I have deep dark spots, i think from rust, on the exterior of my stainless barrel. Wondering what my options are- filing, or coating with a product.
I want to preserve value as stock looks almost like new.

Thanks for your suggestions.

I've used CLR or Lime-A-Way to remove minor rust on stainless firearms. It works great to renew the finish without resorting to abrasives and/or coatings.

Thanks Fishhead .. do you think coatings would affect value

I'd think that a bead blasted matte finish would be more desirable than a cerakote type finish.

But ... It all depends on who would buy it and what they think.

Stainless rust seems to be a bit different. I've bought a few stainless muzzleloaders with some reddish spots that are smooth, not like the scale that forms on CM steel. When I bead blast it to remove the spots, many times they will blow out and leave noticeable pitting. But you first have to stop the rusting, then deal with the surface left behind.