So, it has been quite some time since I shot the Maadi. I pulled it from my safe and it looked fine and dandy, albeit a tad dry.

I lubed it up, and dozed off, dreaming about a weekend of plinking with the old Egyptian.

Woke up today, and the BCG looks red in a few areas (places where there is machining). I wiped the BCG down, hit it with a bit of Hoppes #9 solvent, and my rag got red and yucky.  Most of the red is now gone, but it looks like some remains in the small machined areas.

What to do? The rest of the rifle looks perfect. Should I hit it with a brass brush and some ATF?


Why me?! Whyyyyy?

_sf

Get a couple of toothbrushes and some CLP Breakfree.

Put a few drops of CLP on a toothbrush and liberally scrub the parts.
This will help remove the rust (if it is) from crevices, and will leave a thin coat of CLP which will continue to "work" on whatever it is.
As a brush gets dirty rinse it off in a solvent like lacquer thinner to clean it.  Let it dry while you use another brush.
Make sure the brushes are solvent proof.

Let the CLP soak for a few days to loosen the rust then scrub again to remove any remaining.
Always keep a coat of CLP on the metal to prevent further rust.

Gracias!

I've seen AKs so rusty I felt like I needed a tetanus booster just from looking at the pictures, but they were still firing!

It does suck to find it in your rifle, though. I ran a bunch of 50s-era 7.62x51 through my FAL right after I got it, not knowing that the ammo was corrosive. I spent many hours knocking back all the rust in the gas system, under the handguards, inside the front sight base. Gawd, what a mess...

Use CLP to protect the rifle from rust, Hoppes is for the bore.

I protect with CLP or Hoppe's OIL.

I use Hoppes solvent to clean all parts of fouling, especially the BCG, barrel and flash hider.. Then I lube the gun with CLP or Hoppes premium oil. I do not keep Hoppes solvent on anything as a protector.

When I saw the rust, I used some Hoppes solvent to try and remove it. CLP does not seem to get the goop and fouling off of things as well as Hoppes.

I have also used other stuff to clean metal parts, and it sucked compared to Hoppes. I don't see Hoppes #9 rusting my BCG, though?

Tho original point was, before I cleaned her up and lubed her, the rifle was dry but looked okay. Afterward, it looked almost like there was rust-colored metal under the bluing. I've cleaned dozens of guns hundreds of times, and never seen that happen before.

-sf

I know this is going to sound weird but, I have noticed that oil can sometimes act like water to a plant, meaning it seems like it helps the rust grow.  I don't know why or how but sometimes it seems like it would be better to have it dry, but that's a little scary too.  So I think you just have to use the right kind of oil......

Chances are your gas system is also corroded. Break it down and scrub it with some fine steel wool or bronze brushes and CLP. Keep it well oiled, dry it off before you shoot it. Keep the gas system dry when you get it cleaned up. Where you live has high humidity, You've got to keep oil on the metal to prevent rust. JMHO

Had you been firing corrosive ammo out of the little dear?  If so you might want to get the salts out,  and oil and petroleum solvents won't.  Hot, hot, hot water with a little Dawn (to get through the oil to the metal).  Oil it after.  But could you just be seeing
reddish lacquer from the steel cases and the primers?

It has been a while, so I thought I would report back.

After soaking bcg in hot soapy water, scrubbing the bore with hot water and then hoppes, I treated whole rifle to a liberal coating of clp.

It has been 13 months since I "detailed" the rifle, and 95 percent of the reddish crap is gone.

Only in the recesses of the bolt face and gas tube is there any hint. Must have been corrosive ammo from previous owner, because unlike my AR, my wasr NEVER gets cleaned (2500 rds and only the bolt has been scrubbed). Wasr has ZERO redness or rust.

thanks for all the suggestions! Maadi is quite happy.