Does anyone know of a way to get surface rust off of a barrel? My brother has had a gun that my parrents bought him about 25 years ago. He had it in his basement for the past 3 months and surface rust has spoted the barrel. He's sick over the deal and asked me to ask around for advice.

Outside/Inside Both?

Just on the outside.

If the rust is bad enough, you aren't going to remove it without ending upneeding a re-blueing job.

Very light rust that is nothing much more than adusting on the surface of the barrel can be removed by lightlyrubbing (not scrubbing)down the barrel with 0000 steel wool and a good gun oil.

Inside the barrel, if it's light, clean with patches "wetted" with solvent to remove loose rust "dust" then follow lightly with a lapping/polishing compound, if patches and bore brushes aren't enough, then reclean as normal. Any rust that has heavily pitted the rifling may need a smith to evaluate the condition and see if it's bad enough to warrant rebarreling or rerifleing (to a larger caliber).

Then again, someone else may know better and be able to help.

I will assume outside rust and a gun that is not a collectors item. I would try a cloth with oil and rub. If that does not work, very Very fine steel wool soaked with oil, and used as lightly as possible might do the trick. My idea would be to try not to rub the rusted area too hard, just enough to remove the loose rust and make smooth , but do not polish to bare metal.

It is very hard to make suggestions without seeing the gun, and if it is important to you, take it to someone with experience the price will be worth it.

It goes without saying, but be sure this gun chamber and barrel is inspected well before being fired.

A burnt match or two will usually take it off without permantley damaging a finish.

The steel wool and gun oilmethod I have heard of but never the burnt match? How does that work?

Wet it down with Hoppes #9, let it soak for a few hours and then use 0000 steel wool to remove rust. You don't need to rub very hard. If it doesn't all come off just repeat the process. Then use some BreakFree CLP to keep it from happening again.

USMC it works because the end of the burnt match is abrasive but not harsh. It's a good tip in the field during wet hunting seasons. I actually learned it from a guy that was in the military.

Blue Wonder