not fire a live round through a "rusty bore"; I've seen more than one that there was no way the projectile could safely enter or exit the barrel.

Perhaps fire a round or two -after one can "see" the lands and grooves??

[JTD]

Hang it on the wall, buy one that shoots.
Plug muzzle and fill with oil for a month or two, may loosen it enough to scrub it out then. Sounds like it is destroyed to me though.

[Rick W.]

Sky,

Rust in a barrel eventually does a couple of things, one is to discolor the steel or after duration, the steel surface eventually deteroriates, pits perhaps is a term.

Years ago, I inquired on how to remove old bluing/rust from a Luger pistol. Brownells had some materials for such as you noted but application was key. I was told to dump the works in the vat of house house vinegar for a while, the old method. Amazingly worked fine and did not work on the metal more sorta speak; but inside and outside with my short prep.

Brownells has special plugs for guys that prefer to plug bores during rust bluing, fwiw. Old guys still use tapered wooden dowels.

One could ponder application of a penetrating oil, Kroil comes to mind, pour the bore full, and plug. I think a little better material for penetrating oil is a mixture of 50% acetone/50%ATF. ATF is one of the better oils at such that there is, fwiw.

Removal of rust that is below the surface line, does just that removes that controlling steel line. Uncontrolled abrasion is not my personal choice. Like the restoration guys, steel is usually either removed nicely or added on(welding etc), in barrel kinda hard huh. Lapping comes to mind, but is a real artform/costly. Reboring on an inexpensive rifle is probably not one's first choice either, 250 and up, and larger bore/size.

Old day, gunsmiths sleeved high powered rifles. The art is gone now, mainly because of the perceptions of pressure and liability.

If twas a Luger barrel, these are often sleeved for another round at life. Some early renditions(as well as current) will show the sleeve line fore and aft depending on the expertise of the doer. One of those sleeve lines can be removed from the picture with a sleeve machined with the threads/chamber on the 750. Front can be hidden with some cleverness at the lathe.

As the guys have said, tis remarkable what a "bad" bore will shoo like, especially in the older mil rifles..........just have to try it perhaps.

[Sieger]

Rick W'

+1 for soaking the bore, first, in Vinegar.

That's how the "old timers" would break up nasty, caked on, Black Powder residue.

Again, I would follow up with a good brass bore brush cleaning using Ballistol.

Respectfully,


Sieger

[DonVoigt]

Just don't get any "vinegar" on any blued part of the piece.

[Sky Zero]

I'll first try what a few of you said, shooting it then cleaning. If that doesnt work, I'll try one of the other methods mentioned here. Its thankfully not so rusty that its unsafe, so it should shoot just fine. We'll see!

Thanks everyone

[Rick W.]

Sieger,

I guess I should note that I only have used the household as counseled white vinegar(5%) bought at local grocery store. Feedstores have higher percentage vinegar but no experience there, or would want to, the household stuff works fine for gentle blue removal.

I guess I tried to say abrasion, perhaps with total brass type bore brush and of course, bore guild. Wear comes from the rod too. Steel brushes in steel bores gives me the willies; why put more damage onto the bore's surface?

I have seen good writeups on steelwhite by Brownell's, more expensive than some home brews, but more sophisticated.........technology usually costs money..........as in application of said materials where you want.

Once once has fussed and fummed all you going to with the red rust, remembering rust is rust whether what colour, most here have that fact one way or another; a good brushing patching with your favorite trick fluid of the day. The surface will be pretty clean from a lot of methods mentioned, so the Ballistol mentioned is a fine product for protection in my book as well.

Inappropriate applications of materials to surfaces always has hazards, unless you have some advanced technology on your side or...........age old methods passed down over the years.

Regards as usual,

Rick W.

[Sky Zero]

Update:
I did what a few of you told me, shoot a bunch of rounds out of it then clean it. Worked perfectly

She's clean on the inside now! I appreciate everyone's input. Now, onto help cleaning surface rust from hard to reach places in my lugers.....

[George Anderson]

The best product on the market for rust and crud removal is Kroil. I've used it with great success for several years.

[HerrKaiser]

So long as you catch surface rust early on, treatment with most gun oils and very gentle abrasion to remove the rust (but not the finish around the rust) has worked for me. I have both brass brushes and some stiff nylon brushes that have taken care of all my issues.

[Sky Zero]

Originally Posted by HerrKaiser

So long as you catch surface rust early on, treatment with most gun oils and very gentle abrasion to remove the rust (but not the finish around the rust) has worked for me. I have both brass brushes and some stiff nylon brushes that have taken care of all my issues.

How do you get into areas the brass brush cant get to? There are a lot of nooks and crannies on these lugers that I can't get to