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June 24, 2013, 08:31 PM | #1 |
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Rust and Rifling Colt 1911 (1942)
I have what I consider a beautiful original issue Colt 1911 from 1942. It was issued to my father-in-law who is now gone so I cannot get information from him. I know he was an Army CB in the Pacific and carried this weapon all those years. He retired full bird and was in reserves for a full career, including the summer camps and teaching.
Questions: One picture shows the slide and some rust. Is there any way to retain the original finish but buff or polish those rust dings out? Do not wish to send it in for a re-do. Some might say it adds character, and I might agree. Second picture, since I do not know how much he shot it, is it possible to shoot down some of the rifling such that the barrel does not do its full job on bullet spin? The rifling looks a little thin to me. It's a range gun only and I put probably 50 rounds every few months through this gun and love knowing it did it's duty during the war. I want to keep it original (original springs and magazines btw) and just want to bring it back as best as possible. I would appreciate any advice. Thank you for your time on this. |
June 24, 2013, 09:53 PM | #2 |
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There is enough good finish remaining that I would not use tough methods on the rust spots. Oil and a coarse cloth would be a good start.
I have heard of non-abrasive cleaners like transmission fluid, but have not tried them. Do NOT apply any chemical rust remover, it will remove blue immediately. The barrel is fine. |
June 24, 2013, 10:22 PM | #3 |
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That good sir is a fine pistol and family heirloom.
Just my opinion but I would do what I could to halt the corrosion by keeping it lightly oiled but would leave the pistol 100% as-is. |
June 24, 2013, 11:04 PM | #4 |
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Keep it lightly oiled and leave it as it is.
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June 25, 2013, 12:33 AM | #5 |
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I agree. I have used Corrosion Block on my firearms, and others, that have this problem, and been as pleased with the result as with anything else.
http://www.nocorrosion.com/corrosion-control.htm |
June 25, 2013, 11:46 AM | #6 |
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That barrel looks damn near perfect as far as I can tell. Agree with others don't do anything to the gun just keep it oiled and your good.
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June 25, 2013, 12:27 PM | #7 |
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The barrel looks fine. The ammunition issued during WWII had corrosive primers and it looks like someone might have skipped a cleaning, but the rifling is normal and the gun should shoot OK.
Jim |
June 25, 2013, 03:27 PM | #8 |
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re:
Looks fine. The rifling in a new .45 Auto barrel ain't all that deep to start with.
I'd rub the slide with an oily cloth and let it be.
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June 25, 2013, 04:22 PM | #9 | |
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Quote:
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June 25, 2013, 09:06 PM | #10 |
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Thank you
Thanks all for taking your time to respond. I shall keep her cleaned and oiled.
Polyphemus: Heavy bulk of my shooting is 9mm P226, when I can afford the ammo. Thanks all. |
June 25, 2013, 10:10 PM | #11 |
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Rifling looks fine to me. If the bullets are making nice round holes in targets the bullets are spinning when they leave the barrel. If you are getting holes where it looks like the bullets are hitting sideways and making what is called a "keyhole" the bullets are not getting enough spin and tumbling on the way to the target.
I would make sure to put a light coat of oil on the outside surfaces before putting it up between uses. With care she will last many more decades. |
June 26, 2013, 10:59 AM | #12 |
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You can suspend the slide in boiling water for 10-15 minutes to convert the active rust (ferrous oxide) to stable blue/black (ferric oxide). Rub it down with oil and rock on
As has been said, the barrel looks fine. YMMV |
June 27, 2013, 07:37 AM | #13 |
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Urban Redneck, thanks for the info with regard to boiling water. I may just try this
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June 27, 2013, 09:18 PM | #14 |
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Thanks, Again
You all are great. Thanks for the ideas.
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June 28, 2013, 01:22 AM | #15 |
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if you want to do something on the slide rust, get some 100% cotton diapers and a bottle of hoppes 9.
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June 28, 2013, 05:08 AM | #16 |
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Clearly your gun is in terrible shape, let me have it
...you have yourself a near perfect 1911. If you actually plan on shooting it, tho, it will need new springs at some point. |
June 28, 2013, 06:33 AM | #17 |
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Clean it and oil it. It actually looks like it is in very good shape so I would not do any thing else to it.
Keep it lightly oiled and by all means put a few down range.
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June 28, 2013, 09:08 PM | #18 |
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Don't boil your gun!
Research first. I still think you should leave it as is, but if you MUST, just use a weak solution of phosphoric acid (available at a lot of hardware stores). what it does is converts the rust into an inert black coating. I used this every other day when I was fixing steel boats in some of the worst salt water and constantly rainy environments on the planet. Just glove up, dab it on with a qtip, wait for the color change, wipe it down several times with a few clean damp cloths. Still in my opinion, absolutely not needed. |
Tags |
1911 , colt , refinish , rifling , rust |
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