I have a Remington 700 that I've been contemplating selling or building into a custom unit. It is a beater, but the action is sound. It does have some rust, though I don't believe it has pitted. What products are good for removing this, and should I take the blueing off at the same time ( I was thinking a Gunkote type finish)? I checked out the stuff on Brownells site- any recommendations?

Coot

I've used Brownell's Steel White with good results. Removes rust and bluing right down to the steel and stops. It leaves a blackish oxide that buffs off with a fine wire wheel.

If you are planning on using Gunkote it has to be sand blasted with Al Ox grit (80-120) anyway, so your rust will vanish when you do that.

ah, grasshopper...

i got just three tings to say to you..

C L R

my new favorite for blue and rust removal... get a fine scotch bright pad, some heavy rubber gloves, wax on, wax off... seriously

jeffe

CLR? I'm gonna have to try that!

CLR works!

Also, if you ever have some brass or copper you want to "antique," just coat it with CLR and leave it in a damp place overnight. Turns a lovely green. I suppose if you really wanted to finish the job you could soak it in sodium bicarbonate for a while to turn the patina into "natural" copper carbonate. (CLR's active ingredient is sulfamic acid.)

What is CLR, and where can one purchase it ?

For light surface rust removal, RB-17 Bore Cleaner works very well with 4/0 steel wool, and won't harm bluing. It's also desolves lead pretty good. I've used it for years; good stuff. Safe Shooting Friends! - gunsmither

CLR is a product intended for uses like cleaning the nasty stains and crusty junk out of sinks, etc. It's sold in the cleaning supplies section of grocery stores, Wal-Marts, etc. The CLR stands for "Calcium, Lime and Rust," things it's made to remove.

It is an acid, sulfamic acid, in a thickened liquid a bit reminiscent of Naval Jelly, but not as viscous. It doesn't leave a coating on steel like the phosphoric acid in Naval Jelly does.

Thanks for the great info Richochet! I've seen that stuff in the hardware store and never had a reason for checking it out. I do now! Safe Shooting Friends! - gunsmither

BTW, a few days ago one of my friends on the Antique Stationary Engine Mailing List mentioned that he uses CLR to get rust out of old engine cylinder bores. That's a pretty good recommendation, if you've ever seen these old one-lungers in "as-found" condition.