Refinishing a shotgun barrel.

[theletch1]

I've had a Mossberg 16 guage bolt action for years. It's been at my parents house for years and I recently picked it up from there. When I picked it up I noticed a good deal of surface rust on the barrel. I've re-done several stocks in the past and they've all come out great. Wood work, however, is a good deal different for me than re-bluing a shotgun barrel. There's no rust inside the barrel or chamber so I don't have to worry about that but I need to re-do the out side. What's the best way to go about it? I know that there are kits that you can buy but am not sure which one to get. Any help here would be appreciated.

 

[ChukaSifu2]

I've had a Mossberg 16 guage bolt action for years. It's been at my parents house for years and I recently picked it up from there. When I picked it up I noticed a good deal of surface rust on the barrel. I've re-done several stocks in the past and they've all come out great. Wood work, however, is a good deal different for me than re-bluing a shotgun barrel. There's no rust inside the barrel or chamber so I don't have to worry about that but I need to re-do the out side. What's the best way to go about it? I know that there are kits that you can buy but am not sure which one to get. Any help here would be appreciated.

The Birch-Wood Casey kit works out real well. They have a bluing kit which includes the bluing daubbers,steel wool,metal treatment and metal bluing as well as instructions for doing the cold bluing process. If some of the pitting is deep use a fiberglass styptic pencil to remove some of the rust before the steel wool, and if the pitting is deep, you can use a fine mill file to smooth the surface before re-bluing.

 

[theletch1]

Thanks! It was a blast to shoot when I actually had time to shoot the thing. I'll get that kit (sounds like a good gift idea for the wife to get me) and give it a whirl. I may even post before and after pics here.

 

[theletch1]

Here's a photo of the shotgun. Mossberg model 190 16 guage. It has the C-lect choke on it and a 2 round magazine.

 

[RBaddorf]

In May when we were back in PA my Dad gave me (it looks like) the exact same shotgun. He is 76 and got it used when he was 16, the stock was cracked then and is still cracked. My Mom also gave me her Dad's 16 gauge at the same time. His was a Remington copy of the Browning Auto. Both have alot of surface rust, esp. the Remington as Grandpa had it in a cloth case in the attic and it got wet at one time.

I will also pick up one of those kits and give it a try, most likely on the Mossberg first as it has less rust.

Thanks guys,

P.S. My Grandpa was from Paytes, VA, near Mine Run about 20 minutes from Orange, and 45 minutes from Fredricksburg. 16 ga was real popular out there when I was a kid.

 

[ChukaSifu2]

Good Luck guys, Nice looking Mossberg, I like those old bolt actions, gives a little different appeal than standard pumps and auto's.
RBaddorf- Birchwood-Casey also has a nice kit for stock refinishing, should you decide to repair that stock and refinish it.
If you are worried about hurting the value of these guns when refinishing, take extra care when removing rust or buffing the metal near stampings. That's one place we always look for to see if stampings are rounded, it's a good give away that the firearm has been re-blued and that can affect it's value.
Done several guns myself for friends using these kits, bluing is not the same as hot chemical bluing, but if you take your time, it still looks dang good, and it's a heck of a lot better than rust.
Once the bluing has cured and you are going to oil the firearm, you might have your preferences, but I have done some tests and Gibb's gun oil seems to protect the best. Also don't leave the gun in a case or gun sock, these hold and trap moisture and may cause it to rust again. The better you can store them and let them breathe, the less chance of them oxidizing(rusting).
Again good luck and have fun, let me know how it works for you.

~Tony

 

[Grenadier]

Very nice...

The rust removal can be easily done with steel wool and some light mineral oil. Be conservative with the "scrubbing," and also be patient.

I've used the Brownell's rebluing salts with great results. However, you're going to need a heat source that can get you to the 600 degree F area (no water used here).

The Brownell's stuff gives you a great amount of control, as to what color you want your parts to be, since you can control the temperature, as well as exposure time to get some really good-looking finishes.