Gun barrels are made of metal, and like any other metal object, they just love to get rusty. After you use the gun for a while, they start acting like a toddler who needs nonstop attention. If you leave them unattended for a while, you’ll come back to see that the shiny barrel is cluttered with rust.
So, What Do You Do to Remove the Rust From Your Gun Barrel?
The general essence of cleaning is simple. As with any other maintenance, start by disassembling the gun and take the barrel out of it. Take a cleaning rod and attach a brush to it.
Soak the brush in cleaning solvent and run it through the barrel a few times. Then let the solvent sit for 5-10 minutes. After that, you will need to use cleaning patches. Use dry, solvent soaked, and dry patches sequentially.
After a Few Rounds, the Barrel Will Be Clean as New
It is dangerous to use a gun with a rusty barrel. A rusty gun barrel may affect your accuracy. When you want to shoot a bullet from your gun, the rust can increase the pressure inside your gun barrel, which can create splinters, damage the barrel, or in the worst case, can explode the gun.
It goes without saying how important cleaning the gun is, especially the inside of the barrel. A common question we receive from the user is – “How often should I clean my gun?”
Removing rust from a gun barrel is not a difficult process. You just need the right equipment with the right cleaning technique.
However, without proper knowledge, it may seem daunting. But it is easy to learn, and after a few trials, it will seem trivial. So, here’s the cleaning technique in detail.
Tools And Chemicals
To remove rust from the gun’s barrel, we need a few tools and chemicals. They are an essential part of the cleaning process. There are alternatives. There are several cleaning techniques out there, but for the process I will demonstrate, we will need-
- A Gun Cleaning Rod
- Bore Rust Solvent
- Bronze Brush
- A Handful Of Cleaning Patches
- Lubricant Oil Or Gun Oil
If possible, it’s better to use gun cleaning tools and chemicals. There are many brands that are specialized and well known for producing gun cleaning liquid and gun oil. You can buy them from online shops or local shops.
The Proper Way To Remove Rust From Gun Barrel
With all the items acquired, we can start cleaning the rust. One thing I need to mention here is, if your gun is heavily rusted, you will need to work on that before this cleaning procedure. These steps are focused on removing light rust. With a few easy steps and 15-20 minutes, your gun should return to its pristine form.
Disassemble The Gun
In the first step, you need to disassemble your gun if possible. Separate the barrel from the main body. It will make the cleaning process a lot easier. But make sure you have proper knowledge on how to disassemble and reassemble your gun.
Feed Solvent To The Rust
Attach the bronze brush to your gun cleaning rod. Soak it in the gun cleaning liquid and run it through the gun barrel. Move the gun cleaning rod back and forth a few times while rotating. If possible, insert the rod from the chamber toward the muzzle as well. Repeat the process a couple of times. When you think the solvent reached the whole internal surface, let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
In the meantime, remove the brush from the cleaning rod and attach a jag to prepare it for patches. Attach a patch to the jig.
Wipe Out The Rust
After about 10 minutes, the solvent should dissolve most of the rust. Take the barrel and run the rod, with a patch attached, through the barrel. Run the rod all the way in and pull it out.
You will see the black rust-dissolved-solvent on the patch. The quantity depends on the amount of rust there was. The more the rust is, the darker the color of the patch will be.
Now, remove the used one and replace it with a new patch. Here you should apply gun cleaning liquid on the new clean patch. Again, follow the same process and run it through the barrel back and forth while circling. Keep doing it and make sure it is cleaning actively all around inside the gun’s barrel.
Repeat the process until a patch returns as clean as it entered. If the rust seems persistent, apply a little more solvent and again, back to wiping. Soon enough, you should have a clean patch, indicating that the rust is gone.
Finalizing
After the rust is gone, there is still a little left to do. Oil the inside of the barrel. Rust is highly contagious. Once it begins, it just keeps showing up. Oil creates a protective layer on the metal, preventing it from coming in contact with the oxygen and water vapor of the air. This keeps the rust away.
The final step is to apply oil inside the gun barrel. Clean the gun cleaning rod and attach One last dry patch to it. Soak it with gun oil or lubricant oil. Follow the same process as cleaning and apply the oil inside the gun’s barrel. It will ensure that your gun will work smoothly in the future and reduce the chances of getting rusty again.
Some Potential Issues You May Face
- The Rust Is Too Heavy
If this is the case, before applying this method, scrub the inside with the bronze brush for a significantly longer time. This will lessen the rust and make it feasible for the procedure mentioned above. If the rust is tremendously heavy, then you are better off contacting a professional.
- Patch Got Loose And Stuck Inside The Barrel
This is not an uncommon scenario. Just install a new patch and continue normally. The rod with the new patch attached will act as a piston head and push the previous patch out on the opposite end. Just be sure to attach the new patch a little more securely.
- The Patch Is Too Small For The Barrel
If the patch is too small for the barrel, it will not clean properly. In this case, while installing the patch, insert a small bolt or washer in the middle of the fold of the patch. This will widen the patch and make it reach the barrel on all sides. Or you can make your own patches with cotton, tissue paper, or soft cloth.
Summary
This is the easiest method to clear rust from the inside of a gun’s barrel. Rust is like cancer. Once a metal body starts rusting, there is no way to absolutely stop it. The best way to keep rust at bay is to take regular care of the metal body.
Most of the time, we paint the object. But in our case, it is not possible to paint. The best way for us is to use oil. Be sure to apply oil on a regular basis. Do not leave the gun unused and unattended for a long time.
Each time you are cleaning rust, the inside of the barrel is essentially getting wider, and soon enough, it will become useless. Hence regular cleaning and oiling are key.
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