Gunsmithing Engraved O/U receiver rust?

[hoguer]

I have a beautiful older Weatherby O/U that i purchased, and it has surface rust on the receiver. It is highly engraved SS receiver and i was wondering the best way to get her looking new again. i have tried placing a rag soaked in Kroil on it and then hitting with OO steel wool with improvement, but not great. I was wondering if i put it in my SS media tumbler that i use for my brass cleaning, would that clean it while not damaging the engraving? Any other suggestions? Thank you in advance.

 

[Mortarman0341]

2000 grit wet dry paper with a jenga block under it. Only go in one direction and go in straight lines.

I have used this many times on unfinished or stainless guns with excellent results.

 

[Turd in the Pool]

Sandpaper won't get it out of the engraving. Brownell's used to sell a wire wheel with .005" dia. wire for carding when rust bluing. I hit mine with a file when they are new so the striations are less pronounced. If you hit it with one of those and then with a buffing wheel, you should be able to live with it.

 

[hoguer]

So the tumbler idea is a no no?

 

[Stokes]

I think the tumbler is a bad idea. Also, are you sure it's a stainless part, and not that it's been nickeled?

 

[Cartman]

x2 on verifying it really is a stainless steel receiver. If it is NOT, then get Evapo-Rust, paper towels for soaking, and a toothbrush. Though do read the warnings about leaving behind some black, probably carbon spots. Pretty sure it will remove bluing too, however, since bluing is rust, isn't it?

 

[harbinger]

If you have a hard time getting it out of the engraving, use a sharpened pencil to get in the tiny crevices. Just keep "writing" over the rust spots and the graphite makes a very fine abrasive and the pressure from the tip will remove surface rust and even clean it out of light pitting. Any solvent will clear all the graphite out. Payed my way through college working in a gun shop and we would buy some really nice firearms cheap because of surface rust, hour or two and a couple of pencils and most looked as good as new!