Rust On My Thompson

[ratemaker]

I always complete disassemble and clean my 1943 M1A1 every time I use it, which is only 2-3 times per year. I had not had it out in a while (last summer) and I took it out over Christmas to show a friend. To my embarassment, it had a couple of small rust spots on the top of the receiver http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/sad.gif. They were about the size of Lincon's head on a penny, but I hated seeing them. Can anyone suggest something that will get rid of those spots? I applied a little WD40 to a rag and wiped over them to where the brown rust isn't visible, but you can still see the small blemishes. I feel that it's probably like applying make-up to a zit. I'd be very grateful for any help.

 

John

 

[Chopper28]

Try WD40 or a good gun oil and some 0000 steel wool. It will not scratch the finish and will remove the rust. Just my .02

[Z3BigDaddy]

QUOTE (Chopper28 @ Dec 31 2005, 09:01 AM)

Try WD40 or a good gun oil and some 0000 steel wool. It will not scratch the finish and will remove the rust. Just my .02

http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/iagree.gif

 

But....... here we go again........ I'll get my corn and sit back and watch... http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/popcorn.gif

[Diane]

From my experience the small areas that you seem to have will not be made any better than they are now.

 

I have seen more than a few times where someone had attempted the use of WD-40 or other chemicals with the use of 0000 steel wool and the only thing it would up do is to polish the area and make the spot a bit more noticeable then what it had been.

 

If you cannot live with the blemish then you might want to have it refinished and that might just take away from the value as well as if you send it out to someone getting it done right and with the original type of finish.

 

I would suggest that you just live with it and check all the items that you have to see if other things are like the receiver. And then take them out more often and put a new coating of rust preventative or other substance on them to keep them as they are.

 

 

 

[colt21a]

or just sell it. i once sold a 99% colt 1921ac because of a dime sized pit right behind the compensator.the p.d.let it sit in a original police case. the barrel sat in that exact same spot where the leather insert was in the case.

 

the leather had moisture at one time. rust started then the pit started. i ended up getting the gun year's later. i asked craig about removing it,he said it could be done.however in that one spot it would be justa shade different in bluing dept. and could not guaratee me he would not put a mark on the gun while removing the barrel.

 

agonized over that beeatch!! for a long time.about four week's...then said "sold"to a doc in wisc.for $9,000.00

 

he was happy,i was i got my moolah back...and the pit exist's to this day.i have a few dozen tale's of item's like that. heck #96 and #103 and #98 needed help bad!

 

however i left them alone. and don't worry about that on thompson's anymore.if they ain't just right.i don't buy them.life's too short for reblue.part's and shopping all over the planet to change thing's. and then again not original to what it really is if you change it..

 

i think 80% of everything has been touched up redone part's,wood. barrel's and stuff anyhow... we are not the original owner's of any of this stuff...and have never met a living soul yet who bought one in 1921 locked it in a case and still has it.that would be one wise 105 year old.wink!

 

or even a ww2vet for that matter,{ who owned his original 1945 tommy}

 

the next best thing parkerize it.then again they get brown also just from handling. after that allow nobody to touch it.. yep that's right it's the oily handed collector's that started it all......sweating and oozing all over precious metal. have good 2006 sleep well.it's wood and steel. it will be around long after you have left the planet.

 

and the next guy will say what about these two rust spot's? what caused it? who did it?what should i do about it?can i live with it?

 

wait i think i responded to this same question in 1943.

 

T.C.ron

have fun.

[2dogsfightin]

I agree with what everyone has said with one exception....DO NOT count on WD-40 for protection .I prefer to use it more as a solvent for powder, grime, etc... If you count on it for long term storage it will let you down every time... I use WD and like it for its purpose. Cleaning out receivers, trigger mechs. etc.. Then flush with Gun Scrubber.. Then apply a light oil (I use rem oil) several good ones exist. LSA military gun oil is also good. This is just my .02

Also a good dessicant (properly charged) is essential in your safe.

 

 

2Dogs....OUT

[rhlowe]

Marvel mystery oil (buy it at the auto parts store) and a brass brush will clean it up better than anything else. Don't use steel wool on a bead blast finish. Steel wool works OK on polished or brushed blue but, will remove the blue if you get agressive with it bronze wool is better. What ever you use don't do it dry use lots of oil.

 

Richard

 

[John Jr]

WD40 is not gun oil. Don't use that stuff on a Thompson.

 

Use CLP with a nylon toothbrush gently to remove the rust spot.

 

Coat your gun with cosmo or soak it in light machine oil or something if you only shoot it 2-3 times per year.

 

BTW SHOOT IT EVERY MONTH AT LEAST!!!!!!!!!!!!

[OldFalGuy]

Never used 0000 wool for rust and never will-

 

old copper penny and any light gun oil- back and forth with light touch has never let me down on light to surface rust-

 

I don't possess any WD-40 on the property- bad juju to me adn too thin to be even remotely considered a gun oil or even an oil at all (watered down kerosene perhaps)

 

Mark

[Grey Crow]

FWIW, a lot of the M16 & AR15 guys use Mobil 1 as a lube and protectant.

[ratemaker]

Wow! There's a lot to absorb here. I have to say that I cringe at running steel wool over the finish of my gun, so I'm going to take a "wait and see" on the rust issue to see if it manifests itself again. However, there was a lot of good input on the WD40 vs. Gun Oil issue. What does anyone think about the "spray on" gun lubricants you can buy? It's as easy as WD40 to apply, but specified to be used for exactly the use I'm putting it to.

 

John

 

[sten guy]

Newspaper soaked in oil will be lightly abrasive. I promise it will work on slight rust spots. Try it on something else first.

 

I use RIG stainless steel grease ( probably get it from brownells ). It was formulated to lube stainless guns, but a thin film applied to the finish will not evaporate and will not run when the gun is stored vertically.

 

WD40 is a failure as gun oil.

 

STEN

[Z3BigDaddy]

QUOTE (OldFalGuy @ Jan 3 2006, 12:34 AM)

Never used 0000 wool for rust and never will- old copper penny and any light gun oil- back and forth with light touch has never let me down on light to surface rust- I don't possess any WD-40 on the property- bad juju to me adn too thin to be even remotely considered a gun oil or even an oil at all (watered down kerosene perhaps) Mark

fyi WD40 does NOT have "kerosene perhaps" in it.... Very subtle way to perpetuate an Internet myth with actually saying it though......

 

What does WD-40 contain?

 

While the ingredients in WD-40 are secret, we can tell you what WD-40 does NOT contain. WD-40 does not contain silicone, kerosene, water, wax, graphite, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), or any known cancer-causing agents.

BTW I use WD40 exclusively for all my guns from the gold banded engraved 1903 Colt Single Action to my 65 buck HP something.......

[OldFalGuy]

Z3-

 

I was being a bit snide with the kerosene remark, WD is too thin to have Kerosene in it.

 

To each his own and many use it and are happy with it http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/smile.gif and they are welcome to my share of it.

I do not use it because-

 

It runs when vertical

collects dust more than silicones/light oils

smokes more than silicones.

Carbons more than silicone

 

I don't use silicones on internals Like the teflons- silicones are used as a wipe down as it stays there where I left it.

 

Not saying it doesn't have its uses- at one time it was promoted for use on fishing reels where lighter is better.

[colt1928]

I have, also, used Rig grease to store some of my older weapons. About every 3-4 months, I take them out of the safe and perform a thorough inspection. My basement has slight humidity during the summer time. I do have a de-humidifier which helps somewhat but being the " anal " guy that I am, I prefer to look the weapons up and down for any changes. I clean off the old grease and put on a new film. I do more than a thin coating just to satisfy my concerns. It's work for me so far for the past several years. " Knock on wood "

[John Jr]

BTW I use WD40 exclusively for all my guns from the gold banded engraved 1903 Colt Single Action to my 65 buck HP something.......[/b]

You have to be kidding right?

 

QUOTE (Z3BigDaddy @ Jan 3 2006, 12:48 PM)

[Z3BigDaddy]

QUOTE (John Jr @ Jan 4 2006, 12:26 AM)

BTW I use WD40 exclusively for all my guns from the gold banded engraved 1903 Colt Single Action to my 65 buck HP something.......[/b]

You have to be kidding right?

Not even a little bit....

[guy sajer]

QUOTE (colt1928 @ Jan 4 2006, 12:13 AM)

I have, also, used Rig grease to store some of my older weapons. About every 3-4 months, I take them out of the safe and perform a thorough inspection. My basement has slight humidity during the summer time. I do have a de-humidifier which helps somewhat but being the " anal " guy that I am, I prefer to look the weapons up and down for any changes. I clean off the old grease and put on a new film. I do more than a thin coating just to satisfy my concerns. It's work for me so far for the past several years. " Knock on wood "

Rig won't let you down for rust prevention . I was brought up using it . We've used it in our shop since opening in '74 . Our family started using it in the early 1950's .

 

FWIW

I've used #0000 steel wool and good oil to remove surface rust hundreds of times with no damage to surrounding finish . If the rust is "old" , you're probably wasting your time .

I've seen many guns that had been sprayed with WD40 years earlier end up with a yellowish brown sticky film on them .

 

I've handled thousands of used guns in our shop . From the Stevens Crackshot that rusted solid from sitting in the corn crib to a Dillinger Colt 38 Super kept in a safe deposit box for 50 yrs .

 

The bottom line is , if it works for you , keep doing what you're doing .

[guy sajer]

"...And while we're talking about it, keep any product containing silicone away from chrome or nickled guns. You can get permanent haze. That I learned the hard way, and a prominent Colt collector straightened me out. "

 

 

Thanks Phil !

I appreciate the tip . I was considering putting my handguns in silicone treated gun socks . Most are blue , but I have a few nickel Colt's & S&W's .

 

I hope these aren't too far off topic . One is a Colt http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/wink.gif

 

 

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y154/mitch61/IMG_1363.jpg

 

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y154/mitch61/44HandEjector3rdModelmfg1931.jpg

[John Jr]

I know the average age of a Thompson owner is over 50 for sure. There is nothing wrong with that, but there have been improvements in gun lubricants and oils in the last 20 years and WD40 ain't one of em. WD40 may have 2000 uses, but using them to protect expensive guns wouldn't be on the list for me.

 

I guess spraying some on one of those $4000 firing pins wouldn't hurt too much... http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/sad.gif

[Z3BigDaddy]

That's four thousand five hundred dollar firing pin smartass... http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/nutkick.gif

[Bisley45]

This one has always worked for me in taking light rust spots off, brass wool, with kruoil and a LIGHT dusting of jewlers rouge if it's stuborn.

 

WD-40 is definately not good for long term storage in anything but a dry climate, the first thing you should put in your gunsafe is a dessicant or dehumidifier like a golden rod. CLP and RIG are much better for storage, some of my grampa's guns sat for 25+ years with a thin coating of RIG and never rusted.

 

 

BB

[Z3BigDaddy]

QUOTE (Bisley45 @ Jan 5 2006, 10:18 AM)

This one has always worked for me in taking light rust spots off, brass wool, with kruoil and a LIGHT dusting of jewlers rouge if it's stuborn. WD-40 is definately not good for long term storage in anything but a dry climate, the first thing you should put in your gunsafe is a dessicant or dehumidifier like a golden rod. CLP and RIG are much better for storage, some of my grampa's guns sat for 25+ years with a thin coating of RIG and never rusted. BB

OK I'm confuZed, I guess because I'm and OLD fart.... But define long term storage.... Now they say over time WD40 turns into a hard film... well isn't that the idea? I don't have that problem but I guess I don't leave my guns long term, whatever that is, without wiping them down..... I have my father-in-laws guns which sat for years here and there thruout his house including the garage without dire affects and only protected by the dreaded outmoded WD40....

[LIONHART]

Corrosion X, or Birchwood Casey's Sheath. Both Excellent products for storage.

[full auto 45]

There is only one way to make sure your firearm will never rust on you again, give it to me! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/laugh.gif http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/tongue.gif I just can't resist.