I was givin an old single shot 20 gauge by my father in law. The gun was lost for about 30 years and is pretty rusted down the b

[themadflyfisher]

I was givin an old single shot 20 gauge by my father in law. The gun was lost for about 30 years and is pretty rusted down the barrel. The inside of the barrel seems to be pretty good though. What would be the best way to clean the rust off and how would I treat the barrel once the rust is off?

[mike0714]

take it to your local gun shop and have them do a quick once over. 30 yeas can do some real damage to a gun if not stored properly.

[99explorer]

If the rust is on the exterior surface of the barrel, you can remove it with fine steel wool saturated with thin oil. Do not use sandpaper.
Wipe down with an oiled cloth for maintenance.

[Treestand]

JMO~~ I would use Remington Sand Scrub and a brass brush on a long C/rod attach to a battery powered drill, to Clean the Bbl.first,To see if the gun is worth adding any more time to restore the Gun.

[Carl Huber]

Brownell's sells Oxpho-Blue and Dicropan both very good cold blue treatment. They both inhibit further rusting and match the original finish. I used the Oxpho-Blue on a Mauser and it has lasted several years. Just follow the instructions.

[FirstBubba]

First thing I'd do is check for "brand" name. If it's a Savage, Stevens or Winchester, proceed with cleanup. I find WD-40 and 00 or 000 steel wool works wonders at removing surface rust.
As far as maintenance, a little WD-40 goes a long way.
WD-40 isn't a lubricant, but a "W"ater "D"isplacement solvent.. ((yeah, it lubes too! )
The 40 came because it was the 40th formula that performed as desired.
CAUTION: WD-40 kills primers!

[99explorer]

Speaking of a #2 pencil, I've found that the pink erasers on wood pencils will remove light pitting on blued steel without disturbing the underlying blue.
I do not recommend it if steel wool and oil are available.