I recently had some surface rust. Does this look like pitting?

[burritoman]

When the humidity started rising at the beginning of Summer, I found some surface rust on my LC9s. I cleaned it up and now I frequently wipe it down with a silicon cloth, but Im wondering if it has a little bit of pitting in the grooves on the slide. It's pretty difficult for me to tell if its pitting or heavier rust. I've wiped the grooves down thoroughly with an oily rag, but this is as clean as they will get. The second pic is a little blurry if you zoom in but the first is sharp and clear

 

[tipoc]

It's hard to tell. Take some 0000 steel wool to it and see what happens.

tipoc

 

[geetarman]

Keep the gun wiped down and ignore it. You are just going to take the finish off the high spots if you do anything and that grit or what ever you want to call it may look bad to you, I doubt any one but you would be concerned. A lot of my guns get that look and I just attribute it to lint from the cloths used to wipe the gun or some micro imperfections in the finish machining or surface treatment.

I would just leave it alone. It really isn't worth the hassle.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Wipe the serrations lengthwise (up/down) with dry 0000 steel wool. Then oil the serrations. That's all you can do. Blued guns rust.
Excellent photography, BTW.

 

[old bear]

It's hard to argue with Mr. DeShivs advice but I would not use steel wool. Instead try brass or better yet use bronze wool.

Steel wool can leave Very Small "hairs" attached to your slide, then these can and do lead to more rust.

Good luck

 

[Dragline45]

It's not uncommon to get rust/corrosion on the rear slide serrations. When you pull back the slide, the oil/sweat in your fingers which can be corrosive are getting rubbed off onto them, in some cases you will find accumulation of dead skin scraped off in the serrations which can also mix with the oil and sweat on your hands. The Sig 232 I used to have had some pretty bad pitting inbetween the slide serrations from the previous owner because of this.

Steel wool can leave Very Small "hairs" attached to your slide, then these can and do lead to more rust.

From what I understand this is a myth. To embed steel particles into steel, it would take much more force than light rubbing. I second using 0000 steel wool, and have used it with good results to remove rust without removing the finish.

 

[tekarra]

Old bear has nailed it. I prefer using stainless steel wool when I can find it.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Any residual "hairs" can simply be wiped away. Steel wool will not imbed into gun steel.
Brass wool is fine too-as is ss wool.

 

[tallball]

It's a carry piece. In ten or twenty years it will look like monkeys were tossing it around in a gravel pit. Don't worry about it.

 

[rightside]

I have one and that's about the same as mine. Ruger doesn't seem to finish them any better than that. Pretty standard machining for the LC9 ,in my opinion. They're just not concerned with a finely machined finish on these slides.

 

[4V50 Gary]

No steel wool as it is abrasive and will remove some of the finish. File a nickel down and use oil.

 

[shaunpain]

Can confirm that 0000 steel wool and CLP do not remove bluing. It makes everything look brand new.

 

[4V50 Gary]

Steel wool scratches; albeit very fine scratches. What is scratching? It's removal of material. What you're doing is removing the higher spots that the wool abrades against. We sometimes used steel wool for some final polishing.

If the OP or anyone else uses steel wool on their firearm, let them. It's theirs after all.

 

[T. O'Heir]

"...understand this is a myth..." Yep. There ain't no steel wool that's as had as any steel. Dry steel wool might scratch the finish. 0000 steel wool with a bit of light oil will not.
Hard to tell if it's pitting from a picture. Got a magnifying glass? Doesn't look deep or severe enough to worry about anyway.