A year ago I knocked down some pheasants on a trip up north with my old Mod 12, 12 gauge, beautiful condition, poly-choke. So, I recently took it out to play with it and there's a fair bit of rust on the barrel and slide, mostly on one side of it. WTF, I didn't put it away wet.

Then I remembered, my idiot buddy drove us (who was such a dick barely talked to him since) in his new POS Ford 150, with a POS aftermarket cover over the bed, where all my gear was stowed. He put his gear in the cab. Of course it was raining, and my gear got wet, unbeknownst to me, so did the soft gun case containing the shotty.

I'll have to have it repaired, or get rid of it. Can't stand to have a rusty gun. I'm sure the parts are out there if it needs a new barrel, etc.

Yeah, I'm pissed...at myself, also.

Oil and 0000 steel wool will fit it right up.

+1

Ive been burned with case storage and damp houses...

I do this with Kroil and it can clean it up if its not too bad and didnt cause pitting

Thanks for the comments, guys. I have used the mentioned method on the inside of barrels before. Thank God the receiver is still pristine.

I'll rehabilitate it, shoot some more birds with it, be happy it wasn't worse...learned my lesson the hard way.

I feel your pain...hope you can get it back to new looking! A model 12 with sentimental value is worth the investment to make it new again. I used to store guns in cases...till I heard the story of a rancher who kept his .22-250 in a soft case behind the seat of his pickup. Hadn't used it in a month or so, saw a coyote, flipped the seat forward and grabbed the case, unzipped it, and pulled out a rusty rifle..bolt was even frozen shut. Somehow the case had gotten damp, and a little time had done the trick. Cases are used for transport now for me, and day storage in the pickup when I'm in the country. At night they come out.

I use the 0000 steel wool with Brownell's number 2. You probably won't be able to tell the gun rusted and it won't rust again.

A reasonable fix like this would be most welcome, thanks. Wouldn't the process remove the bluing?

I have used it on guns with heavy surface rust a lost no finish. The key is oil first and use light pressure. Wipe as you go with paper towels to remove rust. Must use 0000 wool.

Thanks...

Try Flitz.



Travis

I never had bluing come off. Use a soft cloth to dab on the Brownell's. Rub in circular motion with the steel wool. The rust comes off easily. Wipe off excess of the Brownell's. You're done.

You will need rubber gloves to handle Brownell's number 2.

Never store a gun in a case.

This - taught us this in hunter's safety.

Yes...

It's why a prudent owner will use bronze wool...obtainable usually at marine supply stores or larger hardware stores..

In this case, it wasn't the issue of being stored in the soft case, but the fact that the soft case was wet. But, it is true my guns are generally not stored cased.

Redneck is right that the bronze wool is [probably best but I have used the 0000 steel wool and hoppes or krol and it has worked fine. You may want to wet it first and let it sit for an hour or so and then buff. Of course we aren't advocating scrubbing that hard maybe we should say buffing the rust should come off fairly easily or time to go to plan B.

You just can't store guns in soft cases just like you don't point a gun at anything you don't want to shoot. The problem isn't that the gun was actually loaded or that the case was actually wet.The problem is that you broke the first rule.

You can, if you're super anal about it...especially if you live in a really dry climate. Is it a good idea? Probably not.

Appreciate the comments...

I told a guy about the 0000 steel wool and oil thing once.
Saw him a few weeks later and he said "I screwed his gun all up", that it took the finish right off.
Turns out he used 00 steel wool and no oil! When all that came out, he said "well I knew I forgot something"!

Don't forget the oil and go slow, sorry for the mess it made of your gun.

Sounds just like something I would do.