Can chrome bores rust?

kremin · June 25, 2005, 06:18 AM

G'day,

I have a Zabala Suprema 12ga u/o with chrome bores, that hasn't been used for 3 years or so. This was a cheaper type Spanish gun I bought new in '96. I thought that I had cleaned and oiled it after the last use, however.... (yes I know, some people don't deserve to own firearms).

I have given it wet patches, and three x 10 strokes with a 'wound wire loop' brush and Shooters Choice (which I have found more effective than Hoppes No9). There are still some marks on the barrels like plastic wad marks, but not as 'high'. Pushing an oily patch through brings them up clearer. Is this still plastic that needs cleaning or could it be rust? Some minor areas of rust spots has developed on external 'silver' (chrome?) parts of the reciever and trigger guard.

Thanks kremin

mete · June 25, 2005, 07:34 AM

The only way it could rust is if the chrome plating is bad and has started to chip or peel. If there are definitely rust spots on the outside I would suspect a bad plating job.Just keep it cleaned and oiled .

kudu · June 25, 2005, 10:49 AM

Chrome can discolor, and rust can blead through chrome as well. What may have happened when you put it away last time is that all the plastic from wads may have built up in thebore. You may have oiled it down and even cleaned the bore well but still left some plastic in the bore that that covered a bit of corrosion that may have grown.

Scrub it good with the Shooters Choice, it is a fairly good at removing plastic residue if you let it soak for a bit before pushing a brush through. Keep it up until you are satisfied.

kremin · June 26, 2005, 03:28 AM

Thanks for the advice. I guess I will give it a couple of more scrubs for good luck, then keep it oiled.

ClarkEMyers · June 26, 2005, 06:19 PM

Chrome doesn't much rust but the metal underneath can - chrome plating is often waxed or otherwise sealed for storage. The chrome is better for abrasion resistance than most of the other gun finishes but maybe not so good as the assorted paint and bake coatings for rust resistance.

CarbineCaleb · June 26, 2005, 06:37 PM

Maybe this has been beaten to death already, but if I recall (from a report I wrote up 20 years ago, so mebbe not ;-)), chrome forms a passivating film on oxidation (like aluminum), so it is kind of self limiting, ideally.

On the other hand, as others have noted, your barrel itself is probably not chrome, or iron-chrome alloy (like stainless steel), but chrome plated... which is just a thin surface layer of chrome... any defect in this layer, whether in the manufacturing or due to wear/damage, will expose the underlying steel to environment oxygen and water - rust!

Oil, since it is not miscible with water, will help to exclude water from the surface, if you keep/replenish a thin film of it there.

June 25, 2005, 06:18 AM	#1
kremin Junior Member Join Date: June 9, 2005 Location: qld.au Posts: 9	Can chrome bores rust? G'day, I have a Zabala Suprema 12ga u/o with chrome bores, that hasn't been used for 3 years or so. This was a cheaper type Spanish gun I bought new in '96. I thought that I had cleaned and oiled it after the last use, however.... (yes I know, some people don't deserve to own firearms). I have given it wet patches, and three x 10 strokes with a 'wound wire loop' brush and Shooters Choice (which I have found more effective than Hoppes No9). There are still some marks on the barrels like plastic wad marks, but not as 'high'. Pushing an oily patch through brings them up clearer. Is this still plastic that needs cleaning or could it be rust? Some minor areas of rust spots has developed on external 'silver' (chrome?) parts of the reciever and trigger guard. Thanks kremin

June 25, 2005, 10:49 AM	#3
kudu Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 273	Chrome can discolor, and rust can blead through chrome as well. What may have happened when you put it away last time is that all the plastic from wads may have built up in thebore. You may have oiled it down and even cleaned the bore well but still left some plastic in the bore that that covered a bit of corrosion that may have grown. Scrub it good with the Shooters Choice, it is a fairly good at removing plastic residue if you let it soak for a bit before pushing a brush through. Keep it up until you are satisfied. __________________ "a shootin' we will go"

June 26, 2005, 06:19 PM	#5
ClarkEMyers Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2004 Location: PacWest Posts: 455	Ever see a rusty car bumper? Chrome doesn't much rust but the metal underneath can - chrome plating is often waxed or otherwise sealed for storage. The chrome is better for abrasion resistance than most of the other gun finishes but maybe not so good as the assorted paint and bake coatings for rust resistance.

June 26, 2005, 06:37 PM	#6
CarbineCaleb Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2004 Posts: 2,745	Maybe this has been beaten to death already, but if I recall (from a report I wrote up 20 years ago, so mebbe not ;-)), chrome forms a passivating film on oxidation (like aluminum), so it is kind of self limiting, ideally. On the other hand, as others have noted, your barrel itself is probably not chrome, or iron-chrome alloy (like stainless steel), but chrome plated... which is just a thin surface layer of chrome... any defect in this layer, whether in the manufacturing or due to wear/damage, will expose the underlying steel to environment oxygen and water - rust! Oil, since it is not miscible with water, will help to exclude water from the surface, if you keep/replenish a thin film of it there. __________________ “Never express yourself more clearly than you are able to think.” Niels Bohr

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June 25, 2005, 07:34 AM	#2
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 6,575	The only way it could rust is if the chrome plating is bad and has started to chip or peel. If there are definitely rust spots on the outside I would suspect a bad plating job.Just keep it cleaned and oiled .

June 26, 2005, 03:28 AM	#4
kremin Junior Member Join Date: June 9, 2005 Location: qld.au Posts: 9	Thanks for the advice. I guess I will give it a couple of more scrubs for good luck, then keep it oiled.