I recently acquired a used older CVA Bobcat 50 caliber percussion, wood stock. I got it relatively cheap so I figured I couldn't loose. ran a few cleaning patches down the barrel and they came out very brown. After about 20 patches they finally started coming our fairly clean. After a few days I had the opportunity to shoot the rifle some and can report that at 50 yards its quite accurate for a cheaper rifle. I was happy. After shooting, cleaned the rifle my usual way with warm soapy water, ran a few patches down the barrel until a few clean ones came out, dried well, ran a oily patch down the barrel one last time and stored away. After 5 days I got the rifle out of the safe tonight and decided to run a patch down the barrel to check as I always do after shooting a few days prior. The cotton cleaning patch came out rust-brown, thoroughly dirty. It took 20 plus patches ran up and down and a bronze brush up and down then 20 plus more cleaning patches to get the last couple fairly clean looking. Which leads me to believe...and correct me if I'm wrong...this barrel has pitting in there somewhere with rust forming in those pits? Darned if it don't shoot a prb well even if it has some pitting, if that's the problem with constant rust-brown dirty cleaning patches coming out. I don't have a bore light so I'm assuming here and I cant really feel any large pitting through the cleaning rod when swabbing the bore. If it's indeed pitting, can I do anything short of a rebore to stop the rust problem? The gun is stored in a good safe with a dehumidifier installed. Never had any issues with firearms rusting in this safe, never, if cleaned properly before storing. But this rifle bore showed rusty signs only after 5 days in the safe, and after a thorough cleaning job. I realize it's a cheaper rifle but I'd like to hunt some with it this coming fall. If I scratch it up and such in the woods it's no big deal...sort of a "beater" rifle for hunting rough places. Thoughts appreciated.
Dirty Patches
- Thread starter DarrinG
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Sounds like you still have active rust in the barrel. Until you get it all removed. It will continue. You need to either do a whole lot of scrubbing or use a rust remover.
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For me that's nothing to stress over. Clean it as well as you can. Give the bore a good coat of oil. Put it in the safe and don't worry about it. When you're ready to use it again flush the bore with alcohol or carb cleaner and load it up.
If you want to get a good look at the bore, go to a sporting goods store that sells fishing gear. Buy a “Thill” bobber light for about $4. Green works best for me.
Semisane said:
This is my suggestion as well. If ya can't stand it get some feed store molasses and mix with water 8-1 (8 water) and soak that sucker a few days and clean it again. You will now have no rust and if it keeps acting up you can at least be sure its not a issue that will continue to eat away the bore.
I too have a .50 bobcat....accurate fer sure. I have a .36 bobcat too and it shoots a good group, NOT A DANG BIT BETTER. Its destined to visit Bobby Hoyt soon and grow into a .38 or .40 (cant decide, if .38 I will be REQUIRED to get a .36 revolver to share ammo with, that'd be a shame :grin: )
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DarrinG said:
After cleaning with soap and water, do you rinse?
The PH needs to be neutralized. Try rinsing with alcohol.
Most people tend to over soap their cleaning water.....Thinking that more is better. leaving a residue... That residue also interferes with rust preventatives....
That's my thoughts... :hmm:
:metoo: I always dump n rinse with clean water then dry n oil
You don't say which oil?
B.
B.
Yes, I always rinse with clean water. I use a hose with some pressure and squirt water down the barrel until it's coming out the bolster like a stream. This is after cleaning with soapy warm water. Then dry well until completely dry patches come out, then oil. I am using Rem Oil as the final coating.
If rem oil is mineral based that is your issue!
You need oil or fats that absorb salts.
That means vegetable or animal.
Olive oil, beeswax, rendered animal fats is what you need.
B.
You need oil or fats that absorb salts.
That means vegetable or animal.
Olive oil, beeswax, rendered animal fats is what you need.
B.
I truested Rem Oil to protect the bow of my first build, a Rice Barreled .54. I didn't take the gun out of the gun safe for about 6 months, it had been cleaned properly before I put it up. When I got it out for another range session the bore had some rust in it. I check with my bore camera showed some light pitting down near the breech.
Rem oil is a poor bore protector, I use Baracade now adn have no rust problems at all.
My rifle is still a tack driver but I hate it that the barrel is pitted.
Rem oil is a poor bore protector, I use Baracade now adn have no rust problems at all.
My rifle is still a tack driver but I hate it that the barrel is pitted.
Well there's you're most likely culprit. Absolutely the worst "gun oil" made in my opinion. WD 40 probably protects better than rem oil does :td: For years now I've been using Clenzoil which is excellent. Recently been using Barricade also and it's also an excellent rust preventative.
If it were my rifle I would get some J-B bore cleaning compound and scrub the bore. It's a mild abrasive and won't hurt the bore.
I would then rinse the barrel, let it dry, and then use WD-40 which is a water displacement product which should remove any water left in the bore if pitting is present. Note: (WD-40 is not a rust protectant, it's to displace any water in the bore).
Run several patches until they come out dry and clean, and then apply a quality rust preventative as some have mentioned above.
You can't remove the pits, but trying to make sure they don't continue to trap more moisture is about all you can hope for.
I would then rinse the barrel, let it dry, and then use WD-40 which is a water displacement product which should remove any water left in the bore if pitting is present. Note: (WD-40 is not a rust protectant, it's to displace any water in the bore).
Run several patches until they come out dry and clean, and then apply a quality rust preventative as some have mentioned above.
You can't remove the pits, but trying to make sure they don't continue to trap more moisture is about all you can hope for.
Some rifles that are pitted still shoot well .... some don’t.
I have a .50 Renegade perc gun that has a few pits but still shoots great.
Barricade forms a dried film in the barrel, when i take my gun out to shoot I use denatured alcohol to remove the film.
It may take two or three patches to get it clean, the first patch will be stained ( amber/brownish in color ) once you get a clean patch your ready to shoot.
I’ve had rifles in a Safe with a golden rod stored for 7 or 8 years using Barricade without any issues, these weren’t pitted however.
Enjoy your new to You rifle !
They do make a product that supposedly turns rust back into metal however, I’ve only used it on cars.
It’s thin as water and when it dries it locks down the rust .
I don’t know if it would work or not , but might be worth a try.
If I were going to try it I would swab the bore with it , turn the gun upside down to dry.
From my limited expierience with it I don’t think the coating would be thick enough to have negative results on the rifling in the bore.
On good metal it dries thin , on rusted metal it soaks into the rust and locks it down with a thin black coating.
Just thinking out loud here .....
I have a .50 Renegade perc gun that has a few pits but still shoots great.
Barricade forms a dried film in the barrel, when i take my gun out to shoot I use denatured alcohol to remove the film.
It may take two or three patches to get it clean, the first patch will be stained ( amber/brownish in color ) once you get a clean patch your ready to shoot.
I’ve had rifles in a Safe with a golden rod stored for 7 or 8 years using Barricade without any issues, these weren’t pitted however.
Enjoy your new to You rifle !
They do make a product that supposedly turns rust back into metal however, I’ve only used it on cars.
It’s thin as water and when it dries it locks down the rust .
I don’t know if it would work or not , but might be worth a try.
If I were going to try it I would swab the bore with it , turn the gun upside down to dry.
From my limited expierience with it I don’t think the coating would be thick enough to have negative results on the rifling in the bore.
On good metal it dries thin , on rusted metal it soaks into the rust and locks it down with a thin black coating.
Just thinking out loud here .....
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I have a couple of cheapie rifles that have some pitting. I have had good luck after cleaning with Barricade preventing additional rusting. You also might try treating the bore with Evaporust to stop the rusting. Try the Barricade and then just shoot the thing and have fun.
Eric Krewson said:
Some time about three or so years ago they changed the formula. I cant remember what they branded it when the new formula came out as I don't use it any more, but it still said RemOil on the same colored label, just had a green line with some white lettering that told of the new formula.
Before that, I swore by Rem oil for all my guns BP and modern. But when my modern gun gets even a hint of rust, I know its time to switch oils.. I use CLP in everything now and haven't had a lick of issues since.
BUT, this could turn into a Ford V chevy debate pretty quick so back to the OP's topic:
When my rifle did this (Remoil see above) I cleaned it daily for about a week, need it or not. Then oiled it liberally (leaving a puddle in the breech liberally) after each cleaning. Moved to every three days for about two weeks, then just put it away till next shoot after that.
YES I still puddle the oil in it for storage. I have no problems taking the extra step to clean the oil out before I go shoot, and it doesn't gum up on me even with a month or two in storage; (Never let it sit more n 6 weeks these days. Usually not more n 3). I have not had a rust issue since. That was two or three years ago, maybe more. There's a thread on here by me about it.
Billnpatti
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I've found that the 3-M pot scrubber pads make good scouring patches for cleaning your bore. Just cut patches from a piece of the scrubber pad, oil it with a good machine oil such as 3 in 1 and then scrub your bore. You may need to change the patch a few times so that you are always using a patch that has good scrubbing properties. Those pads will lose some of their abrasiveness so you will need to change them occasionally as you are cleaning your bore. Once you have the bore scrubbed, do what Jimbo47 said in his post.
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+1 - On soaking with feed store molasses. After cleaning the rust it passivates the steel so it doesn't start to rust again.
I'll add, any rust removing method will also remove the bluing or browning on the outside of the barrel.
Unless a person wants to end up with a plain bright steel barrel on the outside they need to be careful about protecting the finish.
Unless a person wants to end up with a plain bright steel barrel on the outside they need to be careful about protecting the finish.
