rifle is rusty

ForneyRider · October 29, 2010, 03:25 PM

Some moisture got in the gun case and rusted out the end of my Parker Hale 1200 7mm mag. This gun is 1969 model and is my deer gun.

I cleaned off the rust, but the blueing is gone. I need to hunt one more season with it and am not sure if I want to restore this gun or go with a new one. Is there a temporary solution to protect the metal until after season is over?

Much thanks!

Rifleman1776 · October 29, 2010, 04:03 PM

As long as the bore is OK, hunt with it. To restore blue on the cheap, buy Brownell's Oxpho Blue and apply with 0000 steel wool. Your incident was not fatal.

**Unclenick** · October 29, 2010, 04:31 PM

It really depends on what you meant by "rusted out". If you have severe crown pitting or pitting just inside the muzzle, you may be best off to cut the barrel back square and then recrown it. I have an inexpensive crowning method you can download from my file repository. You can do it on top of the existing crown if touching up is all it needs. If not, it takes care of the crown after you've cut the muzzle off square, but you will still need a file or other method to chamfer the outside edges of the muzzle. Getting the square cut takes some skill or a friend with a lathe.

If you had minor rusting on the edge of the crown or in the muzzle, I would take the gun to the range and just shoot it to see how it groups. If the groups are fine, don't mess with success; just color it. If the groups have opened up appreciably over its past performance, then cutting past the rust spots and recrowning is the only way to correct it short of replacing the whole barrel. Oxpho Blue will cover the recrowning work reasonably well. Nothing will look quite as good as the original blue except a total re-bluing, but you can at least clear away the obvious problem with a cold blue.

publius · October 29, 2010, 04:51 PM

I'm with Unclenick, Unless the crown is messed up you can probably clean and shoot the rust out of the inside of the bore. Clean it out good with bore solvent, bronze brush, 0000 steeel wool wrapped around an old brush then go shoot it and repeat the aggressive cleaning. What I would do, anyway. As long as you keep oil on the bare areas where the blueing is gone it won't rust. If it bothers you G96 and Brownell's Oxpho are both good cold blue but they need to be kept well oiled.

50of4064 · November 3, 2010, 12:28 AM

Just buy a new one and send the old one to me, I like rusty guns.

If the rust is just on the outside, I'd go with Rifleman's suggestion, cold blue it and dump the case it rusted in, as it will transfer to what ever new gun you put in it.

P.S. go ahead and buy a new one anyway

and if SHE asks tell her we said it was all right!

ForneyRider · November 4, 2010, 10:20 AM

Oh believe me, I want a new one.

But this one will be saved for load testing or get rebarreled for 375H&H.

October 29, 2010, 03:25 PM	#1
ForneyRider Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2007 Location: Forney, TX Posts: 725	rifle is rusty Some moisture got in the gun case and rusted out the end of my Parker Hale 1200 7mm mag. This gun is 1969 model and is my deer gun. I cleaned off the rust, but the blueing is gone. I need to hunt one more season with it and am not sure if I want to restore this gun or go with a new one. Is there a temporary solution to protect the metal until after season is over? Much thanks! __________________ When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done.

October 29, 2010, 04:31 PM	#3
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	It really depends on what you meant by "rusted out". If you have severe crown pitting or pitting just inside the muzzle, you may be best off to cut the barrel back square and then recrown it. I have an inexpensive crowning method you can download from my file repository. You can do it on top of the existing crown if touching up is all it needs. If not, it takes care of the crown after you've cut the muzzle off square, but you will still need a file or other method to chamfer the outside edges of the muzzle. Getting the square cut takes some skill or a friend with a lathe. If you had minor rusting on the edge of the crown or in the muzzle, I would take the gun to the range and just shoot it to see how it groups. If the groups are fine, don't mess with success; just color it. If the groups have opened up appreciably over its past performance, then cutting past the rust spots and recrowning is the only way to correct it short of replacing the whole barrel. Oxpho Blue will cover the recrowning work reasonably well. Nothing will look quite as good as the original blue except a total re-bluing, but you can at least clear away the obvious problem with a cold blue. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle Last edited by Unclenick; October 29, 2010 at 04:36 PM.

October 29, 2010, 04:51 PM	#4
publius Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2005 Location: Mississippi/Texas Posts: 2,505	I'm with Unclenick, Unless the crown is messed up you can probably clean and shoot the rust out of the inside of the bore. Clean it out good with bore solvent, bronze brush, 0000 steeel wool wrapped around an old brush then go shoot it and repeat the aggressive cleaning. What I would do, anyway. As long as you keep oil on the bare areas where the blueing is gone it won't rust. If it bothers you G96 and Brownell's Oxpho are both good cold blue but they need to be kept well oiled. __________________ "Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress, but I repeat myself." Mark Twain

November 3, 2010, 12:28 AM	#5
50of4064 Member Join Date: April 20, 2009 Location: Southern Calif. Posts: 52	I think you sould but a new one! Just buy a new one and send the old one to me, I like rusty guns. If the rust is just on the outside, I'd go with Rifleman's suggestion, cold blue it and dump the case it rusted in, as it will transfer to what ever new gun you put in it. P.S. go ahead and buy a new one anyway and if SHE asks tell her we said it was all right! Last edited by 50of4064; November 3, 2010 at 12:33 AM.

November 4, 2010, 10:20 AM	#6
ForneyRider Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2007 Location: Forney, TX Posts: 725	Oh believe me, I want a new one. But this one will be saved for load testing or get rebarreled for 375H&H. __________________ When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done.

October 29, 2010, 04:03 PM	#2
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	As long as the bore is OK, hunt with it. To restore blue on the cheap, buy Brownell's Oxpho Blue and apply with 0000 steel wool. Your incident was not fatal.