Rusty bore Fix

[BigBoreBLR]

I'm sure you guys get them from time to time. A friend, relative, ro coworker has a smoke pole that wasn't taken cared of.

My coworker asked me to see what I can do with this thing. A T/C hawken caplock in 50 cal. The release trigger was sticking and not returning via spring pressure. And a 370gr max-ball sat in there for 5 years with powder.

I got the slug out, washed it down with soap and water, and have been using a brush and gun barrel solvent to clean out the barrel.

You feel some harshness as you push a patch down it. The patches get slightly ragged on some threads.

I just got it today and cleaned it up. I was wondering if I might have torn patches if I shoot roundball. Also, what do you do to clean up the barrel. Do you lap the barrel afterward? Any special solvent that removes rust. Maybe use Naval Jelly? The barrel is coated in pro-shot, a bit different version of hope's #9.

Hate to see a nice gun go bad.

 

[azmntman]

I see allota advise on lapping. I had a RUSTED Cylinder from an ROA and used the molasses n water trick (9-1 more water of course than molasses) and soaked and rinsed and scrubbed and repeated and the thing came out! I nearly trashed it but after reading some wise posts here I went to the feed store bought the sulphered (gotta be sulphered for some reason) molasses (a gallon min?) and had in the car and the daughter spilled it and 1/4 now in the carpet. Anyway you may try it? The cylinder had 1/8 inch rust in the nipple recesses and is near as good as new. maybe a bit less blue but no rust!

Thank you to those who suggested this fix!

 

[VEARL]

I agree. Mollasses worked for me

 

[10_point]

so how do you do this?, just plug the nipple and fill the barrel up and how long do you leave it sit?
I noticed a grey crud in my bore and tried steel wool and scotch brite and it will not come out, i do not know what it is. and the bore is rough feeling when i run a jag and patch down it.

 

[TLanoy]

"You feel some harshness as you push a patch down it. The patches get slightly ragged on some threads."

If it isn't real bad, I'd run a jag down it wrapped with 0000 steel wool and see how that comes out first. Might just fix you right up! :idunno:

 

[Tinker2]

Molasses will remove rust. Bluing or browning is rust.

Steel wool or scotch brite is what I would use first.

But when they are real nasty, molasses 7 to 1 or so and let it soak for 2 to 4 weeks. It will still be pitted but the rust will be gone.

You can also Google "de-rust it with electrolytic" also works great, takes maybe two hr.
You do need to watch it and do it outside, hydrogen is a byproduct.



William Alexander

 

[bpd303]

I would use Evapo-Rust, most auto parts stores have it. It works. http://www.evaporust.com/

 

[azmntman]

On cylinder I used 9-1 and let soak 3 days cleaned, scrubbed and soaked two days. It was BAD like I said and worked for me. If I was doing a barrel Id do 9-1, PLUG nipple, fill barrel and let sit a week, dump, scrub, steel wool and maybe repeat then try lapping compound etc.

I never had heard of the molasses trick till I arrived here and it works better than I had hoped. Good luck. (don't pour a quart on the floor though, car stinks bad after weeks and several scrubbings! )

 

[stude 283]

+1 on the evaporust.Scrub with steel wool to get the worst.24 hr soak with evaporust(will not harm non rusted metal),all rust will be gone even in pits.Polish with JB bore paste.Should be good to go if at all salvageable.

 

[George T.]

Well being a firm believer in PB-BLASTER I would swab the bore with it twice a day for three or four days and run several tight patches between swabs. You will be surprised how much smoother the bore will be. My guess is that if you need steel wool and other measures you just might have a tomato stake!

Geo. T.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I salvaged one worse than you describe.
first you need to remove all the rust.
then steel wool and lapp until smooth.
if it still tears patches repeat the process it will come around.
the more you shoot it the smoother it will become.

 

[Billnpatti]

Wrap 000 or 0000 steel wool around an undersized bore brush until it forms a snug fit in the bore. Apply some oil and start scrubbing. Use full length strokes so that you polish the whole bore evenly. Change steel wool after every 25 strokes. It will take from 100 to 200 strokes on most barrels.

Another good thing to use for polishing a bore is the green 3M scouring pads. Cut a patch from one of the 3M pads and use an undersize jag that will give a snug but not tight fit. Too tight and it may get stuck. Not snug enough and it won't polish the bore. Apply oil just as with the steel wool method and change patches every 25 strokes. Both the steel wool and the 3M pads will wear out just enough after about 25 strokes that you will not be getting the best scrubbing action for the work that you are putting into it. Changing the steel wool or 3M pad after 25 strokes just maximizes the efficiency of your work. Keep them lubed as you work. When you feel that you have gotten the barrel polished sufficiently, start wiping it out with a proper fitting jag and some lubricated patches. Keep wiping until you have removed all of the crud that was left in the barrel from the polishing. When the patches come out clean, take a light and look down your bore to see if it looks nice and shiny. if it does, you are done. If you still see signs of rust, go back to the polishing technique and polish some more.

If you have heavy rust and you want to take it out with a minimum of work you can try this.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Electrolytic-Rust-Removal-aka-Magic/#step1

You will need to make a couple simple modifications for your purposes. First, rather than using this kind of battery charger, use an old cell phone charger. We all have several of them laying around in drawers. Just cut off the end of the wire and peel back some of the insulation to expose the wires. The other thing you will need is a straight steel rod or straight stiff steel wire. They must be made of steel. Then you will need four or five rubber O rings that will fit tightly on the rod. Wrap some electrical tape around the tip of the rod so that it doesn't touch the inside of your barrel and place the rubber O rings evenly spaced along the rod. Be sure to have one right at the muzzle so that when you put the rod into your barrel it doesn't touch anywhere. If the rod touches the barrel anywhere, the process won't work. Stand your barrel up so you can fill it with the washing soda solution. Put the rod into your barrel and clip the leads from your cell phone charger to the barrel and to the rod as instructed in the attached procedure. Plug in the charger and let it work. If done correctly, it will remove the rust but you can't hurt your barrel.

Note: You can determine which wire is the negative wire by plugging in the charger and touching one of the bare wires to the negative side of a 9 volt battery. The wire that doesn't make a spark is the negative wire. No it doesn't make a big spark, you have to look closely for a small blue spark when you touch the wire to the battery. It is the negative wire that you are looking for. It is the one that you will clip to your barrel. You will clip the positive wire to the rod. If you do it the other way around, it won't work.

 

[Gadsden]

I'n in the process of refinishing a Traditions Kentucky Longrifle kit I built about 20 years ago. This particular gun had Pyrodex and a patched ball in it for over 15 years. Yes, I'm stupid.

Once I got the ball out I washed it thoroughly with hot soapy water, then TC #13. Still a lot of rust, so I plugged the bolster with a broken off pencil tip and sprayed WD-40 in the barrel, then plugged the muzzle with a cork and let it set for a few hours. After two applications using this method, the bore looks like a mirror from breech to muzzle.

A few years back I cleaned up an Armi San Marco cap and ball revolver that had been stored in one of those plastic pistol cases lined with convoluted foam. It was nothing but rust from end to end. Fortunately, it was all surface. I used Remington Remoil in aerosol to saturate the gun. Once it was clean enough to take apart, I disassembled it and cleaned everything up with the Remoil. Gun looks and runs like new.

Hope this helps.

 

[fleener]

I just got done doing a sxs 10 ga set of barrels. Removed the barrels from the stock, put soft molders clay in the nipples to plug them, carefully filled both barrels with vinegar and let it sit for a week.

Cleaned up the bores.

Fleener

 

[BigBoreBLR]

Thanks for the advice.

I used scotch brite and did about 30 passes, 15 passes then changed to a 2nd scotch brite patch.

Seems good enough to get it to work with a roundball patch for now.

I may fire it tomorrow a bit. When I clean the gun, I will likely do another 15 passes with scotch brite.

I bought a ramrod tool set from T/C for the gun today at the local psorting goods store. I only had a cabela's nylon brush in 50 cal yesterday.

I pushed the brush a few passes and still have dark dirt brown patches. However, the patches are going in and out smoothly now. Should be good enough to sight in.

I am making him a powder measure / ball starter combo tool before he gets the gun back. So, I will have a bit more time to clean up the bore a bit better.

Debating what charge to give him. He has both 370gr maxi-balls and .490 roundball that came with the gun. Thinking of drilling a 75grain hole in the oak ball starter body.

Won't make my mind up until I see how the gun shoots with some of the loadings.

T/C book says 80 to 110gr of FFg.

 

[coloradoclyde]

shoot the round balls first. reduce the charge to 50 grains an recover the patch after firing. it will tell you alot. that bore may still be rough and you don't want to get a maxi ball stuck going down.......and throw away that nylon brush before you break it off in the barrel.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/287039/post/1373230/hl//fromsearch/1/

 

[AZbpBurner]

Keep in mind that you need sulphured molasses, of the type sold at feed stores. Otherwise, keep the unsulphered grocery store molasses for baking cookies.

Evaporust or even Naval Jelly would be a more effective and quicker choice.

 

[azmntman]

Already did it. Got a gallon at feed store. Says non food grade. Worked very well!

I love molasses cookies though!

 

[Zonie]

Naval Jelly will remove rust but it is a fairly strong acid.

If it is left on the surface for any length of time it will not only remove the rust but it will attack the steel as well.

One of the many metal finishes used by the folks who build muzzleloaders is to treat the surface with Naval Jelly and let it bite into the steel surface.
It will leave a soft frosted finish. Fine for making a guns barrel look old but it certainly isn't the kind of surface anyone would want in their guns bore.

 

[Woodyrock]

A fairly fast rust converter is a an aqueous solution of citric acid mixed one cup to the gallon. distilled or rain water works best, and being a chemical reaction the hotter the faster. Citric acid is not poisonous, so is relatively safe to use, and dispose of. Being inside a barrel, I would pour it out, and check the bore after an hour. You can find citric acid at any dealer to home wine makers...it is ude to sterilize bottles.
Woody