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Surprising rust on the barrel of a Pietta 1851

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Joined
Sep 2, 2011
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Golden, CO
Grabbed one of my 1851 Colt by Pietta and there was rust on 3 flats of the barrel, about 1" from where the barrel meets the frame. The rust was significant and I could feel the slight pitting after using very fine steel wool and oil to remove the rust.

Why is it surprising? First, I live in Colorado where it is dry, although we have had higher humidity than usual this summer.
Also, after firing the revolver a few weeks ago, I cleaned it immediately after returning home from the range and applied some Breakfree CLP all over the surfaces of the gun.
Then, I put the gun in a nylon holster that hangs on the door of my safe.
There is no rust on my other 1851, a pair of 1858 Remingtons by Pietta, and a pair of 1860 Army.

I used fine steel wool to remove the rust, cleaned the surface, used a bluing pen on the spots, used the steel wool to blend the bluing, and put some EezyOx on to protect the steel. It's not a perfect blending, but it will do.

Where in the world could this rust have come from?
Ron
 
Grabbed one of my 1851 Colt by Pietta and there was rust on 3 flats of the barrel, about 1" from where the barrel meets the frame. The rust was significant and I could feel the slight pitting after using very fine steel wool and oil to remove the rust.

The OP reported rust on 3 flats on his barrel, flats are on the outside of the barrel, not in inside the barrel.

I checked all my Remington's, they all agree, flats are on the outside.

My thought is he put a dirty pistol into a holster and went home and cleaned his pistol, put it back into a dirty holster which had black powder residue left over from shooting along with residue salts impeded into the holster, instant rust.
 
Never been a big fan of breakfree, they use to put silicone in it, My guess is if you use water to clean your gun or a water based solvent your lube may not have displaced all the water and that may have been it in part, don't know for sure. After cleaning with water and the gun parts are dry I use WD-40 as a lube first and then the next day I go back and re lube with Rem Oil or LPS1 or another good rust inhibitor, your holster could have been part of the culprit also.
 
You are correct.

I have taken pistols in plastic cases which have foam lining. When it gets hot inside a vehicle or the cases are in the bed of open truck in the sunlight they are going to get surface rust almost instantly.

All my guns go into a gun safe with nothing around them. When traveling they are inside the truck or in a motel room as soon as I arrive.
 
Thank you all.

The "holster" is a holster-shaped, nylon holder that attaches to the inside of the door of the safe by Velcro, so it never leaves the safe.

It is possible that there was some condensation picked up by the soft interior of the holster during our unusually high humidity period and held against the outside of the barrel.

I did a first, soapy water rinse at the range after shooting (to 3 cap and ball pistols) and did a more rigorous cleaning with soapy water at home. Then, I sprayed down with the CLP as I do with my "unspeakable" guns. None of the others pistols show any rust and hang on the safe door in the same type holders.

After this experience, I gave all the shooting irons a light coat of EezOx, a corrosion inhibitor that has tested out as one of the best.
Ron
 
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