SKS Rust on Bolt Handle

ShredLordXx

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Hi,
I'm new to this forum and I'm sorry if I'm posting this in the wrong thread, but I went out shooting today, with some corrosive ammunition I cleaned the gun, and while cleaning some of the "black guck" came out of the barrel onto the receiver, I didn't think much of it, so I kept cleaning the gun, and then left for dinner. When I returned from dinner to put the bolt handle back on, it is now full of dark spots that will not come off, my guess is that it has corroded the bolt handle, I tried using some regular kitchen SOS pad to scrub it, it helped a tad but i can still see water mark looking dark drops on the steel. If any of you know how to get rid of this I would appreciate it!!:D
 
Welcome to the forums!!!

First and foremost try out some bore solvent, or hot water. That will get rid of the salts. Not all bore solvent will do it, but if you happen to have Eds Red on hand, it will make short work of whatever salts are remaining. The SOS pad may have just rubbed it in some more. This step alone may eliminate the black spots.

If it is rust (that is a mighty short time for rust to be forming) try some vinegar. It will get that spotting back to shine. A nice 3m 4000 grit paper will buff it to a like new shine.

Next time dunk and soak ALL parts (bolt, carrier, piston) in hot water or corrosive friendly solvent. Give the barrel a rinse too with the stuff and make sure you dont forget the gas port. Its a lot of work and fairly messy, but it will work wonders. Do your normal solvent procedure after that.
 
Thanks for the Reply,
Yeah I washed the whole thing took about an hour and 30 minutes, gas tubes and all, when I was first rinsing the initial salts out in the sink drops of water/black run off from the barrel dripped onto the bolt carrier, and dried on, I used some Hoppes 9 solvent and SOS pad, it sorta came off but you can still see where the marks were, you are right, i don't think it's rust, but it definitely stained the carrier. I guess i'll try vinegar, it's almost like the metal absorbed the blackness its very weird. Even with my 20 minutes of SOS scrubbing, when I hold it in the light, I can see the marks lol, it's frustrating me :p
 
Thanks for the Help guys, I'm off to bed, must work tomorrow AM, I'll try our your suggestion of Hot water, and maybe I'll try my Rem Action Cleaner, and Vinegar... I'll let you guys know the outcome, if others know any other tricks, please feel free to let me know :)
 
Well I just put it in Boiling water, with 50vinegar/50 water and the bolt carrier is, undergoing some sort of chemical reaction? Their is fizz bubbles forming off of it, and the whole bolt carrier is turning black, I'm guessing I will need to buff this out with steel wool after to make it shiny again?
 
The vingar looked like it got rid of the spots, i tried re-polishing it with a brass brush on my dremel, now its kind of an off colour, i switched to a metal wire weel, and now its semi back to original colour, it's kind of spotty from polishing, I guess good old stainless wool, and oil will finish the rest?
 
For what it's worth, next time remove the bolt carrier assembly BEFORE cleaning the bore and gas system.
I did I had it in the laundry tub sink, when I sprayed windex down the barrel it got some on the carrier, and after an hour it was like tattooed into the steel >.<
 
Windex is fine for glass, HOWEVER The primer salts are driven into the microscopic pits that are present in EVERY barrel. The ONLY way to get rid of the salts is a kettle of boiling hot water and a funnel in the chamber. It worked for the brits for over a hundred years' Oh by the way, while most barrels are chromed, the gas tube is NOT!
 
I have used steel wool, 00 grade, and it has helped. I don't think you will get rid of all of the blackness as some of it is powder burn. I have had great success with steel wool in removing much of the powder residue.
 
Yeah I over clean it, windex is just my starting point when I'm boiling the kettle, I do the hot water and ammonia soak then bore brush, plus solvent, and oil after running about a gazillion patches through the barrel and gas system, I just noticed inside of the bolt carrier that their is rust, not from me, I tried my best to get it all, and I think I did, but is their any tool that would clean well in the hole where the main spring sits in, I used my 20 gauge brush to clean it but, it can't scrape the bottom as the brush is only meant for the barrel sides, I then shoved steel wool in with surgical scissors and scraped as much out as i could with the wool, and Thank you for all who helped, the vinegar and 0000 wool worked wonders, on the stained bolt carriers top end. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think I am cleaning this gun well?
 
do you enjoy cleaning it, because i don`t think you can over clean it until you start the vinegar baths etc as mentioned in some other thread. i find it quite relaxing, and have actually found it therapeutic after a stressful day at work.
that said, i need to go get it dirty again soon
as for the bolt carrier, wrap a 4x2 patch around and thru the hole of your cleaning rod.. wrap a strip of steel wool, if necessary, around the cloth and over the end of the rod. it should cling to the patch. make sure that it will fit in the mainspring hole snugly, add oil/clp/solvent or whatever and scrub away.
 
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do you enjoy cleaning it, because i don`t think you can over clean it until you start the vinegar baths etc as mentioned in some other thread. i find it quite relaxing, and have actually found it therapeutic after a stressful day at work.
that said, i need to go get it dirty again soon
as for the bolt carrier, wrap a 4x2 patch around and thru the hole of your cleaning rod.. wrap a strip of steel wool, if necessary, around the cloth and over the end of the rod. it should cling to the patch. make sure that it will fit in the mainspring hole snugly, add oil/clp/solvent or whatever and scrub away.

Sorry it's been awhile yes I enjoy cleaning it, I have all the tricks down pact for this sucker now did just like you said for the main spring hole the thing is a great gun!
 
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