This is how bad the finish is on Remington 870s
- Thread starter chanrobi
- Start date
- Location
- Western Manitoba
To get that red rust, did you have it in a cloth case or something - or within something that was damp, or was that out in the open and rusted like that?? I notice even the screw head on the side saddle shell carrier is rusted! Amazing!!
If that just happened, then a thorough flood with oil - like 0W20 Mobile One synthetic, or any oil really - even 10W30, and work it over with 4/0 (super fine) steel wool - I am thinking 99% of that just wipes off and most all of original finish will remain? The longer it is left, the more chance to create pits. You will want to check out the bore, and inside the action, etc. - all possible exposed metal surfaces that had been open to "air".
Maybe 30 years ago a friend brought over a Savage pump shotgun that looked similar or worse - had been stowed in a fabric lined soft sided case that was opened, out in the field, when it was raining the day he put it away. But that took weeks or months, I think, to get his coating of red. We dismantled it, then grit blasted everything rusted, then very light emory sanding, then cold blued - looked kind of like matte - he was okay with the result, given what he had found when he opened the case.
Creating red rust on steel was a thing for doing "rust bluing" - so shiny polished steel - throughly degreased, in a humidity chamber, could get a compete coat of bright red rust in a two or 4 hours. Any oil or grease on the metal stops or inhibits that process. Was an original purpose for bluing or parkerizing - to etch microscopic places to hold oil and prevent rusting on a surface.
If that just happened, then a thorough flood with oil - like 0W20 Mobile One synthetic, or any oil really - even 10W30, and work it over with 4/0 (super fine) steel wool - I am thinking 99% of that just wipes off and most all of original finish will remain? The longer it is left, the more chance to create pits. You will want to check out the bore, and inside the action, etc. - all possible exposed metal surfaces that had been open to "air".
Maybe 30 years ago a friend brought over a Savage pump shotgun that looked similar or worse - had been stowed in a fabric lined soft sided case that was opened, out in the field, when it was raining the day he put it away. But that took weeks or months, I think, to get his coating of red. We dismantled it, then grit blasted everything rusted, then very light emory sanding, then cold blued - looked kind of like matte - he was okay with the result, given what he had found when he opened the case.
Creating red rust on steel was a thing for doing "rust bluing" - so shiny polished steel - throughly degreased, in a humidity chamber, could get a compete coat of bright red rust in a two or 4 hours. Any oil or grease on the metal stops or inhibits that process. Was an original purpose for bluing or parkerizing - to etch microscopic places to hold oil and prevent rusting on a surface.
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I'd say there must be some sort of an accelerating factor at play here if this is from one night, I've lost my 870 in the pond when my retriever got excited and upset the canoe on a Friday night way back on the trapline, I found it about 45 min later, blew it out, cleaned the mud out as much as I could with leaves, and I still spend the weekend in the bush sleeping in my blind with it, never had any rust on it at all 2 days later on Sunday when I got home to clean it, that was a wingmaster, early 60's I believe,
My newer 2006 express I've had out on the trap line from Friday to the next Friday on week trips countless times, been poured rain on, frozen, humid, you name it, its gone through it, with no rust at all,
My newer 2006 express I've had out on the trap line from Friday to the next Friday on week trips countless times, been poured rain on, frozen, humid, you name it, its gone through it, with no rust at all,
I hear you about the finish on the Express 870. We have 3 of them in our family. I just rubbed Neutral Shoe Polish (Ex-Military, here) by Kiwi. Might be hard to find but each Canex on Base will have them. Google / Amazon search for it or use Auto Paste Wax and rub it into the blued surface. I have to confess I am a Remmy fan boy so i can put up with their cheap and quick SPS / bead blasted and blued finish.
Paste wax sure makes life with the Remmy rigs bearable. Peace Be The Journey!
Cheers, Barney
Paste wax sure makes life with the Remmy rigs bearable. Peace Be The Journey!
Cheers, Barney
- Location
- Western Manitoba
If somebody brought something like that to me, first thing I would do is really good coating of any kind of oil that I had handy to get onto it - inside and outside - paint it on with brush, wipe on with oil soaked rag, whatever - I think I would want oil on it right way - dripping with oil. Then can decide on "fix" later, but now right now is what it needs.
The 870 Express "matte blued" finish is notorious for attracting moisture and rapidly rusting. What do they expect when you sandblast then blue over top? You have created a surface that is ideal for trapping moisture, which is the precursor to rust. Duh!
Certakote that bad boy and never worry again!
Certakote that bad boy and never worry again!
Trimmer 905
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
My grandson's 870Express did the same thing from leaving it in the canoe at camp overnight. Completely field stripped,Scotch Brite,brake cleaner and WD40 cleaned it up nicely. He needs to use a G96 silicone cloth on it every time he takes it though. He bought it 5 years ago when Remington quality really took a hit.
Hit it with some crown rust spray after you get the rust off. And for good measure, again before you go out into the woods . You can get it at any Crown Rust location. Like Frank's Red Hot sauce "I use that s___ on everything"
I even spray it down the barrel of a gun after using corrosive ammo, works like a charm.
I even spray it down the barrel of a gun after using corrosive ammo, works like a charm.
Butcherbill
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
Once you get it cleaned off with oil and 0000 steel wool there’s a trick you should try out, take a heat gun and warm up the metal (take the barrel off and the forend off the action bar assembly). Warm up all the metal and slather on a coating of Vaseline or grease, let it melt from the warm led up metal and then cool back to a solid. Once it’s solidifies wipe off the excess, it shouldn’t rust like that again. My 870 express’s go hunting in pouring rain and they never rust, I dry them by the wood stove and rub them with an oily rag. I’ve never had rust like that form and I leave them in soft bags a lot of the time once dry, as I use them a lot and don’t bother putting them in the safe.
I had REM 870 given to me
It was rusted really bad.
CLEANED IT UP WITH STEEL WOOL.
THEN I PAINTED IT WITH TREMCLAD BLACK RUST PAINT
NOW I HAVE AN 870 THAT IS WATERFPROOF AND DOES NOT RUST
I'VE HAS IT FOR A LONG TIME NOW AND ALL I DO IS PASS A RAG IN THE BORE.
It was rusted really bad.
CLEANED IT UP WITH STEEL WOOL.
THEN I PAINTED IT WITH TREMCLAD BLACK RUST PAINT
NOW I HAVE AN 870 THAT IS WATERFPROOF AND DOES NOT RUST
I'VE HAS IT FOR A LONG TIME NOW AND ALL I DO IS PASS A RAG IN THE BORE.
maple_leaf_eh
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
It's not crazy if it works, and as long as your #### doesn't fall off.
Its just something normal that happen to every military. If you dont drop tond of clp on your gun with this cold humid temperatures its gonna show as rusty as yours. Thats just what we call taking care of your weapon. With these type of finish, i would not bring a gun for a night long trip outside without applying a oil film on it.
