WD40 -- Okay to remove rust spots?

[Guyon]

I have an older .22 rifle that shoots great. It was my father's and the gun I learned to shoot when I was about 10 years old. I've recently acquired this rifle and have noticed a number of very light rust spots on the outside of the barrel. I'm wondering what product would work best to remove the rust.

I was thinking of giving the barrel a good coating of WD40 and letting it sit for a while. Then, I'd lightly rub the rusty spots off with a soft toothbrush. After that, I'd rub down the barrel and get it as dry as possible, clean it with some Gunscrubber perhaps, and then give it a light coat of CLP for future protection.

Is this a decent plan? Can anyone recommend a better way than WD40 to remove the spots (with the least amount of damage to the finish)?

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Guyon
NRA, GOA, & TFA Member
Vote for your rights!!!

[This message has been edited by Guyon (edited November 01, 2000).]

[Al Thompson]

Wal-Mart stocks a product called "GunBrite". It's like a tube of toothpaste and the contents look like toothpaste. IMHO, this or Flitz is the best for taking rust off. It also cleans the carbon off the face of revolver cylinders. GunBrite costs less than Flitz, so that's why I use it. Way better than WD-40..

Giz

[Mike Irwin]

There was a big argument/discussion about WD-40 in the gunsmithing forum the other week.

I'm adamantly against using WD-40 on firearms.

Except in the case that you're asking about. :)

WD-40, being a very very light bodied penetrating oil, does a great job of getting in and under rust and helping losen it.

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Smith & Wesson is dead to me.

If you want a Smith & Wesson, buy USED!

[4V50 Gary]

Why wait overnight? Grab a piece of brass (or pre-1983 copper pennny) and scrape that rust off. WD-40 is fine for that but I wouldn't use it as a rust preventative.

[Art Eatman]

Well, in this fourth or fifth go-'round on WD 40, I've been using it on my guns since they invented the stuff and never had any of the problems folks holler about.

Back to the thread: sounds like as good an idea as any. I've done a wipe-down with WD 40, and then carefully worked with steel wool and with the tip of a pocket-knife blade to get as much rust off as possible without hurting the finish. Then, oil it or wipe it with WD 40.

If a rust spot is bad enough, I work it over a bit harder with steel wool, clean with brake clean or ether, and carefully cold-blue via a Q-Tip. Rinse, wipe, oil.

FWIW, Art

[johnwill]

Art, I'm somewhat astonished you haven't seen the stuff get gummy after a few months, because I've sure seen that. I bought a gun that was stored for several years soaked in WD-40, and it took several hours to clean all the sludge off the thing!

[Art Eatman]

Johnwill, maybe it's because I don't ever "soak" guns with WD 40. I spray it on a patch, and wipe down the external surfaces. I wouldn't soak a gun with any of the various cleaners and lubricants. Yuck!

The exception is lengthy runs with a 1911 on the range; I might spray at the hammer hinge-pin and around the extractor. At the end of the day, I disassemble and clean...Same with a Garand, for that matter. At some point during extended shooting, flushing the action prevents or ends stoppages.

I like my guns to be nearly dry, with just a thin film in the barrel and on the various surfaces...

:), Art

[dongun]

I've used Flitz to take off rust. It works great. I found it at my local gun shop.

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"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." - Verbal Kent (The Usual Suspects)