Removing spots and drum screw

[logandiana]

In my first post the other day I had a few of you help me identify the new rifle that I picked up, a Pedersoli Frontier 50 cal. Now that I know what it is I have started to clean it up a bit. There a couple spots here and there that I need some advice on. I could just start scrubbing, but I want to make sure I don't damage anything in doing so. This first picture is of the top of the barrel near the breech. It has a few small rough spots that resemble cigarette burns. I considered starting with some steel wool, but will that harm the browned finish on the barrel?

The next photo is of the rear butt plate. This looks fairly straight forward brass and it seems like any brass cleaner (barkeep friend, brasso, etc.) ought to work fine in cleaning it up. Am I wrong here?

The third photo is of the trigger guard. This too is brass, but it's more shiny and looks to be clearcoated or something. There's small black spots that look like they'd just wipe of with a damp rag but they don't.


The drum screw head looks like someone had there way with it. A new on is on the way to replace it but I am having a heck of a time trying to get this one loose. Any suggestions here? Don't know if its rusted or what. It's not reverse thread is it?? That would be embarassing. What is the drum screw for anyway? Just another access point to clean out the breech?

As always thanks for the advice.

 

[JeffG]

That looks like long term moisture damage...mildew?
I think you're on track with Barkeepers Friend, and steel wool, but do it in REVERSE order, finest abrasive first. That way if it works, you won't have gone too far first. Brasso is great stuff, combine with elbow grease. The barrel might need a total refinish. Remove the sights, and wrap 220 grit emery cloth around a flat file and go the long way on the flats, and rebrown. I just did a CVA mountain stalker, from blue to brown. It was worth the work.
Put a torch to that drum and screw, with the idea of replacing it. Good luck! :thumbsup:

 

[Col. Batguano]

Another way to try on the screw is to soak it for a day in a 50:50 solution of automatic transmission fluid and acetone. That's the best stuff out there for that. Kroil works too, but it's not as good.

I would personally be very careful. I'd do the ATF thing AND the heat. I was just installing a patchbox spring screw the other day and twisted the head right off. This was thankfully before the whole screw went in to the wood, so I was able to get it out with just a pair of needle-nose pliers. If you bust the head of this one you're going to need to drill it out and re-tap.

 

[Billnpatti]

From what I can see in the pictures, it is going to be nearly impossible to salvage the brown on your barrel when you remove the spots. If I were you, I'd just use some fine emery cloth wrapped on a file to simply polish out the whole barrel back to the original steel finish. Then, I would use something like Laurel Mountain Forge browning solution to re-brown it. The Laurel Mountain Forge browning solution is a rust brown and will require several coats over several days but it will, in my opinion, give the most authentic brown finish. If you like the brown that is on it now, you might use Birchwood-Casey's Plum Brown. It gives a nice "store bought" looking brown. To use it, you will need a torch or some means of heating the barrel to the point that water will sizzle on it. Then you just wipe on the browning asolution onto the hot barrel. It may take a couple of coats to get it nice and even but it not difficult.

As for the brass, any good metal polish will do the job.

Removing the screw will possibly require some heat. the suggestion of using a 50/50 mixture of ATF and acetone is an excellent one. I'd try it first. Plug all holes and fill the breach with the mixture and let it sit for a day or so. It should loosen it right up. If you get to the point that you are in need of something more than an excellent penetrating oil, you will need to apply some heat. This will require a propane torch. Heat the bolster with the torch until is is good and hot and then use a brass or aluminum drift and a hammer to loosen the screw. To do this, once the bolster is good and hot, place the drift on the head of the screw and give it a few good whacks to break the screw loose. Then try a screw driver to see if it has come loose. You may need to heat and whack a few times before the screw comes loose. If you have any dry ice, you can heat the bolster and then touch a piece of dry ice to the screw head. The heat will expand the screw hole in the bolster and the dry ice will shrink the screw. The result is a loosened screw. Good luck with your restoration. :thumbsup:

 

[bpd303]

The main thing with the screw is to have a good fitting hollow ground screw driver bit. One trick I have used on stubborn screws is after soaking in Kroil, chuck the driver bit in my drill press, then without turning the press on, lower the chuck into the screw and turn the chuck by hand while holding pressure on the ram. The downward pressure of the press will prevent the driver bit from lifting out and buggering up the screw head. Yes the "clean out screws are right hand thread.

 

[ZUG]

+1 :thumbsup: on the drill press "trick". I've also used a hand impact screw driver which is hit with a hammer to impart a quick quater rotation to the screw AFTER I soak the screw with a penetrating fluid.

 

[mooman76]

That's a good idea. I have the same problem. I'll give it a do.

 

[bpd303]

What I do is try & loosen the screw, then tighten & go back & forth with another drop of Kroil or 50/50 mix acetone & trans fluid. Never broken or booger-ed up a screw that way. Just don't put too much torque on the screw until it starts to loosen.

 

[frogwalking]

The spots look like the finish has been removed rather than that something has been added. If this is the case, I think you go with the suggestion to polish the barrel with fine sandpaper and rebrown it. Browning is not difficult if you get all the grease and oil off first.
About the drum and nipple. Many drums have no clean-out screw. If you can't get the screw out using the good ideas already given, it is not the end of the world. It looks to me like the drum is not browned. If that is the case, it almost certainly has been replaced. Please insure the drum threads are good before shooting. It is not unheard of to blow a poorly fitted drum right out of the barrel. Rather than removing the drum, you may want to proof test the barrel before you shoot it from the shoulder. Many of these folks can tell you how to safely do that.

 

[Zonie]

I gotta agree with frogwalking.

The browning, for whatever reason has been removed in those spots on the barrel.

There are basically two different ways of browning a barrel. The traditional rust method and the Birchwood Casey Plum Brown methods.

The traditional rust method leaves the surface slightly rough. The Birchwood Casey method doesn't change the roughness of the barrel surface.

The finish on your barrel looks very much like the Plum Brown finish. It is too smooth to be done by most rust methods.

That's the reason I suggest that you try the Birchwood Casey Plum Brown method.

In addition to the Plum Brown solution you will need some clean cotton swabs and a method of heating the barrel like a propane torch.

You will need to remove all oils and waxes on the surface. This is especially true if you have used some steel wool to polish the area. Steel wool is coated with a wax to protect it from rusting on the shelf of the store where you bought it. It deposits this wax on the surface if you rub it against the barrel.

Waxes or oils will prevent BC PB from working.

Once clean, heat the metal to 180 degrees F +/- 30 degrees. Then, immediately apply the solution with a clean swab. It will hiss, pop and sputter if the barrel is at the right temperature and the fumes are not good for you to breath.

If you've done a good job of cleaning, the metal will instantly turn brown. If it doesn't, reheat the area and try again.

Once the metal is brown, wash off all of the crusty stuff the solution turned into.
Let it rest for a few hours or overnight.
The next day, apply a coating of oil.
The surface may look a bit mottled but letting it rest plus the oil coating should even it out.

Birchwood Casey Plum Brown is available at some gun stores or from a place like Dixie Gunworks or Track of the Wolf.
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/1022/1/BC-PBI-5

 

[logandiana]

Thanks for all the advice.
I was able to get the drum screw out using the drill press method as mentioned above along with a couple squirts of some break free lubricant.

I cleaned up the trigger guard and butt plate with some barkeepers friend. The butt plate was easy and was clean in a few seconds but the trigger guard took some scrubbing. I was able to get it as clean as I needed it.

Here's an after pic.



I appreciate the suggestions on the browning. I am just not sure what to to on that yet. I may end up doing it at some point, but probably not just yet.