Rust on a brand new Browning A-Bolt II

[deanf]

I was at the gun shop yesterday fondling a NIB Browning A-Bolt II Stainless Stalker in .300 Win Mag. Very sweet rifle. One problem though: rust on the receiver. Not just a little spot. There was rust on the back/top, just forward of the safety, and on the left/top. I mentioned it to the salesman. He said they sometimes receive them from their distributor like that. Something about the rifles spending months sitting in a warehouse. If I was a dealer, I certainly wouldn't accept delivery of any NIB gun with rust on it, and if I was in the market for a rifle, I certainly wouldn't buy one with rust on it, unless there was a discount to compensate.

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“The whole of the Bill (of Rights) is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals. ... It establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of.” -Alexander Addison, 1789

 

[Bill Hebert]

I agree with you, a rusty weapon should not be sold/received without some sort of discount. What is not generally known is that not all stainless steel is created equal- just ask a scrap metal dealer. There are varying degrees of iron in stainless from almost no iron ("non-magnetic stainless" and the most expensive) to lotsa iron stainless (magnetic stainless the cheapest grade.) The
most corossion resistant is the non-magnetic grade and it is also the softer grade. Throw a piece of this stuff in the yard and it will never rust. I would recommend a product called "Flitz" paste and the surface rust will disappear. Then just don't let it happen again with a product like Corossion-X. It puts a polymer film on the metal. I can't wait to throw a magnet on my a bolt stainless when I get home - I bet it will stick. Good luck. Bill

 

[DeBee]

Oh yeah, stainless will rust. Just take a look at my Wustof-Trident Chefs knives after my girlfiend threw them in the dishwasher...

However, it won't rust as readily as chrome moly. I like stainless rifles and pistols. It seems stainless rifles have waned a bit in popularity since the mid-90's...