Is Ol' Trusty Getting Rusty?
I've done it more often than I'd like to admit. I take a gun hunting, come home tired and put the gun away without properly cleaning it. If I'd been duck hunting where guns seem always to get wet or had been hunting on a rainy day, it probably would have been wiped and oiled, but a day in the upland fields or deer stand doesn't usually subject a gun to that much abuse.
Still, you open the gun case and notice rust has taken a grip on Ol' Trusty. The time to keep Ol' Trusty from becoming Ol' Rusty is right now. Get rid of the rust or it's going to spread.
For materials you'll need light oil and some fine steel wool. Don't use WD-40 or other spray-oil. Regular gun oil or even 3 and 1 household oil will do.
Steel wool is said to have "gentle abrasiveness." The wire shaving process used to make steel wool produces fibers with geometric cross sections. The result is each individual metal wool fiber has several long, sharp cutting edges. Unlike sandpaper and other grit- based abrasives that scratch away material with sharp points, metal wool fibers perform like thousands of microscopic scrapers or planes on a surface.
Grades of steel wool are similar to grit in sandpaper. The finest steel wool is grade 0000 or 4/0. The coarsest steel wool is grade #4. For this project use grade O or OO.
Step one is to check whether the gun is loaded. Doesn't matter if you are positive the gun was unloaded when it was put away. Check it. Then remember the old gun safety rule: treat every gun as though it is loaded and always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
Place the gun on a suitable work surface that won't scratch up your gun. An old terry cloth towel folded lengthwise, an old blanket or other material will work just fine. Apply some oil on and around any rust spots.
Gently rub the rusty area with steel wool, making sure to keep oil present at all times. The idea is for the rust which is dislodged by the steel wool to suspend in the oil. Add more oil as needed and wipe the area with an old rag or paper towel occasionally to remove rusty oil and to inspect the surface. Repeat as necessary until no rust is left.
Okay, now Ol' Trusty isn't rusty anymore, the trick is to keep it that way. The simplest way to deal with where a tiny spot of rust occurred and was removed is to just keep it well oiled.
The oil repels moisture and keeps oxygen away from the raw metal so more rust won't form. Even if you do oil it well, keep your eye on the area. It will often be the first spot to rust in the future.
What if the area of rust on the gun was more extensive? Now it's a matter of degree, similar to working on car's paint job. If there's just a couple of rock chips, treating the nicks with touch up paint is probably good enough. A serious scratch or hail damage across the entire hood is best repaired by a new paint job.
Both can be done at home, but while I don't mind wielding a bottle of touch up paint, repainting entire panels is a job I'll leave to a professional. If you have extensive rust and need to get Ol' Trusty re-blued, I suggest taking the gun to a gunsmith or other person who has the knowledge, materials and equipment to do a complete job. If all you need to do is touch up a few spots, there are "cold bluing" products available which do an adequate job. Buy a bottle and follow the label directions.
And next time, clean your gun as soon as possible after a shooting or hunting session.