Posted: 7/11/2008 10:54:14 PM EDT
What the hell.... I go shooting last week, clean the gun like normal and see this today growing all over it. What caused this and how do I fix it. I did nothing different than I have been doing for the last 2 years. Help. How do i fix this and keep it from happening again.   Tried the Flitz and it worked real good. i used an sos pad and I think steel wool or a fine git sandpaper would of got this baby to shine. Here are some afetr picks. thanks for all the help. Its not perfect but ill give it another shot with the steel wool.   
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| I have no idea why your barrel rusted like that.I have seen matte finished guns rust like this in high humidty regions but have never seen a barrel rust like yours.I would start putting your guns in a oil bag or get some dehumidifier pellets for your safe if it is kept in it for more than 6 months at a time.How old is the gun?+1 on refinishing with gunkote or getting the barrel chromed.I just got my barrel chromed and it ran about $40. |
I might want to do this. Do you have any pics. It was in a night stand for 1 week only.... Would air conditioning do this to the barrel, I have been running it non stop for the past week. Its the only thing i can think of. |
High humidity will cause white steel to do this. I'd caution against using anything which is going to change the dimensions of the barrel. Use steel wool and Flitz  to remove the rust. Once the rust is removed use a Q Tip ladened with a good lube such as CLP to lightly coat the barrel. I personally use Slick 50 Wheel bearing grease instead of oil. 
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Holy hell!!! I've heard of Kimber barrels rusting, but never seen one. That's awful. Apparently their barrels are in the white... how stupid is that? I've never experienced rust issues with my Kimber, but I also apply a light coat of grease on the barrel as lube. Maybe you might try that once you get it taken care of? |
| wow that is insane? in one week? I dont get how that could happen.. I have an Armalite it is a Black barrel and I have AC in the room I keep it in and I have had no probs.. What type of barrels have these probs? I will not use them on my next build, I want to get a LMT or another Armalite but I wanna know what type barrels will do that? I mean if I where out in the woods and in the rain for a week I would not want that happening. |
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What did you do when you cleaned it? You didn't put it in the dishwasher did you??? Just kidding. Flitz will work well. Also, scrubbing it with WD-40 will help on surface rust like that as it is an inhibitor. As long as it's just started and no pitting, you will most likely be able to just wipe most of it off with the WD-40. Don't use the WD-40 on blueing though as it removes blueing too. When you cleaned it, did you forget to oil it or did the oil you used evaporate? Bob |
Blueing is really a controlled oxidation - a pretty rusting of the barrel. WD-40 is a rust inhibitor and actually attacks rust. So, in turn, WD-40 actually attacks the blueing on a firearm a little everytime you use it on them. I didn't realize this until I started working for some of the Firearm companies I've been at. I don't use it anymore on guns, I like G-96 products for treatment and protection. Take care, Bob |
I did some searches on this and opinions are mixed about WD40 attacking rust in that manner. Many discount it and say that WD40 merely displaces water (as the maker claims), doesn't inhibit even rust and at worse may build up a film on metal. I have used in on blued firearms (although not to excess) and I have not seen any degradation. |
It won't melt the bluing off, but it does slowly work on it. Take a soft cloth of a lighter color (white or off white) and squirt some WD-40 on it. Rub the bluing somewhere that is relatively clean, but not percievably rusty and look at the rag. You will see a rust colored smudge where you have been wiping. It's the bluing coming off. My father used WD-40 for years, and most of the guns are fine, but certainly don't look brand new anymore... now, yes, they have been shot, but some of the guns don't have much through them and should have a deeper, more lustrious blue than they currently have - and you can really see the wear on the edges - like buffing a car too much and noticing the clearcoat is thin on the corners. Like I said, it isn't going to melt your finish off, but it does make a difference from what I can tell. I'm not telling you not to use the WD... Call me crazy, but it smells great. It works as a preventative, and it does evaporate and displace water so it is fantastic to use on a cold gun that came in from winter into the house and may condensate. Take care, Bob |
+1. The Steel Wool will actually break off and flake while being imbedded on the barrel. Use green scotch pad. |