Removing rust in the barrel

[JDBraddy]

Bought a used muzzleloader, bore-scoped it, has large colonies of pitting rust all along the inside of the bore, cleaned it, shot it, cleaned again still there. Outside the barrel would use bronz wool and penetrating oil, What's the best ways you have found to remove and arrest aggressive pitting rust inside a barrel?

 

[azmntman]

9-1 molasses like you get at the feed store. Soak 2-3 days and steel wool it. I have never had rust inside a barrel (or too bad on the outside to need anything but steel wool) but this stuff kills rust. Cheap too.

 

[waksupi]

You won't get rid of pitting. If it shoots okay, just shoot it.

If you want to just be sure it's killed, set up a steam pipe and steam it for around 20 minutes, then oil the bore.

 

[necchi]

Low voltage electrolysis.
I use a copper wire for the sacrificial anode, insulated from bore contact with simple black tape rolled around it in a few places.
A battery charger on 6v for a few hours, the surface rust and the rust in the pit's comes rolling out. It won't fix the pit's but it sure takes out the active rust.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ele...gAIEHiAwUSATEgQIgGAZAGCA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

For cleaning ‘pads’, these are THE BEST you can get! They’ll even remove rust without even damaging or removing the bluing or browning, like Scothbrite pads or steel wool will!

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/big-45-frontier-metal-cleaning-pads.167852/#post-2409699

 

[SDSmlf]

Consider using EvapoRust to kill active rust, just be careful with it as it will remove bluing.

 

[JDBraddy]

Well, spent most of last night, scrubbing out the bore, didn't get it all, but removed a lot, and it left a fair bit of pitting behid, went to the range to shoot it, and it fowled badly, and couldn't even keep it on paper from 50yd shooting off bags. I think the barrel might be toast. Do I have any options to re-barrel it, or should I just sell it as a parts gun, and buy something new with equivalent features. It's a .50cal Lyman GPR.

 

[waksupi]

Well, spent most of last night, scrubbing out the bore, didn't get it all, but removed a lot, and it left a fair bit of pitting behid, went to the range to shoot it, and it fowled badly, and couldn't even keep it on paper from 50yd shooting off bags. I think the barrel might be toast. Do I have any options to re-barrel it, or should I just sell it as a parts gun, and buy something new with equivalent features. It's a .50cal Lyman GPR.

What powder and lube are you using for your testing?

 

[JDBraddy]

What powder and lube are you using for your testing?

35gr FFFg Swiss, Speer .490 PRB's, and Murphy's moose milk in a spray bottle to dampen .014 or .018 pillow ticking patches. Swabbing with damp patch between shots. Looked at my fired patches, other than a light singe where they where in contact with the powder, they looked like they could be used again.

 

[necchi]

Well, spent most of last night, scrubbing out the bore, didn't get it all, but removed a lot, and it left a fair bit of pitting behid,

Well if your not going to try any of the advice left after your first question, you might as well do what you want to.
No further advice is needed.
Sorry, it's a reality check.

 

[JDBraddy]

Well if your not going to try any of the advice left after your first question, you might as well do what you want to.
No further advice is needed.
Sorry, it's a reality check.

Will probably try the chemical rust renovers suggested above, maybe electrolysis if I can figure it out, at this point, figure I don't have much to loose if the barrel is already damaged to the point it won't stay on a 10" target at 50 yards. Am just really bummed, should have bought something new to begin with, instead of cheaping out and buying used. Live and learn.

 

[necchi]

I haven't bought anything new in 20yrs.
I've bought and sold just yesterday
My guns work just fine.

 

[JDBraddy]

Some bore scope immages of the pitting in the bore. In some places you can't even see the rifling anymore.

 

[ETipp]

If its that bad then I suggest sending it to Bobby Hoyt and have him either reline the barrel or bore it out to a .54 caliber, if possible.

 

[FlinterNick]

Bought a used muzzleloader, bore-scoped it, has large colonies of pitting rust all along the inside of the bore, cleaned it, shot it, cleaned again still there. Outside the barrel would use bronz wool and penetrating oil, What's the best ways you have found to remove and arrest aggressive pitting rust inside a barrel?

You can attempt to lap out the barrel with a burnisher (steel wool or , this sometimes will get rid of rust and pits, but generally pits can’t be removed without a good metal working lathe. I would attempt to have the barrel Either recorded or lined.

 

[LME]

Low voltage electrolysis.
I use a copper wire for the sacrificial anode, insulated from bore contact with simple black tape rolled around it in a few places.
A battery charger on 6v for a few hours, the surface rust and the rust in the pit's comes rolling out. It won't fix the pit's but it sure takes out the active rust.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ele...gAIEHiAwUSATEgQIgGAZAGCA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

You are right! I keep laundrary soda, battery charger and several containers of different sizes to zap rusty parts in when needed. What I like is that it gets places you can't reach. If there is a cleaner way to remove rust I haven't found it yet.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

35gr FFFg Swiss, Speer .490 PRB's, and Murphy's moose milk in a spray bottle to dampen .014 or .018 pillow ticking patches. Swabbing with damp patch between shots. Looked at my fired patches, other than a light singe where they where in contact with the powder, they looked like they could be used again.

Maybe go 70 to 80 grains of powder and see how she shoots.

 

[FlinterNick]

You are right! I keep laundrary soda, battery charger and several containers of different sizes to zap rusty parts in when needed. What I like is that it gets places you can't reach. If there is a cleaner way to remove rust I haven't found it yet.

Burnishing compound, jewelers grade works very good.

 

[FlinterNick]

Some bore scope immages of the pitting in the bore. In some places you can't even see the rifling anymore.

View attachment 272360
View attachment 272361View attachment 272362View attachment 272363View attachment 272364View attachment 272365

I woudl send that to a barrel maker, ask them to recut reborn or reline it.

Even if it were reamed to a smoothbore it would be better off.

 

[Darkgael]

Bored out to .54 would give you a nice 28 gauge smoothbore. Maybe cut the barrel back a bit to save some weight. A GPR is a tad heavy for an upland gun