Removing some minor rust pitting from a blued gun.

P

Pond James Pond

New member
I have a blue Astra snub as carry gun. It is nicely made, solid and clean. I like it but it is a functional item, not a collector's piece. So if it looks a bit rough, so be it.

By the same token, I'd be happy if it looked a bit better.

I once asked about home DIY treatments, so I know that cold-bluing, rust bluing and nickel plating are feasible but perhaps a bit involved.

So, can I just polish out the rust?
Will this therefore leave an unblued area and if so would cold-bluing address that or would the finish then look uneven?
 
Just a laymans guess, but yes you can polish out the rust and yes it will leave the finish uneven.
 
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As said, you can't polish out the pits but you can mitigate the damage and prevent further spreading. A fine steel wool or copper wool pad lubed with some gun oil will remove surface rust and leave a protective film behind.
 
First let me admit that I am not a gunsmith or anywhere near an expert.
I do like old guns, though, and have several handguns and long guns that had either light surface rust or scattered minor pitting. As already mentioned, you can't get rid of the pitting without some real gunsmith quality filing & refinishing, but you can remove the rust and protect from further damage. I have used 4X steel wool or bronze wool with a dab of Birchwood Casey cold blue paste (comes in a tube) to "polish" off the rust. The paste stays put on the local area you're working on and darkens any bare metal you expose as you work. It works well enough for the shooters and beaters I have.

When done with the steel/bronze wool, flush the area with oil and wipe off any cold blue remaining, then re-oil for protection.
 
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I've used the Brownell's oxpho blue cream the same way. It supposedly works even in the presence of oil (which most bluing solutions don't). It won't make a rusted gun look new but I've used it to turn some neglected guns into good shooter guns.
 
If the rust is light, you can remove the worst with bronze wool or with a brass scraper. The brass residue will then take cold bluing better than steel and the result will be pretty good looking, though it might not last under constant use.

Jim
 
I would get some #0000 steel wool and a good oil and just go slowly. The rust itself is very hard and will cause further damage to your finish. Just move it enough to get it dislodged and then remove it. If the metal isn't too far gone, you should be able to get the piece smooth to the touch. The pitting will be fine, just keep maintaining it.
 
0000 steel wool and a light oil will remove light rust without bothering the rest of the bluing. So will a light touch with a brass wire wheel in a bench grinder.
Cold bluing is made for touching up spots. Isn't rocket science to use either. Mind you, it can be sort of blotchy if it's not applied correctly. You have to work at that though.
Nothing fixes pitting. Pitting is rust that has eaten metal away.
 
I think the rust is actually pretty superficial. Once gone, there may be some marks, but nothing of great note. I bought 000 wool. Lightest they had.

Also got some 1000 grit paper.
 
Another trick that I use, if the rust is on the surface, is scraping it off with a fired case. Take a piece of brass, preferably a straight(ish) wall handgun cartridge; something like .38 Spl or .45 Colt. Beat the mouth of the case closed with a hammer and use it to scrape the rust off. You can even shape the edge to be a little sharp or have a contour to match the part of the gun you are cleaning to work better. It will sometimes leave brass streaks, especially on parkerized or bead blasted guns but they can usually be scrubbed of with 0000 steel/bronze wool and oil. Using a lot of oil when you scrape will help prevent the streaking.

This works particularly well with thick surface rust.

Ryan Hoover
RH Custom Guns
Fredericksburg, TX
 
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