Uggh..Rust on the ROA...Help...

[bigbore442001]

I was puttering around the loading bench and gun area and thought about taking the stainless ROA out for a range session. I looked at it and saw some of the old bore butter still on the last time I shot it this past spring.

Anyways, something made me look at the bore. Low and behold I saw a ring of orange fuzz about one inch down the barrel and about half and inch long. I had a heart murmur at the sight of that. I then looked at the rest of the gun and spotted some of that evil rotten orange fuzz between the forcing cone and topstrap. Again some more of it at the back of the frame and hole where the hammer goes in to hit the percussion cap.

I shot it a while ago and had cleaned it thorougly, I though, with Ballistoil. I used nothing but H777 and conicals with a lubricated felt wad. I figured I did a good job with it and all was AOK. I had fondled it off and on in the past few months but didn't shoot that one model. For one thing we had our pistol range closed up until now so I really didn't have a great place to shoot something like that. Secondly, we had some very hot and humid days this summer and so I wonder if I missed some fouling and the evil triple H's ( heat and humidity,haze wouldn't affect the gun but it affects my ambition) and that contributed to the evil orange fuzz on my Ruger Old Army.

I need some advice on whether or not cleaning with Ballistoil isn't enough? Do you have to go the hot water route? Are there easier methods? Also, should I soak it in some sort of penetrating oil to get any corrosion out of the metal. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[kaac1221]

Bigbore, I'm new to the Forum so some of the old hands might have better suggestions, but I'm a firm believer in the old hot soapy water method followed by lots and lots of dry patches.

I started shooting BP revolvers back when originals were the only thing available and Pyrodex wasn't a word.

The hot water will heat the metal and help to dry it, and I usually oil the gun while the metal is still pretty warm.

I have noticed two things different when shooting Pyrodex instead of BP and that is the bore doesn't foul as quickly as with BP AND, it's more difficult to get a gun clean after shooting Pyrodex. I check my guns for two or three days straight after shooting and I don't spare the oil.

Also, I remove the nipples from the cylinder and drop the cylinder into a container of very hot water and let it soak while cleaning the nipples.
A toothbrush comes in handy here, also for the area around the nipple holes on the cylinder. I also found out that the sprayer attachment on the kitchen sink works real good to flush out the cylinder with hot tap water. Do this when the wife is out shopping or bowling!!

I started shooting a flintlock recently so I now have BP in the house again and I'm seriously considering going back to it for all my muzzleloading shooting because of the rust problems with Pyrodex.

Hope this helps

Ken

 

[renovato]

Isn't 777 supposed to be noncorrosive? I know they recommend cleaning with water, the same as for black powder, so I'd go with that.

I clean with a mix of Ballistol and water, then dry it out and follow with straight Ballistol. My reasoning is that if there's any water that I missed, the Ballistol will mix with it and protect the metal until the water evaporates. It has worked very well so far.

You can probably get the haze off with some fine bronze wool (avoid using steel wool on a stainless gun if possible as it can embed steel fibers and cause rusting) and oil. Rub gently and it comes right off. Same with the bore. Wrap a little around a jag, oil it up good and lightly work it back and forth till the rust is gone.

 

[WRussell]

Read somewhere recently - use plenty of water, hot is fine but you have to be aware that steel rust faster when hot - don't go off and leave it wet and hot - then wipe, shake, blow off the excess water and DIP it in WD40 (or equivalent water displacing oil). My local hardware store sells WD40 by the gallon. Make sure the WD40 gets everywhere, then wipe, shake, blow that off and lubricate with your favorite lube.

I've been spraying on the WD40, but a dip tank sounds like a good idea.

Don't dip the wood, of course.

Everybody has a different system. Find one that works for you and go with it.

 

[spitfire]

In 1988 when I attended Smith & Wessons armorers school for Revolvers a interesting topic of cleaning revolvers came up.It seems several years earlier a law enforcement Officer had contacted S&W and asked if it was alright to keep washing his revolver in the dishwasher :shocked2: !The S&W company wasn't sure.S&W then did studies and found it was safe to wash the SS Revolver in the Dishwasher!!!Also some food for thought is when a Gun is hot Blued(as I learned at PCC Gunsmithing School)after the color is(above 200+ F temp)set it is tipped in Boiling Water then airdried(the hot metal dries quickly) and then Hot Oil dip.After cooling,it is coated in RIG for 24hours to return the oil to the Metal. :winking:

 

[spitfire]

I just remembered a classmate of mine(PCC gunsmithing program) was making money on the side by cleaning up chinese surplus 03 Springfield Rifles(1989).First he would disassemble a dozen rifles(filthy cosmoline rustbuckets) and clean the metal in the parts cleaner.Then He would in a tank of Boiling water with TIDE laundry soap he would boil the parts for a half hour.Then when the parts looked clean he would transfer the parts to boiling tank of water to rinse.Hot metal airdries quick!He would later beadblast the parts and hotdip blue.We gave him the "MOST GUNS BLUED AT SAME TIME AWARD"for doing ten barrelled 03 actions clothes hanger wired together.The actions were hung from a pipe and took two men to dip in the Boiling Hot blueing tank!After restoration of the 03 rifles he sold them at a easy 300% markup.I posted this to reassure the gun cleaner that boiling water & steamy hot metal for air drying will not hurt the finish.Just remember to reoil. :winking:

 

[Smokin6Gun]

I'll bet that rust on the hammer came from water left in the cone area of the bottom of chamber. Isee that happen before. I completly remove the cone and saok, scrub , and dry them.
Well I use the scalding hot soapy water(soak and scrub), and scalding rinse(soak and wipe, patches and bore included) method. I use a black nylon brisle bottle brush on the bore and chambers(won't scartch). The heat of the scading water disapates the moisture A gun oil, or Bobcat penetrating oil lightly on innerds, and arbor or cylinder pin. It has always worked for me , no rust yet.
It may have been the humidity, or where some water didn't evaporate fast enough. I bet it came right off though.

 

[peashooterJoe]

I live in South Alabama and with Ballistol I got rust after being told it was good stuff, right. Ballistol and high humid areas don't go together, I almost ruined a 32 caliber cherokee rifle with it. I thoughtfully checked it 2 days later and had to do a polishing job on bore and exterior. I went back to "Birchwood Casey Sheath" displaces water and prevents rust. I've used it since I was in the Navy and they used it on the Aircraft metal at Sea. It is also used to remove rust with 0000 steel wool. I then use stumpys castor oil bore butter on metal and wood. Since I made it I don't use the Commerical stuff. No need to beat a deat horse on it again. But I can't say enought good things about it.

 

[Lone Carabiner]

I got a ROA and I shoot black only as it has more power than Pyro, I use hot soapy water for cleaning it when I get home, and GO-JO and scalding hot water afield.