Cleaning or polishing the brass receiver

Nibe

Nibe

Regular
Location
BC
Opened the box for my new Henry 38-55 and noticed some blemishes around the screw heads, kinda look like watermarks. Is this normal and expected? If not, what should I use to bring the brass back to pristine? Searched the manuals and online but get varying suggestions.

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I have always used jewellers rouge polish. its gentle on the finish. Wenol paste
 
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lone ranger said:
I have always used jewellers rouge polish. its gentle on the finish.
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Any idea what those blemishes are? Gun is BNIB. I found a Henry factory suggestion for polishing the brass from 2015 and they suggested Nevr-Dull but hesitate to use it until I do more research.

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It just looks like oil seeping out from the screws. All those parts are oiled before assembly. Disclaimer, I have never tried this but perhaps test an inconspicuous area with alcohol or windex to see if it damages the brass. You might have to remove the screws and degrease them. Or, handle the crap out of it and give it a nice patina. Thats what I did on my yellow boy. Looks way more authentic.
 
Try toothpaste...

Works great on silver, gold, and brass...not abrasive as you would think, as your teeth's protective coatings would be worn away to nothing by now.

PDW
 
MustangFrank said:
It just looks like oil seeping out from the screws. All those parts are oiled before assembly.
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Yes, that's what I thought as well. In terms of eliminating those spots, just use one of the recommended products in this thread? A damp clean soft cloth didn't work.
 
I have a couple brass Henry's and have used Brasso and also tooth past (there are many light abrasive pasts you can buy from a auto place for polishing and cut polishing paint), brass blems and scratched very easy and quickly but is easy to bring back, I acctualy used cold blue on my big boy becuse I hunt with it (wanted the steel version at the time but non to be had) its essy enought to buff out also if I every decide to go back to the brass look.
My 38-55 had the same oil weepage around the screws also, cleanded up very easy.
 
Bigmedcin said:
I have a couple brass Henry's and have used Brasso and also tooth past (there are many light abrasive pasts you can buy from a auto place for polishing and cut polishing paint), brass blems and scratched very easy and quickly but is easy to bring back, I acctualy used cold blue on my big boy becuse I hunt with it (wanted the steel version at the time but non to be had) its essy enought to buff out also if I every decide to go back to the brass look.
My 38-55 had the same oil weepage around the screws also, cleanded up very easy.
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Many thanks. Good to know others have had this issue and that it's not a defect that's tough to fix.
 
Nice rifle by the way, 38-55 is a great caliber and tack driver accurate! Ammo in Canada is their only draw back, limmited and expensive, I cast a 250gr bullet and hand load, can't justify the price of factory ammo and very weak loaded, at least the Winchester stuff, buffalo bore ammo different story but at $80 a box of 20, lol nope.
 
Bigmedcin said:
Nice rifle by the way, 38-55 is a great caliber and tack driver accurate! Ammo in Canada is their only draw back, limmited and expensive, I cast a 250gr bullet and hand load, can't justify the price of factory ammo and very weak loaded, at least the Winchester stuff, buffalo bore ammo different story but at $80 a box of 20, lol nope.
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It may never leave the house. Some are plinkers and some are collectibles. Must admit though, it's killing me not to take this puppy to the range.
 
Any of the brass/silver metal polishes mentioned, should do the job, with about 5 seconds of light polishing on each spot - if it doesn't, it means the brass has been treated (coated) with a product - (some kind of "Clear-Coat") to keep the brass from oxydizing and going dull. If it has, the metal polish won't do anything, until you get under it.
 
The best stuff I have ever used for polishing brass was Peek. In the Navy we had Brasso which I found would move the dirt around making it hard to actually get a true polish, but Peek just removed it all easily and left a gleaming finish. Always loved when we would ‘acquire’ the bosns can for cleaning stations as it made it a lot quicker for us greasy stokers.
 
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