Rusty Bore

[rbseagle]

i just bought my first muzzle loader yesterday of off gunbroker. it is a T/C Hawken 50cal. in the listing the owner said that the bore might be runied. the pictures he had of the bore showed some rust and corrsion in the bore, but it did not look bad enough for me not to buy it. my question is what is the best way to start to clean the bore out. is there some chemicals that i can buy get a brush and start scrubbing or do i need to let it soak in something first. any advice would be apperciated. thanks

 

[BrownBear]

I'd go to work on it with JB paste, alternating brushes and tight patches.

 

[majg1234]

yep some of all of that...basiclly depends on how much rust/corrosion is found,I've had good luck with scotchbrite in a standard sloted cleaning jag and liquid wrench,or a smaller than bore sized cleaning jag with steel wool and liquid wrench,PB blaster or even ATF fluid all depends again on how much stuff is down there...as a final treatment I've used red and white auto polishing compound followed with polishing with flitz on a bore sized jag and lots of elbow grease
be sure to clean with copious amts of soap and water after any petrol stuff is used,minor pitting doesn't seem to affect accuracy all that much but major pitting does and if deep enough can be dangerous with heay loads and heavy bullets
if you can find a way to post PIX I'm sure several others will come forward with more suggestions good luck and welcome to the insanity!!! :thumbsup:

 

[rbseagle]

thanks for the info here is some pictures i hope

 

[BrownBear]

I'm not too hopeful about what's going on down at the breech, but the bigger issue accuracy-wise may be damage to the lands there below the muzzle. Clean it and de-rust it real good, and the best evaluation will be shooting it.

If it gives good accuracy in spite, be aware that if there's pitting, the pits will require that you clean it especially well each time you use it. If you don't get all the fouling out of the pits, it will be a constant source of rust in the future. Not a big deal really, but the extra care in cleaning is something to keep in the back of your mind.

 

[rbseagle]

what is jb paste and where can i get some? i was thinking about navy jelly for the rust what do you think.

 

[Swtodd]

Brownbear is off line, so; brownells sells J-B non-embedding bore cleaning compound.

steve

 

[Kentuckywindage]

after seeing those pics i'd say don't even bother :haha:

 

[Rifleman1776]

You can de-rust with electrolysis. A Google search will bring up much info on using electrolysis.

 

[rbseagle]

should i realey not worry about and through the barrell away. or should i spend the time and try to save it first

 

[BrownBear]

should i realey not worry about and through the barrell away. or should i spend the time and try to save it first

I'd mess with it first, but if it doesn't behave I still wouldn't throw it away. You can have it rebored to a larger caliber and save buxx, even if you go ahead and put on a new barrel, too.

And yeah, JB is available from Brownells if you can't find it on the shelf in a local gunshop. Benchresters and other precision CF shooters rely on it, so I'd expect to see it if you have a decent population of shooters in your area.

 

[rbseagle]

thanks for the info. i will try to clean it up and shoot it first to see what it will do and will let you know how it does. thanks

 

[reddog]

thanks for the info. i will try to clean it up and shoot it first to see what it will do and will let you know how it does. thanks

I'd be lookin' for an IBS .54 bbl,,,Hope ya got it cheap....

 

[Semisane]

Go to O'Reilly Auto Parts and get a jug of EVAPO-RUST. Block the nipple well and fill the bore with that stuff and let it sit for a while. It will remove every bit of rust in there, right down to the bottom of the pits. DO NOT get it on the outside of the barrel - it will totally remove the bluing.

 

[rbseagle]

thanks i will give it a try this weekend

 

[wtilenw]

Go to O'Reilly Auto Parts and get a jug of EVAPO-RUST. Block the nipple well and fill the bore with that stuff and let it sit for a while. It will remove every bit of rust in there, right down to the bottom of the pits. DO NOT get it on the outside of the barrel - it will totally remove the bluing.

So will Naval Jelly BTW.

 

[Rogue River]

EVAPO-RUST.......I plug the nipple and prop the barrel upright and fill the barrel and leave it set for 24 hours!

 

[PreserveFreedom]

For a rusty bore I like to take a cleaning rod with no handle at the end, chuck it up in a drill motor, thread a copper bore brush on the end, and scrub the heck out of it. Keeping the brush lubed with WD40 won't hurt a bit either. If you have a vise you can clamp the barrel in (using some wood blocks to keep from scratching it) this will be even easier.

 

[Rainman]

I've salvaged several rusty muzzleloader bores in the past. Everything from Birchwood Casey Blue & Rust Remover to Naval Jelly to Green Scotchbrite. Varying degrees of success. I wouldn't start with a chemical remover, though. The last one I did (an old CVA in rough shape) was using the following method using Brownell's Stainless Sponge:
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid...n-Cleaning-Clinic-Salvaging-A-Rusty-Smokepole

Since it was a .50, I finished smoothing it up using square Green Scotchbrite patches over a .45 jag, then applied Jasco Metal Prep to the inside of the bore to ensure all rust was killed. It turned out pretty good! Although it still has a few rough pits, it outshoots my T/C Hawken....go figger.

The next time I have to salvage one, I'm going to try an electrolysis method using a steel rod down the bore. I've had pretty good success on old tools (external rust) using this method.

 

[rbseagle]

thanks for the article that realy helps me on deciding away to tackel the bore. i can't wait to get it home tomorrow and see what i have. i am hoping that the rifle will shot well after the cleaning and i want have to replace the barrel. thanks for the help