Remington 870 Restoration

[Maflynn06]

My father in law gave me a rusty 870 that I’m guessing he didn’t want, so turning it into a small project. I used evaporust to get rid of all the rust and that stuff is amazing. The evaporust also removed the bluing. I’m going to have it cerakoted od green. My question is, what finish do I use for the inside of the receiver, barrel and magazine tube? I’ve never had a shotgun stripped to bare metal before. Any information is much appreciated!

[FrankenMauser]

Hot bluing.

Which, coincidentally, will also blue the exterior at the same time.


Firearms do not belong in Evaporust. Keep them away.
It does more than remove bluing, it pits the surface and thins parts, while leaving a surface that still needs prep before refinishing. Don't do it.

[Dfariswheel]

Another great, (and cheaper) finish is parkerizing.
As an added advantage, the parkerized finish gives Cerakote an excellent surface to bond to.

In fact, if you have it parkerized you need no other finish except a light coat of CLP Breakfree

[Bill DeShivs]

Evaporust doesn't thin or pit parts.
I have used it extensively.

[FrankenMauser]

That is because you coat everything in WD-40.

[Unclenick]

Evaporust is pretty good, IME. The one exception is you never want to partially submerge something in it. If you do, at the water line, oxygen from the air will re-oxidize the iron, and Evaporust will remove the oxidized iron in an ongoing process that will gradually eat into the workpiece along that line. Also, when you have long exposure to it, such as an overnight soak, which they recommend for rust thicker than about 3/16" deep, you can get some slight surface etching. I expect this is the result of the same process at work as when not fully submerging. Dissolved oxygen in the solution oxidizes the cleaned surface iron, and the Evaporust removes it. The effect seems to vary with the alloy being de-rusted. Anyway, if you degrease your part and follow the instructions to check after 20 minutes, and keep checking so you don't use it longer than is strictly necessary, there shouldn't be a problem. It's not like dropping something into an acid. The chelating chemistry very selectively only attacks iron oxides, and it captures the iron atoms that were in it.

[tangolima]

Why worry about inside the receiver and mag tube? Keeping it lightly oiled will do.

OD green on a 870? That's different. I would have rust blued it.

-TL

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[Bill DeShivs]

"That is because you coat everything in WD-40."
Possibly so!

Seriously, I'm sure that extended soaking in Evaporust (days) could etch metal. I never leave anything in it that long. I use combinations of chemical and mechanical means of removing rust-as much of the work I do is real restoration. I can't afford to let something get out of hand by relying on the chemical to do all the work.

[Maflynn06]

Tango, this is my first time ever doing anything like this. So if I cerakote the exterior and just oil inside the receiver, mag tube and barrel I should be good?

[Maflynn06]

I was trying to post a photo, but I guess it’s not letting me. This is my inspiration.
https://vangcomp.com/product/symtac-signature/

[tangolima]

Originally Posted by Maflynn06

Tango, this is my first time ever doing anything like this. So if I cerakote the exterior and just oil inside the receiver, mag tube and barrel I should be good?

That's what I would do.

You may want to explore rust bluing. It is really quite easy to do at home with minimal involvement with chemicals. I built a steam pipe with ABS pipes from home Depot.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[tangolima]

Originally Posted by Maflynn06

I was trying to post a photo, but I guess it’s not letting me. This is my inspiration.

https://vangcomp.com/product/symtac-signature/

I see. You like the modern tactical themes. Nothing wrong and cerakote is hard to beat in durability. But again keeping the inside in the white would be my choice. The new finish may impede action movements.

I'm old fashioned, so I will go rust bluing.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[Maflynn06]

I appreciate the help Tango!

[Dfariswheel]

Applying Cerakote inside the receiver is not a good idea, and coating inside the magazine tube is impossible.

Inside the receiver the coating will wear off quickly and may interfere with smooth operation.
Cerakote is best as an exterior finish.

Bare metal will be highly prone to rusting even if oiled and that's why I'd recommend having some sort of finish.
Bluing, and better still, parkerizing will help protect everything, and as above, a parkerized finish gives Cerakote an ideal surface to adhere to.

If you leave the inside of the receiver and mag tube bare, you'll need to keep a very close eye to catch rusting before it gets too far.
An amazing number of people never inspect or clean mag tubes, and there seems to be some idea that shotguns don't need any maintenance so they seldom ever get the insides checked.

[Maflynn06]

So parkerizing the entire shotgun then cerakoting the exterior sounds like the best bet.

[FITASC]

I used evaporust to get rid of all the rust and that stuff is amazing. The evaporust also removed the bluing

Basic household vinegar would also do the same thing; or you can opt for the stronger versions at Lowe's/Home Depot (up to 30%)

[Unclenick]

Not the same action. That's acid etching, which can leave the surface activated and prone to re-rusting more easily.