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So my grandpa passed away a couple weeks ago, and I helped my dad and his siblings go through his stuff. His house and everything in it that none of his family wants is willed to his church, so we were going through and pulling anything we wanted, particularly anything with sentimental value such as pictures and personal items. Tucked away in the back of a closet, my brother found a Stevens pump action 20 gauge shotgun. Since none of the other people present is a gun person, they said I could have it. I'm really excited to have my grandpa's shotgun, and I look forward to shooting it, but first I need some advice from y'all.

It looks like it has been sitting in that closet for a decade or so. The action still seems to cycle okay, just needing some oil. However, there's some surface rust over a fair amount of the gun. There may be some minor pitting, but nothing too bad. Other than that it was just real dusty and had clearly been sitting for a long time, probably without a whole lot of temperature control. So here are my questions:

1. What's the best way to remove rust from the gun?

2. What other steps should I take before attempting to fire the gun?

Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated. I'll try to post some pictures if I get a chance. It's nothing special, but it's special to me. Thanks.

The first thing to try is rubbing with a gun oil soaked patch. I did this on my father's Sweet Sixteen a few years ago and I even got rid of the few spots of very light pitting. You can't even tell where they were.

For anything that doesn't work on, you can move up to 0000 steel wool soaked in gun oil. Go easy so you don't destroy whatever finish is left.

Two ways you can go.
Clean as suggested above, only I would use a copper (pure, not copper plated steel) chore boy on the rusty spots. And shoot away, remembering granddad. Keep well oiled.
Take it to a reputable smith for a complete reblue. Then treat everything with reniasance (sp?) Wax and store with some notes about your grandfather, to be passed down. Keeping some notes with the shotgun would be a great idea anyway. Perhaps with a few of the shells that he used.

hovercat wrote:Two ways you can go.
Clean as suggested above, only I would use a copper (pure, not copper plated steel) chore boy on the rusty spots. And shoot away, remembering granddad. Keep well oiled.
Take it to a reputable smith for a complete reblue. Then treat everything with reniasance (sp?) Wax and store with some notes about your grandfather, to be passed down. Keeping some notes with the shotgun would be a great idea anyway. Perhaps with a few of the shells that he used.

I use extra fine copper or bronze wool and gun oil or Kroil. Some folks use 0000 steel wool, but I have inadvertently removed bluing/finish using steel. With the copper or bronze I can get into any pitting w/o the danger of scratching off bluing or patina.

Thanks so much for the replies, guys. I knew I could count on y'all. Where would I find copper or bronze wool? Would a hardware store have it with sanding stuff?

Look for a "Chore Boy" pot scrubber: https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=c ... ahead=chor

LucasMcCain wrote:Thanks so much for the replies, guys. I knew I could count on y'all. Where would I find copper or bronze wool? Would a hardware store have it with sanding stuff?

I got mine at a Hardware store in the paint and preparation dept. Ship's Stores (boater's stores) have it as well, which is where I used to get it, but I'm not around marinas anymore. I think it was a Best Dyi Hardware store that ordered it for me. ACE or Tru-Value I'm sure can get it and it's also on Amazon.