# How do I get rust off my rifle?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 30, 2001, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701 "2001-06-30T05:31:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2001, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/1 "2001-06-30T05:31:21Z")
I left my gun in my truck for the whole spring and I just noticed little tiny spots of rust forming. I tried to clean it of with some oil but no luck. Is there any way to remove it?
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### Author:  [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2001, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/2 "2001-06-30T05:50:55Z")
Fine steel wool, followed by a good quality re-blueing available at sporting goods stores.
If it is a rifle you really care about, take it to a gunsmith for a professional job.
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### Author:  [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2001, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/3 "2001-06-30T05:57:09Z")
Hey Wishbone, I’m curious, do you ever sleep? 49 threads responded to/initiated so far today? Man, you’re prolific!
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### Author:  [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2001, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/4 "2001-06-30T07:23:04Z")
Let’s just say I’m on vacation. I got four hours this morning from 6 to 11. I don’t have a set sleep schedule to stick to.
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### Author:  [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2001, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/5 "2001-06-30T07:35:26Z")
bare, BTW, I’m new here. How do I check how many posts I have in a day? I know that I could ask in the “About” section, but if you’re awake…if it’s no trouble of course.🙂
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### Author:  [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)
#### Post date: [June 30, 2001, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/6 "2001-06-30T08:55:41Z")
Yep, still here and no problem, just look at your last post or any of your posts and below you’ll see search along with profile, click search and there you be, in living color.
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### Author:  [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2001, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/7 "2001-07-01T01:03:58Z")
Thanks bare, 🙂
I crashed after that last post.
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### Author:  [@Golden\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Golden_Child)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2001, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/8 "2001-07-01T03:18:08Z")
Hey, use oil and cheesecloth…it works wonders on everything that I’ve used it for and it’s alot better that a steel brush or something like that.
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### Author:  [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2001, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/9 "2001-07-01T03:20:03Z")
I saw the thread title and thought you were being euphimistic.😃
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### Author:  [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2001, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/10 "2001-07-01T04:41:58Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by choosybeggar \*
> \*\*I saw the thread title and thought you were being euphimistic.😃 \*\*
In which case your advice would have been? 😉
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### Author:  [@A\_Friend\_of\_the\_Devil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Friend_of_the_Devil)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2001, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/11 "2001-07-01T04:47:28Z")
Apply WD-40, then polish with fine steel wool (if exterior). Interior rust is more troublesome, but if light, much the same method can be used. If more severe, check into lapping the barrel with abrasives.
More seriously, I expect that the gun was being carried properly? I believe in most states this means unloaded and in a case. (If your laws are different, OK).
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/12 "2001-07-01T04:51:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by kniz \*
> \*\*
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by choosybeggar \*
> > \*\*I saw the thread title and thought you were being euphimistic.😃 \*\*
>
> In which case your advice would have been? 😉 \*\*
Per Golden Child oil and cheese cloth, easy on the steel wool.
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### Author:  [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2001, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/13 "2001-07-01T05:24:14Z")
A friend of the devil,
I always kept it unloaded and for a while I didn’t even carry shells in the truck. I kept it unloaded under the flip up seat in the back(concealed), I didn’t have a gun rack.
Everyone,
I figured oil is oil so I tried WD-40 and an old sock(cheese cloth) and there are still small pock marks. I also tried some scratch remover that is supposed to remove rust off chrome. It barely worked, so I think I’m going to try the fine steel wool. Tomorrow I am going to get the finest stuff I can find(400-600 if we were talkin’ sandpaper) and work up to the rough stuff(if I need to).
Bare,
How much does rebluing cost(appx.)?
My gun has black metal. What makes it black?
Is it a property of all the metal or just a surface treatment, like anodizing?
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### Author:  [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2001, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/14 "2001-07-01T05:33:05Z")
Cause if it isn’t black all the way through, I would like it to have a mirror finish. That would be awesome. I looked up rebluing and the good treatment is around $100 bucks.
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### Author:  [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2001, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/15 "2001-07-01T06:12:37Z")
No idea on cost, my bottle for touch-ups must be over 20 years old, but I imagine a small bottle will be around 8 bucks.
Bluing is sorta black and it is used to prevent more rust from easily forming.
If you want a mirror finish, sell the old rifle and buy a stainless model.
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### Author:  [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2001, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/16 "2001-07-01T20:03:13Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by wishbone \*
> **Everyone,
> I figured oil is oil so I tried WD-40**
Oooh, bad move. WD-40 is known to remove finishes from firearms, particularly those that are Parkerized (like most US military weapons with that gritty surface texture). Bluing is a little safer, but cheaper finishes may be removed.
Use Break-Free CLP. I hated it when I was in the Army (it has been Uncle’s favorite for about 20 years and we weren’t allowed to use anything else) but after getting out, I tried a number of other products and none were as cheap _and_ effective. It comes in a little black plastic bottle and should be very easy to find. IIRC, Wal-Mart carries it. The CLP part stands for Cleaner, Lubricant, and Protection, btw.
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### Author:  [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2001, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-rust-off-my-rifle/70701/17 "2001-07-02T23:40:38Z")
I trick I picked up in a gun mag a long time ago,
Cover the entire exposed surface of the the gun with Turtlewax(the paste kind)about 5 coats or more. I used to do this with my duty weapons that I carried when working security, it keeps the blue looking like new, it prevents rust, even in humid climates. It makes magazines slide in and out easier, and doesnt attract dirt like oil will. The guy that wrote the article did a lot of hunting near salt water, and was always getting rust on the outside of his hunting rifle. After doing this, no problem. I tried it, then some of my coworkers tried it. It works great.