Rusty Crusty Bore

[longrifle]

I have a 69 cal. Musket the exterior is nice condition. But the inside of the bore is rusty and crusty. I have used a bore brush and solvent on it but haven't made much head way. Any suggestions would be appreciated . Thank You.

[Black Hand]

Steel wool on a jag and rotated slowly with a drill while working the rammer up and down the barrel. Stay away from bore brushes - they have bad habit of getting stuck down bore....

[490roundball]

there is a pad called a Frontier Pad that does an excellent job on rust and crud-  the interesting thing with them is that they do not damage the finish on the metal if you use them on the outside - stay off the wood though

to clean bores - i wrap them on a jag on a rod i can chuck into a cordless drill- 

 
the link - http://big45.com/


the locks on this gun where equally as rusted-  the top one is almost done - notice the case color that remained after
 cleaning

[T*O*F]

Go to the auto parts store and buy some Evapo-rust.  Plug the nipple/touch hole and pour the barrel full.  Stand it in the corner and let it set overnite.  The next day, pour it out and wash the bore with water and dry.  All the rust will be gone and the good metal will remain untouched.  Scouring the bore with abrasives won't get the rust out of any pits.....this stuff will.

[Elnathan]

I've had good success with penetrating oil/Kroil-like-stuff followed by a patch imbedded with JB Bore Paste wrapped around a sacrificial brush.

[Pukka Bundook]

What TOF says, or just use plain white vinegar, but don't slop any on the outsiude  of the barrel, as it'll take off any finish.

Vinegar won't hurt iron /steel, but afterwards, flush it out and oil to prevent rust.
Vinegar can be left in the barrel indefinitely and won't harm the metal, but it does eat rust.
After soak of a day or a week whatever it takes, flush it out and use a jag and medium wire wool.
Used this method most on v bad barrels.

Good luck!

[Mike Brooks]

Make a square reamer and ream it out if you want the pits gone.

[wildcatter]

I second what TOF said, I use evapo-rust on auto parts all the time, I am half way through a 1965 mustang re-build project and the evapo-rust pulls the rust out of everything and doesn't hurt the metal or chrome or painted surfaces. Its neat stuff!!

[WadePatton]

I'm with Pukka, vinegar is likely less expensive than the other solutions. I've been amazed at what it does to files. It's my new goto soak for anything rusty.  Anything cruddy (organic matter-not rust) gets lye. 

Let it go for a few days if you do the vinegar soak. It'll look bad and smell horrid, but cleans up nice.

[Pukka Bundook]

Wade,
Yes Lye is good for lots of cleaning, and will also remove rust that gets glued into things like gun parts, it's the old oil that sticks the rust on so badly, and lye will fetch it off.

I should have said with vinegar, it has to be oil -free to work. No good putting it on an oily surface.

R.

[Black Hand]

Don't discount other cleaners - I've used Simple Green to remove oil & grease with great success. Also, Simple Green won't melt your skin if it happens to spatter....

[Feltwad]

I have a 69 cal. Musket the exterior is nice condition. But the inside of the bore is rusty and crusty. I have used a bore brush and solvent on it but haven't made much head way. Any suggestions would be appreciated . Thank You.

What you need is one of these with inter changeable size brush for different bore size  I have lapped out hundreds of original barrel tubes using this tool that I made decades ago .
Feltwad

[Pukka Bundook]

Wherever do you get a brush like that, Feltwad?

Make a square reamer and ream it out if you want the pits gone.

Mike,

Been fine -boring a musket barrel from India, but think the outside of the barrel may meet the inside before the pits are gone. 

[Hungry Horse]

I would make the first step a dose of Evaporust as was mentioned earlier. This stuff is the bomb. Once you try it, there will be a bottle of it in your shop from then on. And you don’t have to turn over the country to find it. I get it from the local O’Reilly’s parts house. If they are out of the de-rusting formula, go over to the radiator flushing shelf and get their radiator flush formula, it works well too.

  Hungry Horse

[490roundball]

Wherever do you get a brush like that, Feltwad?

http://www.brushresearch.com/brushes.php?c2=6

[WadePatton]

Wherever do you get a brush like that, Feltwad?
...

Auto parts houses used to sell brushes like that for honing out brake cylinders. Most everyone "outsources" that type of "remanufacturing" these days (to the cheapest labor on the planet with zero QC).  I have honed some hydraulics before, replaced seals--it's how we used to fix stuff.

You might yet find some in that sort of store. but not the tiny stones on levers type--unless you has smoothie you want smoother.  Here's that type:  (bonus it adjusts a little bit)



I'd still use 5% acetic acid first. But that's just me.  Best of luck! 

[T*O*F]

Wade,
The one you show is too large and won't fit in most bores.  I know, I still have one.  The one needed only has two stones and the arms are spring steel.  You just squeeze the stones together and the spring tension maintains the size.  I have one of those too, but have been unable to locate it whenever I need it.  Could be hiding anywhere in the shop.

[WadePatton]

Wade,
The one you show is too large and won't fit in most bores.  I know, I still have one.  The one needed only has two stones and the arms are spring steel.  You just squeeze the stones together and the spring tension maintains the size.  I have one of those too, but have been unable to locate it whenever I need it.  Could be hiding anywhere in the shop.

Yes. The one I show is _not_ the sort I'd ever try to use. I was just showing it for illustration purposes (and have one or two of them).   If faced with the situation, I'd likely do a proper lap job (poured lead lap) after solving out most of the corrosion.

But since I quit the terrible stuff, there's not much corrosion to deal with (but that I induce with intent). 

Be safe out there TOF , appears you're iced now, it's hitting N-vegas presently. I'm hunkered in my cave with a sack of flour and bag of potatoes and spirits.  (I now use TDOT for weather/road conditions info, one-click, no bs.)

[Robby]

I've used this one on bores as small as .58, and even jug choked with it. You can get a variety of stones, fine to course.
https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/shotgun-tools/barrel-hones-accessories/shotgun-barrel-hone-prod7930.aspx

Robby

[Daryl]

Wherever do you get a brush like that, Feltwad?
...

Auto parts houses used to sell brushes like that for honing out brake cylinders. Most everyone "outsources" that type of "remanufacturing" these days (to the cheapest labor on the planet with zero QC).  I have honed some hydraulics before, replaced seals--it's how we used to fix stuff.

You might yet find some in that sort of store. but not the tiny stones on levers type--unless you has smoothie you want smoother.  Here's that type:  (bonus it adjusts a little bit)



I'd still use 5% acetic acid first. But that's just me.  Best of luck!

I have used these stones, then when the stones wear out, using emery contact-cemented onto the arms, for boring and changing shotgun chokes. It is also a easy way, with some skill used with proper measuring & marking to get the entrance and exit, to jug choke a bore. Piece of cake.