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Old July 9, 2013, 08:58 AM   #1
eastwood396
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Bersa .380 rust

I have a Bersa Thunder that's three years old. Has never been exposed to the elements, just rides in my truck. The slide is getting rust spots all over....is this normal? Do you think Bersa would fix it? Or should I just accept as normal and use steel wool or something to fix it myself?
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Old July 9, 2013, 09:04 AM   #2
JasonJ
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what finish is the slide? nickel, blued, etc??

Something had to have come into contact with it- holster wear, chemicals, sweat, high humidity, etc.. something of the sort. It would be exceedingly rare to see a nickel slide develop rust spots. A blued slide, sure, no reason why not, especially if there isnt a layer of protection on the slide such an oil barrier.

but for a blued slide to just randomly develop rust spots with no scratches, abrasions, scuffs, or liquid contact, I assume could only be caused by excessive moisture in the air and constant exposure.

Bersa pistols don't all have fantastic finish quality, but they certainly aren't poor or bad by any means. Can you post some pictures?
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Old July 9, 2013, 09:05 AM   #3
Mike Irwin
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Have you oiled it or otherwise used anything to protect the surface?

If not, yes, it's fairly normal for unprotected steel in an environment that's not climate controlled all of the time.
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Old July 9, 2013, 09:27 AM   #4
eastwood396
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Here are a couple of cell phone pics....not good but you get the idea. I keep the gun in a leather holster in my truck almost 24/7....and I live in hot, humid south Georgia. So I guess I can blame myself/the weather....SO....how can I fix this myself? Steel wool and machine oil?
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Old July 9, 2013, 09:52 AM   #5
JasonJ
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if its just very top surface corrosion, fine steel wool should take it off.. once it is, you'll be able to see if the bluing is damaged or gone from those areas. If it is, I would touch it up with a cold bluing kit.

If the corrosion is more severe, causing pitting of the slide, or anything similar, then I would get out the fine sandpaper and sand the whole slide down and reblue the whole thing.

After all is said and done, wipe it down with some rem-wipes or oiled cleaning cloth.. just a light light coat of something to protect it, especially since 24/7 in a leather holster in the kind of environment you have is rough on metal surfaces like that.

Then I would wipe it down and reapply the protective layer every month or so- depending on the weather and how quickly the humidity gets to it.
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Old July 9, 2013, 09:54 AM   #6
eastwood396
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Thank you Jason...I appreciate the advice!
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Old July 9, 2013, 10:07 AM   #7
Dragline45
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Try some Hoppes 9 or even gun oil with a cloth and see how much of it will wipe off, soaking it in either for a bit might help loosen it up also. For any spots that do not just wipe off try a toothbrush or 0000 steel wool with some gun oil.

By the way, leaving a gun in a leather holster is just about the worst thing you can do for the finish, especialy in hot humid weather inside a car. Even stainless steel will rust in these circumstances. As Jason said if there are any spots where the bluing is gone you can touch it up with cold blue.
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Old July 9, 2013, 01:24 PM   #8
lee n. field
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Quote:
Here are a couple of cell phone pics....not good but you get the idea. I keep the gun in a leather holster in my truck almost 24/7....and I live in hot, humid south Georgia. So I guess I can blame myself/the weather....SO....how can I fix this myself? Steel wool and machine oil?
Looking at those pics, I'm thinking it's damper in the truck than you think.

If it were mine, steel wool to clean it off, then maybe a gunkote or similar surface treatment. Or replace with a stainless or nickel version.
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Old July 9, 2013, 01:41 PM   #9
Mike Irwin
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Leather is a VERY bad 24x7 store and forget medium, especially in hot, humid climates.

You're a lot better going with a nylon or other man-made material if you want to do long-term storage.
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Old July 9, 2013, 02:11 PM   #10
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Sitting in a holster in a truck is bad, coupled with the fact that you live in a very humid area. Then we take into account that the truck gets very hot inside and then you turn on the a/c and get it cold which = condensation.
Gun blue is probably the least protection you can put on a metal and you have to keep an oil barrier over it. I generally use a sheepskin treated with
RIG to wipe firearms and it does a pretty good job of creating a moisture barrier over the metal.
0000 steel wool will probably do a good job of removing rust, but cold blue does little to protect the metal. It will help the appearance though.
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Old July 9, 2013, 06:48 PM   #11
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Try some Hoppes 9 or even gun oil with a cloth and see how much of it will wipe off, soaking it in either for a bit might help loosen it up also. For any spots that do not just wipe off try a toothbrush or 0000 steel wool with some gun oil.

By the way, leaving a gun in a leather holster is just about the worst thing you can do for the finish, especialy in hot humid weather inside a car. Even stainless steel will rust in these circumstances. As Jason said if there are any spots where the bluing is gone you can touch it up with cold blue.
This is advice from a sage.
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Old July 9, 2013, 09:19 PM   #12
bedbugbilly
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If you're keeping it in a leather holster - that may be the problem. Leather will pick up humidity which in turn will be translated into moisture against the metal. You also don't state how often you clean and wipe the pistol down? Over the last 50 years, I've found that keeping a firearm wiped down and oiled works wonders at preventing rust and damage. The same goes for any handgun carried in a leather holster for CCW - if you're in an area with high humidity or a warm climate where you sweat a lot - you'd best be keeping the handgun wiped down and make sure that your holster isn't retaining moisture - it doesn't take much to cause rust overnight.
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Old July 9, 2013, 09:29 PM   #13
Chris9472
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How is the warranty on that Bersa? Steel wool will get rid of the rust but will also ruin the finish if you don't touch it up. Leather holsters are fine if you clean and oil the gun once in awhile. Looks like you didn't do that... shame on you!
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Old July 10, 2013, 06:01 AM   #14
Mike Irwin
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Oh, and this is not a warranty claim.

Simply put, your lack of attention is what caused this, not a manufacturing issue from Bersa.
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Old July 10, 2013, 11:34 AM   #15
Dragline45
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Steel wool will get rid of the rust but will also ruin the finish
0000 steel wool is very fine, it actually feels kind of soft, and if you rub lightly with just a little bit of a gun oil you can remove light surface rust without destroying the finish. Anything more than just surface rust though the finish is donezo anyway so it wouldn't really matter at that point.
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Old July 10, 2013, 12:27 PM   #16
henry1960
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Whats done is done but like every one says if you carry or store your gun in a holster or in a area which is not climate controlled you should clean and wipe your gun often regardless..I wipe my 1911 down every day and take apart and oil once a week anyways..But that's just Me
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