Gun Rusted Shut

Z

zengalileo

Inactive
New to this forum. I have a Taurus 24/7 G2 45. Have kept it in a drawer for months and took it out for the first time a week ago. A portable a/c unit sits on top of the chest of drawers and has been leaking water into the drawer and onto the gun for some time. It is rusted shut and has a round inside. So far I've soaked it over night in WD40. I will try some of the products mentioned here this weekend after payday. My question is, what would happen if I just pulled the trigger and fired the bullet out? I'm not seriously considering doing it because it sounds crazy, but believe it or not a few people in another forum have actually recommended it. Could it just explode or something? And since the slide won't move what will happen to the shell casing? Curious.
 
12 year old thread revived.
Unless the pistol was secured to a fixed point and I had a very long string I would not try that. Sounds like a Darwinism test to me.
If it were me, I'd mix up a 9 to 1 blend of water and molasses in a tub, dump the pistol in for a week or two. Molasses will remove all rust, bluing included, but not hurt the base metal. Should free it up enough to pull back the slide end eject the round. I wouldn't try banging on it. If it doesn't budge toss it back in for another week. Warning SWMBO may not like the smell after the mix ferments a bit.
 
The 12-year old zombie thread is addressing a slightly different situation, so I made your post its own thread.

There are other products that may help. Gunzilla works slowly but steadily to weaken rust and it can't hurt the steel or the finish. Some of the products mentioned in the old post might, like Evaporust. Kroil is also a good choice for penetrating, as are tea nut tree and wintergreen oil. I would let it sit for a week regardless of what you choose so it loosens deeply.

Shooting the round is unlikely to hurt anything if the rust has not penetrated the barrel deeply anywhere and there is no rust in the bore. The problem is safely checking the bore. Bouncing a flashlight beam off a mirror in front of the bore (and with nothing unsafe to shoot behind it or on the other side of a wall from it) is probably the best approach.
 
Nothing is going to fix a firearm that has been neglected that much for that long. However you need to get it opened so you can make it safe to scrap.
Take the grips off, if you can, and drop the whole thing in a tub of penetrating oil and leave it there for 24 hours. Try opening it. No need to be gentle with the cylinder.
DO NOT pull the trigger and fire the bullet out! It's entirely likely the bullet, if the cartridge goes bang at all, will get stuck in the barrel. The primer alone can do that.
 
Nothing is going to fix a firearm that has been neglected that much for that long. However you need to get it opened so you can make it safe to scrap.
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That's ridiculous.
 
Yep. Apparently never heard of firearm restoration. Without clear photos post-rust removal, no such judgment call can be taken, anyway.


Wallyl,

I did a brief statistical analysis on the next newer test he did, and because the sample size is only 4 bolts per penetrant, confidence that the success order wouldn't randomly change some positions if the test were repeated isn't very high. However, it appears the cheapest material, Liquid Wrench, is probably at least as good as any of the others and because it is the cheapest, gives you the most bang for your buck. That much is useful.

If you look at his next test where he allows 24 hours for three tested penetrants, you can see the difference is enough that if he allowed them all to sit for a week, he might see something that would be more impressive from several of them. I've left penetrants sitting up to six weeks and seen a significantly greater effect in one instance. A working shop doesn't like to let things sit that long, but for the individual trying to save the gun, I see no problem with it.
 
I think there’s a lot to be said for letting the penetrant soak for a few days. Years ago I had to remove the engine exhaust manifold on my Triumph Spitfire (aka Misfire). I soaked the bolts and nuts repeatedly for a week with WD40. After that, those rusted nuts spun off easily. Time is your friend, if you have time to spare.
 
Time is your friend, if you have time to spare
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Yep. I've put two guns that were rusted up solid back into working order. I soaked them in kerosene for a couple of months. I also freed a 92 Winchester I dug up while metal detecting. It had been buried so long the wood had rotted off of it and it was badly pitted. I didn't put it back into working order because it wasn't worth it. It took three months in a kerosene bath to get it free.

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If you don't care about it & just wanting to make it safe mount it down to something at the range while pointed in a safe direction & use a heavy string to pull the trigger. If it rusted as bad as you say it most likely won't fire, if it doesn't at least you know it won't explode.
Then clamp it in a vice then use a hammer & steel rod or screwdriver to beat the slide back & remove the round.
 
Had a Canadian gunsmith friend who was given a rusty 1911 that was fished out of the river by the police. They figured it was rusted tight and wouldn't ever work again. On his spare time, he soaked it (forgot what oil) and got it to work. Then returned it to them. They were shocked.

Things like this is why he is trusted by many law enforcement agencies in Canada.
 
Acetone an transmission fluid is said to be an effective DIY.

Heck, I'll leave a fouled 1911 barrel in benchrest blend - Kroil + Shooters Choice - for three days.
 
Gunzilla will do it, too, all by itself. It might take some time, but I've left rusted parts in it in a small cup and watched as rust particles gradually accumulated on the bottom of the cup around the part over a month, pulled off the rusted part by gravity alone. It will gradually do the same to hard carbon in a bore.
 
ATV and acetone 50/50. Let it sit for a week then try. If it doesn't open, redo for another week. Don't be afraid to use force.

Once it's open, get it completely disassembled, replace all springs, clean and refinish as needed. Replace anything too pitted to salvage. Restoration is rarely impossible.

Jeff

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 
4V50 Gary said:
Had a Canadian gunsmith friend who was given a rusty 1911 that was fished out of the river by the police. They figured it was rusted tight and wouldn't ever work again.
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Dana Delasoy by any chance? Great guy if you can deal with his backlog.

Jeff



Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 
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