What to use do de-rust seized up rifle?

MD

MD

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My buddy just gave me a JC Higgins Model 45 30-30 lever action obviously made by Marlin, it is a 336C clone.

Trouble is it is rusted shut as if someone dropped it in a lake and never dried it out. It is cocked, lever part open, and nothing moves.

Don't know yet if it is salvageable or a basket case.

Should I bathe it in WD 40?

Fluid Film?

Diesel?

What would you do?

Thank you
 
You could try ordinary furnace oil---its about as good a penetrating oil as you can find. A mechanic I know used to use 50 -50 varsol and auto transmission fluid on seized engines. Good luck, let us know how you make out. wTc
 
I would remove the wood and soak it in diesel (stove or furnace oil is just a better grade of diesel)or kerosene for a week or so. Then slowly try to remove all the screws and pieces. Then when all the pieces are separated, I would clean all diesel or whatever off and remove the rust with a specific rust remover like Navel Jelly or Kano Kroil. Also if and when you get it all derusted and reassembled ,I would not reblue , I would paint with one of the new gun paints, it will hide some of the pits.
 
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I think I might be in the same situation with my Grandfather's old 16-gauge H&R break action single shot... it's in terrible condition:

Someone BROKE the trigger off (this must have been purposely done), and let it rust until it got totally seized up and immovable, and then let paint fall/drip onto it when they were renovating or something.

I want to restore it, but my uncle is making a fuss about giving it up (sentimental value perhaps--but then wouldn't he have taken care of it and applied for his license?)

Frustrating...
 
I un-seized a car engine by dumping diesel down the cylinders til it ran out the sparkplug holes....let it sit a few days topping it up as it slowly bled past the rings. It worked.
 
try Avtur/JetB w/antimicrobial, eats thru just about anything just a high grade diesel really. Talk to some of the local aircraft mechanics as they do a sump test and either throw it out or into their diesel rigs.
 
I know of someone that found a rifle leaning against a tree when he stopped to answer natures call on a woodroad.Brought it home soaked it in WD-40 for 6 months,got bored one day and started working the bolt with slight encouragement from a rubber mallet.Reblued it,sanded stock down and refinished it and still uses it to this day.
 
"...it is a 336C clone..." It very likely is a 336 made for J.C. Higgins. 'J.C. Higgins' being a store brand. No Model 45 appears on Gunparts' Cross Reference page though.
Generally speaking, a firearm that is rusted shut is going to need more than just rust removal. The working parts will be heavily pitted/corroded. Parts will need replacing.
 
WD-40 is not very effective on rust. Kroil will work much better, or penetrating oil from a machinist supply shop. BreakFree CLP also dissolves rust pretty well. Remove the wood and soak it down.

Your other alternative is to bathe the metal only in water and washing soda, and remove the rust electrolytically. Do a search here - it works extremely well!
 
Thanks everyone.

Sunray, I have a Gun parts cross-reference book too. For JC Higgins it says "see Sears" and the Sears Model 45 is a 336C.
 
Brake fluid

Try automotive brake fluid. It is designed to dissolve rust, that's why it gets darker over time in the master cylinder reservoir. Not sure what it might do to bluing or other finish though.
 
MD said:
My buddy just gave me a JC Higgins Model 45 30-30 lever action obviously made by Marlin, it is a 336C clone.

Trouble is it is rusted shut as if someone dropped it in a lake and never dried it out. It is cocked, lever part open, and nothing moves.

Don't know yet if it is salvageable or a basket case.

Should I bathe it in WD 40?

Fluid Film?

Diesel?

What would you do?

Thank you
Click to expand...




Personally , I use the "duralube spray" for minor stuff and if I need to really dunk it , i use the auto oil additive, works great and leaves a coating that will protect it for some time , doesn't harm finish or the metal.
 
jklutes said:
I know of someone that found a rifle leaning against a tree when he stopped to answer natures call on a woodroad.Brought it home soaked it in WD-40 for 6 months,got bored one day and started working the bolt with slight encouragement from a rubber mallet.Reblued it,sanded stock down and refinished it and still uses it to this day.
Click to expand...

Was it discovered to be loaded when he finally opened the action?
 
"It it's rusted that bad with the action open..I wonder what shape the chamber and bore are in?"

That's why I want to open it.

If it's hooped, it's hooped and I can probably help someone out with parts like the lever or something.

If it is in fair to okay shape, I've got a new 30-30 truck gun, though it needs sights and a buttstock too.
 
Take off the wooden for arm and any other wood.
1.Get a bucket,
2.Put rusty rifle in bucket
3.slather the rifle in NAVAL JELLY
4.WAIT 10 minutes
5.Scrub with steel wool
6.rince with cold water and scrub brush
7.dry and repeat, 12- 15 times

Do that for a couple of days, and before putting it away soak the action in breakfree.

Onece you get the action working, strip the remainder, clean all innards, scrub the bore for a few hours, cold blue parts if you want.. oil and reassemble.
 
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