Advice - cleaning old rusty relics

jclapp

My buddy just got ahold of some old rusty relics that vary from a pair of dueling pistols to an old percussion sixgun. Lots of rust. Whats the best method for cleanign these up. I think his intention is to put them into a shadow box for decorative purposes.Thanx,The OTHER Postal.

hacker

be aware that any cleaning will harm or destroy collector value if the guns have any. you might want to have them evaluated before messing with them.

fergusonmorse392

evaluate, for sure!!! take some pictures, or look for an appraiser:

leeblackman

A soft bristle tooth brush and some gun oil.

rhmc24

What the others have said is true enough. The objective should be to remove loose rust but not get down to bare metal. I would remove non-metal parts and clean with fine steel wool and kerosene, mineral spirits or paint thinner. Another possibility would be to use a fine wire brush. Allow to dry, free of above fluids and free of oil. Remove non-metal parts and heat to above 200 degrees F to drive out moisture. While hot, coat with floor wax to seal surface. When cool coat with more wax. After it dries rub with a rag. Carefully done this will non affect value and will improve appearance for display. Email for more old gun restoration info to rhmc24@swbell.net. Hope this helps.