Cleaning rust out of a threaded breach?

[Sundodger]

While hunting this year I kept a charge in my rifle during a few high moisture days, which resulted is a moderately stuck breach plug with some corrosion in the threads of the barrel and breach plug.

So this fall I cleaned it all out best I could, dried, and re assembled with lube. Seemed to go back together nice and smooth, but and just having it sit around in my safe for a few months the breach plug and barrel started corroding together again.

Trying to fix this once and for all. I have been able to get the visible corrosion off the breach plug with this tool:
https://www.amazon.com/breech-plug-cleaning-tool/s?k=breech+plug+cleaning+tool

But the barrel end I have been less successful. I have been scrubbing the breach best I can, but just can’t seem to get every last bit of corrosion out of all of the threads.

Any ideas how to get every last bit of rust out of the breach end and stop it from continuing to corroding?


It’s a CVA Accura with Stainless steel nitride coated barrel and breach plug.

 

[HC]

Power drill, shotgun copper brush, kroil or other penetrating oil. Chuck the brush in the drill and soak the brush with oil and have at it ( with the drill turned on). It may take several days for the oil to get under the rust. Good luck.

 

[billyboy*]

^^^ Exactly, 28 Gauge Bronze Brush Soaked with Kroil turned with Portable Power Drill ^^^

 

[toytruck]

I thought the nitride barrel's are guaranteed not to rust. Maybe call CVA and check, they may replace the barrel, if you want to go that way.
I have a optima V2 nitride barrel, so far no problems!

 

[ENCORE50A]

Harbor Freight in the auto section. For a break open you will not need the extension.
Once you get one of these you'll wonder why you didn't have one before.

 

[deermanok]

Just curious, what were you using for powder?

 

[Far Sighted]

Try this it worked great when I used in on my son's older Optima V1 bore which wasn't stainless. I tried it on my V2 stainless for kicks and it makes the bore sparkle like new money.
I first bought to remove rust occurring on my stainless steel refrigerator panel. It worked there also.

 

[GLenn]

Just for what it is worth, this from my old country life long mechanic. He told me just recently that the best penetrating (oil/formula) he has ever used is a mixture of 50:50 transmission fluid and Acetone. He swears it works when nothing else does.

I will make up a small batch of this but have not yet done so.

For what it is worth!!

 

[toytruck]

Just curious, what were you using for powder?

That would really make a difference in cleaning. Different cleaner for different powder!

 

[Sundodger]

Thanks guys!

I have some brushes and oil coming my way and my drill is ready for them.


The powder was white hot pellet's.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Just for what it is worth, this from my old country life long mechanic. He told me just recently that the best penetrating (oil/formula) he has ever used is a mixture of 50:50 transmission fluid and Acetone. He swears it works when nothing else does.

I will make up a small batch of this but have not yet done so.

For what it is worth!!

Ive used that a few times. Works really well.

 

[Lost Oki]

Just for what it is worth, this from my old country life long mechanic. He told me just recently that the best penetrating (oil/formula) he has ever used is a mixture of 50:50 transmission fluid and Acetone. He swears it works when nothing else does.

I will make up a small batch of this but have not yet done so.

For what it is worth!!

Makes me wonder if Ed's Red bore cleaner would work?

 

[Les Harris]

Try Evaporust on the plug and the threads of the breech. The corrosion has to be removed from all surfaces or it will reappear.

 

[Sundodger]

I have Evaporust, use it for various things, and have seriously considered it.

My concerns are as follows:
-Will it damage the nitride coating that is still intact?
-I have used Evaporust a fair amount and if I am honest I don't understand the mechanism of action. I should prob understand that before I dip my precious gun in there. With steel parts that I have left in there for a while they get pitted even where there wasn't rust, making me worried Evaporust preferentially dissolves/removes certain metal constituents, phases (ferrite, martensite, etc.), crystal structures, carbon migration, or something else entirely and affecting the material properties of my barrel and plug. I am really spitballing on this here, but it really does concern me.

I have thought about electrolytic rust removal as well, I do understand how that works, and could set up my old de rusting tank.

Thoughts on my musings?

Try Evaporust on the plug and the threads of the breech. The corrosion has to be removed from all surfaces or it will reappear.

 

[2701jim]

The way I understand nitride-it is not a coating. The color of the steel is permanently changed.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

The way I understand nitride-it is not a coating. The color of the steel is permanently changed.

Yes, nitrided isn't a coating, it's a change in the surface of the steel making it much harder. EvapoRust shouldn't hurt it when used correctly, and not left on too long.

 

[Far Sighted]

Nitriding steel is steel treated by a highly specialized surface hardening process known as nitriding, which is a heat-treating process that diffuses nitrogen into the surface of a metal to create a case-hardened surface.

 

[WV Hunter]

While hunting this year I kept a charge in my rifle during a few high moisture days, which resulted is a moderately stuck breach plug with some corrosion in the threads of the barrel and breach plug.

So this fall I cleaned it all out best I could, dried, and re assembled with lube. Seemed to go back together nice and smooth, but and just having it sit around in my safe for a few months the breach plug and barrel started corroding together again.

Trying to fix this once and for all. I have been able to get the visible corrosion off the breach plug with this tool:
https://www.amazon.com/breech-plug-cleaning-tool/s?k=breech+plug+cleaning+tool

But the barrel end I have been less successful. I have been scrubbing the breach best I can, but just can’t seem to get every last bit of corrosion out of all of the threads.

Any ideas how to get every last bit of rust out of the breach end and stop it from continuing to corroding?


It’s a CVA Accura with Stainless steel nitride coated barrel and breach plug.

Gotta say, I'd be calling CVA. If it went down as you said, and its a nitride SS barrel, that is really not good. Maybe its a quality issue. I leave my loads in my rifles all season long (loaded on clean dry barrel), and sometimes hunt in rainy weather, never had an issue ever. Done this for years... Knight & TC rifles with SS barrel.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

One of my CVA Optimas, plain stainless, had what i thought was rust pitting in the bore. I hadn't cleaned it properly after a range session. I tried to get CVA to help me out, maybe sell me a new barrel. They declined politely. I figured i couldntake it worse so after trying a much more aggressive cleaning the pitting came out. Turns out it was fouling and some leading. Looked and shot like new after. I think you will be surprised by how much that nitride will withstand.

 

[mnoland30]

I use automotive anti-seize compound on my Kahnke breechplug. I bought that can 30 years ago. I only take my breechplug out at the end of season to make sure I've cleaned adequately. It always comes out with no issue, and is clean. I also have an Accura V2, and have never had an issue with it rustiing. I take it out after a 5 day hunt or a range session.