Surface rust on ak barrel. ** update in OP with refinish pics** - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Surface rust on ak barrel. ** update in OP with refinish pics**

Posted: 6/24/2017 10:44:52 PM EDT

**ETA 2** got it back today, looks great and this finish is good to 1400f

ready for drum goodness.

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** ETA **. Builder got back with me this morning, said it looks to him like a bad batch of paint that bubbled up after heating and formed moisture, he's going to refinish the barrel for me no charge and said the barrel did not have any rust when it was built and he does not see any problem fixing this. Sweet!

1960s type 3 Hungarian barrel. In the safe tonight and noticed some rust on the barrel. Humidity in safe has been between 50-54% since this gun was placed in there in April. Two Chinese and another Hungarian plus numerous ARs and pistols have no rust at all.

This is a nos barrel that was just built and put in service in April.

So a few questions.

1. What do I do to stop further rust?

2. What can I do to remove this rust if anything?

3. Does it look to you like this is "new" rust or was it painted over by the builder (I did not see the barrel when it was a kit, I bought the gun newly built with only test fired usage). The barrel has about 200 rounds through it.

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Posted: 6/24/2017 11:00:19 PM EDT

[#1]

Looks like a refinished rusty barrel. Suspect it was just decreased and painted over.

Posted: 6/24/2017 11:44:58 PM EDT

[#2]

painted over rust.

Posted: 6/24/2017 11:53:19 PM EDT

[#3]

Thanks guys that's what I thought. Will it keep getting worse or will climate control storage and oil hold it at bay? Cosmetics are not a big deal to me, I'm a function guy.

Posted: 6/25/2017 1:08:46 AM EDT

[#4]

0000 steel wool with oil will get rid of it. Then just lube, or refinish. GARY

Posted: 6/25/2017 1:14:01 AM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
0000 steel wool with oil will get rid of it. Then just lube, or refinish. GARY

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Thanks sir, I'll work on it tomorrow.

Posted: 6/25/2017 9:22:16 AM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
Thanks guys that's what I thought. Will it keep getting worse or will climate control storage and oil hold it at bay? Cosmetics are not a big deal to me, I'm a function guy.

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Get yourself one of the small dehumidifiers that should be in every gun safe. link

It will keep the rest of your guns from rusting.

Sorry about the barrel in the pic.

Posted: 6/25/2017 10:09:52 AM EDT

[#7]

Quote History

Quoted:
Get yourself one of the small dehumidifiers that should be in every gun safe. link

It will keep the rest of your guns from rusting.

Sorry about the barrel in the pic.

View Quote

Safe is humidity controlled. See op for condition of other rifles.

Posted: 6/25/2017 11:08:55 PM EDT

[#8]

Steel wool and use good oil on it after. I have a lot of guns and I spend a lot of time dusting and oiling open stored guns and oiling the safe stored guns. I am OCD so it helps me. That finish will probobaly keep peeling now. It will give it character

Posted: 6/26/2017 6:39:56 AM EDT

[#9]

Quote History

Quoted:
Steel wool and use good oil on it after. I have a lot of guns and I spend a lot of time dusting and oiling open stored guns and oiling the safe stored guns. I am OCD so it helps me. That finish will probobaly keep peeling now. It will give it character

View Quote

Ok thanks that's my main concern what to do to control it so it won't ruin the gun, cosmetics are not a huge deal to me on a 50 year old AK.

Posted: 6/27/2017 12:08:02 AM EDT

[#10]

My guess is he degreased it before painting using chlorinated brake cleaner. It will rust in short order even underneath paint. Non CL brake cleaner will not.

Posted: 6/27/2017 8:13:23 AM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
My guess is he degreased it before painting using chlorinated brake cleaner. It will rust in short order even underneath paint. Non CL brake cleaner will not.

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His current theory is that his helper duracoated it instead of ceracoat, which is only good to 600 degrees and it got too hot, bubbled and formed moisture. He is going to strip and ceracoat it properly.

Thanks for the info on the brake cleaner though I did not know that.

Posted: 6/27/2017 8:52:22 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
My guess is he degreased it before painting using chlorinated brake cleaner. It will rust in short order even underneath paint. Non CL brake cleaner will not.

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This is very good info I have seen where people think any brake cleaner will be fine, but they are incorrect.

Posted: 6/29/2017 1:49:35 PM EDT

[#13]

Dropped it off yesterday and got an apology from the guy that duracoated it by accident (although non was needed).

I'll have it back next week after they refinish it with ceracoat.

Pic of duracoat burning off during drum dump

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Posted: 7/6/2017 5:43:42 PM EDT

[#14]

Is this the same guy who only painted your big toes in the pic? That to me would have been a clue.......

J/k

I couldn't resist since no one else brought it up. Glad to hear you got it resolved.

Posted: 7/6/2017 9:34:26 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
Is this the same guy who only painted your big toes in the pic? That to me would have been a clue.......

J/k

I couldn't resist since no one else brought it up. Glad to hear you got it resolved.

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The reason nobody mentioned it was this is a technical forum not GD.

@brushidorat

Posted: 7/24/2017 7:53:31 PM EDT

[#16]

Bump for refinish pics in OP for those interested.

Posted: 7/24/2017 10:27:55 PM EDT

[#17]

Looks good, but I would have had that rifle blued.

Posted: 7/25/2017 2:21:01 AM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
Looks good, but I would have had that rifle blued.

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I like blued as well and that would look nice, but painted is historically correct for a Hungarian type 3. My SA85M Hungarian is also painted from the factory, as I believe all Hungarian aks are. One of the reasons I'm into aks is my love of history so I try to keep them accurate.

I have two blued Chinese guns and it's a great finish.

Posted: 7/25/2017 9:25:40 AM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:I like blued as well and that would look nice, but painted is historically correct for a Hungarian type 3.

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Quote History

Quoted:I like blued as well and that would look nice, but painted is historically correct for a Hungarian type 3.

Rifle looks great but Hungarian Type 3 rifles were blued. Their stamped AK's were painted.

Quoted: One of the reasons I'm into aks is my love of history so I try to keep them accurate.

Ouch.

Posted: 7/25/2017 11:08:07 AM EDT

[#20]

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Quoted:

Rifle looks great but Hungarian Type 3 rifles were blued. Their stamped AK's were painted.

Ouch.

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All of the info I can find says they are painted with a baked on phosphate type black paint, milled and stamped.

Where are you getting your info? A google search also only shows bluing for Hungarians due to personal preference, milled or stamped. My research includes two Hungarian army vets that say painted. I hand picked this kit from a large group of type 3 Hungarian kits in person and they all had a painted finish from the factory (although aged and in need of refinishing!)

And learning never hurts, I don't have an ego on this stuff.

Posted: 7/25/2017 11:48:58 AM EDT

[#21]

Well this has me intrigued now, there are some good sources saying they were "blued" with a black oxide method that makes them look more black than the traditional Chinese blued look. Evidently over the decades of the Cold War they were also refinished from time to time as needed, with more and more being parked and painted/baked.

So the batch I looked through may have been rearsenaled at some point and refinished? Very interesting trail I've been led down now...

If anyone has any other info on this I'd be interested to hear/learn.

Posted: 7/25/2017 6:37:42 PM EDT

[#22]

Definitely blued.

Posted: 7/25/2017 7:42:30 PM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Quoted:
Definitely blued.
http://i.imgur.com/nMWtFAJ.jpg?1
http://i.imgur.com/mALeZBK.jpg?1

View Quote

It's definitely a darker bluing than the Chicom guns, very nice.. My guns serial also starts with "BM", but my barrel number starts with an "N" and then a number. If your barrel is original, can you tell me if it starts with a letter? I saw an example online that started with an "E".

Thanks for the info and pics.

Posted: 7/25/2017 7:45:09 PM EDT

[#24]

Original worn finish, numbers matching Hungarian kit built on a Bulgarian SLR100 receiver. Receiver was blued and "worn" to match kit.

I like the mis-stamp on the carrier serial number (1 under the 0).

Posted: 7/25/2017 8:04:12 PM EDT

[#25]

My original Hungarian T3 kit is blued.

Posted: 7/25/2017 8:14:22 PM EDT

[#26]

Yeah I'm convinced boys, the batch I picked from must have been re done at some point long ago. Sweet looking rifles!

I'm just glad I went from oh shit I picked a rusty barrel to oh it just needs a better finish lol.

Posted: 7/25/2017 9:27:11 PM EDT

[#27]

Quote History

Quoted:
It's definitely a darker bluing than the Chicom guns, very nice.. My guns serial also starts with "BM", but my barrel number starts with an "N" and then a number. If your barrel is original, can you tell me if it starts with a letter? I saw an example online that started with an "E".

Thanks for the info and pics.

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Definitely blued.
http://i.imgur.com/nMWtFAJ.jpg?1
http://i.imgur.com/mALeZBK.jpg?1

It's definitely a darker bluing than the Chicom guns, very nice.. My guns serial also starts with "BM", but my barrel number starts with an "N" and then a number. If your barrel is original, can you tell me if it starts with a letter? I saw an example online that started with an "E".

Thanks for the info and pics.

No letter, just numbers

It is smooth as butter.

Like butter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1N4ykz7sq4

Posted: 7/25/2017 11:29:51 PM EDT

[#28]

Quote History

Quoted:
No letter, just numbers
http://i.imgur.com/hqm8VHU.jpg?2

It is smooth as butter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1N4ykz7sq4

View Quote

Very nice! My barrel has that same tiny E in a circle like yours does.

Posted: 7/27/2017 8:48:50 AM EDT

[#29]

Quote History

Quoted:
http://i.imgur.com/gCF5Khg.jpg

Original worn finish, numbers matching Hungarian kit built on a Bulgarian SLR100 receiver. Receiver was blued and "worn" to match kit.

I like the mis-stamp on the carrier serial number (1 under the 0).

http://i.imgur.com/J1lGszS.jpg

View Quote

That's a nice rifle F-Ted. Any chance we could get you to show us some more pics?