Delicate rust removal

C

coltman151

Inactive
Hey guys. Newbie here. Been reading a while but now decided to join up and post following a dumb moment of mine. I've got an old shotgun that belonged to my great pappaw. It typically stays in a coating of hoppes inside a shadow box, but me and my dad got it out about two weeks ago to enjoy the old pump. I made a bad mistake though. I left it laying on the wet floorboard of my jeep for about a week and now there's quite a bit of light surface rust. I know that 0000 steel wool and some oil will remove it, but here's where it's different. There's practically no blueing left on the receiver or barrel where the rust is. I don't have much intention of having it reblued since it looks so cool being worn out. So how can I delicately remove this rust before it gets bad without changing the blued/bare metal finish? Will the steel wool be light enough to not change the scratches and scuffs already there? This shotgun was used by my great pappaw on every animal in this part of the country and didn't get worn like this from sitting behind a door. So I'd like to keep the wear marks as is if possible.

I know, I'm an idiot for not taking it inside and cleaning it immediately.
 
light rust

0000 steel wool and kroil will take it off with out removing any finsh that remains . light scvrubbing action with the kroil on the wool .:)
 
Gentle rubbing with 0000 (4 zero) steel wool and lots of light oil won't remove bluing. It won't remove your non-bluing either. It will remove surface rust.
 
Well I have had Internet discussion that no oil and dry steel wool is better than steel wool and oil.

I also have used bronze wool
 
Oil on steel wool can create a slurry of iron oxide, which is harder than steel. It can remove bluing if you aren't careful.
Using steel wool alone, shaking it out frequently, and wiping the metal with a clean cloth will be gentler. Oil afterwards.
 
Thanks guys. I'm gonna be tackling this soon so ill pick up some steel wool and put on my gentle fingers. There may be more questions soon, I don't think anything inside is rusted at all so I think I'm lucky. Ill try to get a before and after pic or two also for you guys.
 
rust

kroil is not oil per say it break's down rust to make it easy to remove ,or loosen up part,s that are frozen . :)
 
Use a penny.
The edge of a penny will remove rust without scratching any blue remaining.
This is especially true if the rust is new and light.
In the past, I too used 0000 steel wool and oil, but since the steel is harder than the blue, the bluing was scratched away.
Pennies made since 1982 are a zinc alloy and won't scratch the remaining bluing off unless you really work at it.
As the edge rounds off, rotate it to keep a fresh sharp corner against the steel of the gun.
To remove very light rust faster, a dremel with a brass brush run at a slower speed also works, but requires a light touch.
Be aware the the rust dust itself is an abrasive.
 
G96

G-96 is a tripple action oil that cleans, lubes, and protects, however for the last thirty years I've been praising its rust removal benefits.
Just spray the rusty surfaces, let set for 24 hours, wipe down and repeat if necessary, usually takes one time for light rust, two to three for heavier rust.. Bass Pro,as well as others carry the product, once you use it, you'll keep a couple cans around.;)
 
Use brass to scratch off the rust. Get a pre-1983 penny if you don't have brass. Apply oil and scrape, scrape, scrape. Then remove the brass with Hoppe's and after drying, apply Renaissance Wax.
 
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