Removing rust

[hortonstn]

I ran a borescope down one of my barrels to my surprise I saw several brown spots I presume it's rust even though I clean with dawn and water then dry out with wd-40 then follow with rig
What's the best way to remove this?

[Scota4570]

Just a little rust? 

Not a big cancerios mess. 

I'd work it over with Maroon Scotchbrite and Semichrome polish.  I'd keep it wet with windex while I was polishing it. 

[Daryl]

Another good one is AUTO SOL Metal Polish. It is a bit more aggressive than Flitz & JB Compound.

[hortonstn]

Thanks guys yes it's just a little but I hate it I take extreme care of these barrels and don't understand where it came from if it matters is a round groove barrel

[Top Jaw]

I’d second the maroon scotch brite cut patches, and some scrubbing. You will probably have to drop down one jag size to accommodate the thickness. 

[smylee grouch]

Try cleaning without the dish soap , and if your using hot water switch to room temp water and WD 40 after bore is dry to see if that works.

[AZshot]

To me, it's a "what you don't know won't hurt you" situation.  I've never owned a borescope, never used one.  I've been very active in all shooting sports my whole life, about 50 years at this point. 

If you are looking at the spots, and have to stop them, just try scrubbing harder in those areas.  Maybe use s nylon bristle brush, or some Tow.  Use some CLP oil and see if it can be turned to black rust.

[Pukka Bundook]

What AZ or Daryl say.

I don't like Scotchbrite much as it scours the surface of the metal more than I like. The Solvol Autosol leaves a Very smooth surface, that is hard for rust to get a hold of.

[alacran]

I have to agree with AZ shot. I clean as I always have. I never use WD 40 or soap. Last thing I do before oiling, is run 91% rubbing alcohol down the barrel.
It always brings out some more blackness. I dry the barrel with patches until they are hard to pull out.
If the rifle shoots the same as it did before you noticed these blemishes. I would not worry about it.

[Waksupi]

The WD-40 could be turning to varnish. That has to be wiped out completely before oiling the bore.

[Daryl]

Soaps are not needed. Using ANY soap is not being good to your barrel. It is not needed, even if you use
an oil or grease lube.
After drying my barrels & locks are FLUSHED with WD40. Then that the WD40 pumped out the vent or nipple seat with a fresh cleaning patch,
several strokes, then the barrel and lock are wiped down and returned to the stock.
Been doing it this way since 1975 or 76.
NO rust, ever.

[hortonstn]

Some of the guys I shoot with use windex to clean, the original with ammonia sounds wrong to me
Then oil I thought ammonia was bad!!

[Daryl]

Ammonia will react with some steels,(& some more than others) which is why smokeless powder and copper solvents with ammonia in them,
have a time limit for being in the bore. That time limit is 15min. for most of those solvents. Copper solvents without ammonia usually do not
work very well in my experience. Been using copper solvents since 1968.

[Hawg]

The WD-40 could be turning to varnish. That has to be wiped out completely before oiling the bore.

WD-40 does not turn into varnish, that's internet lore. All my dad used to clean his guns was WD-40. I got them after he died and there was no rust or varnish. They were just dry. Nothing a little oil didn't fix. If you're getting varnish some other oil caused it.

[Scota4570]

IF you have a rough rusty bore it will foul up very quickly.  You will have to clean between shots.  That means cleaner in the bore.  That causes misfires.  I do not have the patience for that.  Make it nice and shiny and have more fun shooting. 

[Darkhorse]

Can you feel those rust spots with a cleaning patch? It will feel like a rough spot. If not it might not be rust at all. What patch lube are you using?

[hortonstn]

Patch lube is machine oil/Mr kleen/water this is used by many benchrest shooters at Friendship

[Waksupi]

The WD-40 could be turning to varnish. That has to be wiped out completely before oiling the bore.

WD-40 does not turn into varnish, that's internet lore. All my dad used to clean his guns was WD-40. I got them after he died and there was no rust or varnish. They were just dry. Nothing a little oil didn't fix. If you're getting varnish some other oil caused it.

Doing gunsmithing for several decades, I sure cleaned up a bunch of gummed up duck hunters guns from WD 40 build up.

[Daryl]

I can only assume, this "varnish" depends on how it is used. 
The way I use it, Hawg uses it and Taylor uses it, we get no varnish.

[Waksupi]

I can only assume, this "varnish" depends on how it is used. 
The way I use it, Hawg uses it and Taylor uses it, we get no varnish.

Duck hunters have (had?) a habit of going home, and spraying the action full of WD40 and put it away until the next time.

[Maven]

I can only assume, this "varnish" depends on how it is used. 
The way I use it, Hawg uses it and Taylor uses it, we get no varnish.

Duck hunters have (had?) a habit of going home, and spraying the action full of WD40 and put it away until the next time.

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I use WD-40 as well, but follow up the next day with either straight ATF or ATF mixed with Marvel Mystery Oil and get no rust here in the humid Hudson Valley.  Btw, the ATF+MMO mixture is good for lubing your bike chain too, as long as you wipe off the excess.

[Daryl]

I can only assume, this "varnish" depends on how it is used. 
The way I use it, Hawg uses it and Taylor uses it, we get no varnish.

Duck hunters have (had?) a habit of going home, and spraying the action full of WD40 and put it away until the next time.

I've never heard of this BOZO method of cleaning a gun before.

[Waksupi]

I can only assume, this "varnish" depends on how it is used. 
The way I use it, Hawg uses it and Taylor uses it, we get no varnish.

Duck hunters have (had?) a habit of going home, and spraying the action full of WD40 and put it away until the next time.

I've never heard of this BOZO method of cleaning a gun before.

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It was pretty common 50 years ago. Not a lot of lubricants like are available now, and not all that much care taken of guns by some.

[Daryl]

I guess it depends on where you live. Even 60 years ago, I was using Hoppe's #9.

[Marcruger]

The Windex some shooters use if often the clear "Windex with Vinegar".  Long been used for cleaning in the BP rear stuffers.  They also use Marvel Mystery Oil for a bore protector.  Good for that use. 

For any bore, try a good scrub with Mr. Flintlock or Lehigh Valley Lube (both basically the same formula).   Bill Knight explained that it is the only cleaner that actually removes graphite.   If you get grey or black on patches when you know the bore should be clean.....might be graphite. 

WD-40 is a fine water displacing oil, but not great for preventing corrosion.  I clean the bore with windshield washer fluid, clean again with Mr. Flintlock, dry patch it, and patch the bore with WD-40 to get the liquid out.  Once home I dry the bore and wet-patch it with Break Free CLP for overnight.  The next day I dry that out and put the preservative in the bore.   That preservative gets cleaned out with 91% alcohol before the next time I shoot.  No rust so far, and it is humid here. 

The original Hoppe's #9 bore cleaner actually is not bad as a rust preventative.  Just don't ever use it on a nickel plated gun or part.