Can't Stop the Rust!

[Sequatchie Rifle]

Loaned my trusty .32 squirrel gun to a friend for a few weeks and when I got it back the bore was full of a fine powdery rust.  Ran a cleaning rod down the bore and could hardly get it all the way down due to the rust.  My friend claims he cleaned it well. I don't doubt him for a minute as I've seen him clean his rifles and also seen many a rust rifle in his cabin

So I asked him how he cleaned blackpowder rifles.  (Seems like everyone has some kind of overcomplicated cityfied formulation for the simple cleaning process.)  He uses factory lubed patches. Here is what he told me:
"I swipe the bore between shots with a hydrogen peroxide mixture to keep her clear of residue, then after a day of shooting I clean her up good using a good bore cleaner, some denatured alcohol, some 3-in-1 Oil, then swipe her down a few times with WD 40, and finally swab her clean and then apply some Breakfree."  He said he always has a problem with rust.

I was amazed, as I lube my patches with good old Upper Cumberland Spit.  Works just as good as any of those other high-priced commodities!  Then after shooting, I'll run several patches down the bore and clean the lock just a little with cloth patches and USGI CLP (Breakfree- cleaner, lubricant, protective).  If I'm going to be shooting in the next week, that does pretty good, but if I think it will be much longer than that I'll mix up a batch of warm soapy water (not hot) water and clean her good.  The next couple of days I'll run an oily patch through just to make sure she's cleaned well.  That has always worked and I've never had a speck of bore rust.  I just wipe down the outside of the barrel with a dry rag.

Anyway, I can't get this bore to stop rusting.  Every morning for the last two weeks I've run an oily patch down the bore and it comes out discolored from rust.  I've even tried baking soda to neutralize the peroxide- don't know if that made any sense, but I'm a desperate man!

This squirrel gun had over a 1000 shots fired through her and the barrel was seasoned like my Granny's best cornbread skillet!  Now it's just a heavy rust producer!

Somebody tell me what to do!

Signed,
Anguish'in in Alabama!

[Tom Cooper]

I would consider a proper sized bronze bore brush wrapped with 0000 steel wool to form a TIGHT bore mop and scrub with liberal amounts of your favorite gun oil.

'Ol man told me once "never loan out anything you cannot afford to lose" , "never borrow anything you cannot afford to buy"

Has served me well for many moons.

Good Luck
I use the above described method to finish after I clean my rifle, just a couple passes and she is clean and ready to be stored.

[camerl2009]

i never lone a gun unless im right there with the guy and he has a P.A.L(firearms license)

[Longknife]

"factory lubed patches---hydrogen peroxide----bore cleaner---denatured alcohol---3 in one oil ---w d 40----breakfree"--- SHEESH!!it sounds like he is making a BOMB, not cleaning a gun!!!!!!!!! I would do a good scrubbin with HOT soapy water to try an leach out what ever is in the pores. then a thorough drying and WD 40...THEN be a good friend and tell your buddy how to clean a muzzle loader!!!!!!!!! I don't know how GOOD a friend he is but he MAY owe you a barrel, but then you knew he had rust issues...Ed

[Leatherbelly]

The hydrogen peroxide part scares me.

[RwBeV]

Bore brushes in muzzle loaders scare the heck out of me.  I don't know how many rifles that I have had in my shop that I had to pull the breach plug to get some sort of brush combination out.  obviously you need to get all of the rust out, I use JB bore cleaner rubbed in a soft patch until I see no more rust, then clean the bore with what ever you use and I like to use Bore Butter to keep the rust away.  I don't care to use JB on ML guns as it is an abrasive but when you have that much rust you have to get under it some how.

This is just what I do take it for what its worth.
Bob

[JCKelly]

Hydrogen peroxide helps the salt (ALWAYS PRESENT IN SOAP) rust the gun better.

Treat it like you were in the Army when they used corrosive ammuniton. Clean & clean again. Guess it might be past the stage where water cleaning would help, clean with some simple gun oil.  Breakfree CLP is one decent oil.

Hot water also rusts things faster than cold.

[Tom Cooper]

Bore brushes in muzzle loaders scare the heck out of me.  I don't know how many rifles that I have had in my shop that I had to pull the breach plug to get some sort of brush combination out.  obviously you need to get all of the rust out, I use JB bore cleaner rubbed in a soft patch until I see no more rust, then clean the bore with what ever you use and I like to use Bore Butter to keep the rust away.  I don't care to use JB on ML guns as it is an abrasive but when you have that much rust you have to get under it some how.

This is just what I do take it for what its worth.
Bob

I assume most know how to properly fit a brush to a muzzle loader, my bad. Still I stand by my routine as it will work to scrub the bore and arrest the rust.

[Roger Fisher]

The hydrogen peroxide part scares me.

I thought he was making funny!

[chuck-ia]

I might try some 0000 steel wool wrapped around a jag with wd-40, can't imagine it would hurt anything. Thats what I did to mine a few months ago after loaning it out,  grrrrrrr. chuck

[hanshi]

I learned my lesson about loaning guns back when I was a teenager.  I simply don't loan guns if they will be out of my immediate sight, in other words, not at all.  The way someone treats their own guns is a clue.  I use to keep an old banger around for a loaner but no longer need to do even that.  J&B Bore Paste, 0000 steel wool, both remove rust without damage.  If the barrel is pitted it may be pretty much gone. 

[camerl2009]

hydrogen peroxide,3 in one oil,wd 40 thats the problem like others said the hydrogen peroxide will rust
the 3 in 1 and wd 40 traps water and builds a flim

all that mix not good id scrap it if you cant get it to stop and get the money off him for a new barrel

oh and teech him how to clean a muzzleloader

[bob in the woods]

You didn't say if your gun was caplock, or flint. Also, what powder was used?  If not real black, considering the cleaning materials. I'd be prepared for the worst. I cleaned a barrel to where a patch came out clean; the next day, the first patch came out dirty. Cleaned again, then the next day ...same thing.  This went on for 4 days.
I don't lend my guns or my wife
I did lend a gun to a good friend a long time ago. It was a .270, and he mistakenly fired a .308 through it.
Learned my lesson .

[Macon Due]

If it was mine............I would use the 0000 steel wool around a tight fitting jag or a looser fitting bore brush and scrub with a good oil or solvent . After that treatment I would remove oil with rubbing alcohol on patches and then  use 'Naval Jelly'on patches or steel wool mop, this will kill the rust [will also remove bluing/browning ect so keep it off the outside of the barrel] after the N.J. treatment clean with warm water and patches then I would use the J.B. bore paste.Then clean with warm water in the normal fasion and oil it. Check after a day and see how she is. Make note to self............[Do not loan guns!]
Macon

[camerl2009]

You didn't say if your gun was caplock, or flint. Also, what powder was used?  If not real black, considering the cleaning materials. I'd be prepared for the worst. I cleaned a barrel to where a patch came out clean; the next day, the first patch came out dirty. Cleaned again, then the next day ...same thing.  This went on for 4 days.
I don't lend my guns or my wife
I did lend a gun to a good friend a long time ago. It was a .270, and he mistakenly fired a .308 through it.
Learned my lesson .

how dose a .308 chamber in a .270 i know the brass in just about the same but i dont think the neck will chamber

[DEADDAWG]

The bullet slides back into the case and the case neck crushes down as you cram the bolt forward. Had a guy bring one into the gunsmith shop at Lackland when he couldn't get the bolt to close all the way, lucky for him.

[Sequatchie Rifle]

It is a flintlock and he used real blackpowder.  I broke out the old Army Rifle Bore Cleaner, then swabbed it clean, then ran the hottest water I could get through her.  The heat from the water dried the barrel, then I used breakfree.  We'll see!  Thanks for all the advice.  I'll report back.

[bob in the woods]

The round is a bit shorter. You force the bolt closed, then fire. Blew out the extractor, but..the bullet did go through the barrel.  I got the gun back after he returned from his hunt.He said " your gun broke ! "
Savage fixed it for me. Cost me only $ 40.00   Since I was hunting with my flintlocks for the last # of years, I wasn't using it, so lent it in a weak moment. When it was fixed, I sold it back to the dealer.

[RwBeV]

Some where in my shop I have what is left of a 700 Remington that was a 25-06, some one fired a 308 in it THEY WILL FIT!!! It tore the face off the bolt set it back .006 and split the stock from end to end.  I had to pull the barrel to get the case out.  Don't underestimate stupidity or a momentary laps in concentration.

Oh ya this fellow lent the gun out to a friend!!??

Bob

[Paddlefoot]

I wouldn't put navel jelly in your barrel. it contains phosphoric acid and will just give you something else to try and get out of the etched pits. I've had the best luck on problem rust guns by using ACF-50 or Corrosion-X  on the patches after mopping them out with warm soapy water and drying with flannel patches. This stuff is like WD-40 on steroids and works great as a penetrating oil for rusted in nipples and such stuff. If you cant find them at a gun shop try an aircraft or pilot supply house first almost any of them will have it.

[Daryl]

It sounds as if he used and uses the fake powders.

 As per corrosive primer gun cleaning, lots of proper water cleaning to leech out the vestiges of residues left by the burning of the chlorates - same @!*% stuff that made corrosive primers, well, corrosive.   

RB uses brushes in his TC's and other guns. He says you have to twist them - clockwise to tighten and turn the bristles so they can be pulled back up the tube.  Personally, I will not use a brush in a closed barrel as the bristles will actually harm the bore if refersed- just ask a BR shooter.  These cautions were presented years ago, when BR shooters were using only ChromeMoly barrels, ie: 4140 and 5140 steels, which are a LOT harder & tougher than ML barrels.  Some ML barrels are like butter in comparrison.

[Sequatchie Rifle]

No "fake powder" just real, high quality blackpowder. I believe I've isolated it to the diluted hydrogen peroxide.  Have flushed it with hot water and Track of the Wolf's Black Powder Bore Cleaning Solvent.  Then I used CLP to "oil" the bore.  This morning there was no sign of rust.

[camerl2009]

It sounds as if he used and uses the fake powders.

 As per corrosive primer gun cleaning, lots of proper water cleaning to leech out the vestiges of residues left by the burning of the chlorates - same @!*% stuff that made corrosive primers, well, corrosive.   

never tryed hot water for corrosive ammo  have used windex, ww2 bore cleaner made for cleaning that nasty stuff.
 
for pyrodex and 777 i do that same as if i was cleaning corrosive ammo

[Daryl]

 I had some in the lockup - poured it on the weeds on the other side of the fence - could say I gave it to the 'city'.  The weeds liked it.

[Sequatchie Rifle]

No rust- no longer loaning my squirrel rifle.  My world is back in balance.  Keep your powder dry and don't waste your gold on fancy products.  Water and a little Breakfree or the rifle oil of your choice.