Polishing a rusted and blued revolver

[monkeylizard]

Angus was over in the Long Guns section looking for a way to clean some surface rust from a Mosin barrel.

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/long-guns/42627-stoopy-didnt-clean-his-mosin.html

In the thread, CLP and CLR are both mentioned and it was stated that CLR would take care of the rust but also remove blueing. I have an H&R .22 revolver with some surface rust and some blueing that's not in the greatest condition. I've thought about finding a way to strip it down and polish it instead of blueing it. Sort of using it as an experiment platform, as I've never done anything like that before.

If I completely disassemble it, would CLR take off the blueing/rust without hurting anything else? And would a polishing wheel on a Dremel be an acceptable way to polish the remaining steel or do I need a polishing wheel on my bench grinder? Does anything need to be applied to the polished metal to protect it from future rust (a clear-coat type product, perhaps)?

[Guest BRad704]

Hmm... This is something I would like to know about also. Maybe you'll get some responses after a bump up to the top...

[BeMan]

Feel free to email me some pics, and I can suggest some different ideas. Or, you can call me with questions. I am not a gunsmith, but I frequently deal with surface "issues" while preparing to engrave guns. 865-604-7827

Tony

[Guest 2b1ask1]

I ran into the same problem on a Smith MOD.10 a few years ago, I used a Dremel set on medium speed and polishing rouge to remove the rust and bluing, I can't remember the grit, it worked pretty well. I considered using a bench grinder and polishing wheel, but I was concerned about controlling the speed and pressure. I wish I could advise you on what to coat it with, you may be able to find a plating shop to plate it for you.

[glockster157]

If we are talking about surface rust I would not use any power tool. If you want a basic "looks" touch up, I would take 0000 steel wool and a light oil. Just rub it down until the rust is gone. Normally will not hurt the bluing. If you want, clean it good with a degreaser. Brake cleaner followed by acetone works pretty good, and then use a good cold blue to hide or blend out the bad spots. Heating the metal up with a hair dryer or heat gun helps and doing several applications will help also. I will rub it in with the steel wool also though you can just use a rag. This method works well on small spots or things like metal magazines. I like Birchwood Casey Super Blue, though there are really expensive ones out there.

[DaveTN]

If you or someone you know has access to a glass bead blaster that is the best way to remove the bluing. It just takes minutes and get in all the corners and crevasses, while leaving a smooth uniform finish. I used extra fine glass bead; it will remove the bluing without damaging the surface.

You can hand buff the steel if you like. I used a bench buffer and buffing rouge. The key in buffing is to keep the surface uniform. If you buff too much in one area and "dig in" it will show up like a sore thumb. That is why I use a bench buffer with a wide wheel instead of a Dremel buffer.

I refinished a S&W Model 19 that was in good shape mechanically, but cosmetically was a basket case. Here is what it looked like before refinishing….

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Yoke after bead blasting…

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After polishing….

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And after bluing....

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