Surface rust around scope rings and mounts

[tactice]

G'day team,

Not a new problem here I'm sure. What to do about surface rust around scope mounts and the action? Getting a few dots here and there.

I give my stuff a good wipe down with cleaner and oil to protect it, but there are those few joins and crevices and right angles around the ring mounts that you just can't get to with a clothe. Even a Q-tip can't get quick to the bottom of them, with enough scrubbing power anyway.

Any tricks or tools I've overlooked is do you just have to disassemble and remount every once in a while to really get those tough to reach spots?

[Oldbloke]

Cotton buds?

[Jack V]

Standard Military drill is use a shaving brush to apply oil. If the bristle is a bit long and sloppy cut it back to shorter stiffer bristles with a razor blade . That way you can get in all the nooks and crannies and inside screw heads . Wiping is a waste of time . Also oil dries out and runs off . Applying a " very thin " layer of grease with the brush is a far better way to fight rust and it stays there for yonks and don't all run off into your bedding and potentially screw up your bedding and accuracy .

Now that you have some rust you need to get it off so get some fine steel wool and G96 oil and polish it off , wipe the gun down well and blow the gun off with compressed air and grease her up.

If you are using the gun and don't want too much grease or oil on it just give it a general wipe over and this will remove the excess from the main handling areas but it stays in the nooks and crannies. Go over again with the brush after bore cleaning is done. Grease in the bore is better than oil for longer storage .

Trust me I'm a professional well ex Professional .

[anthillinside]

Cotton buds?

South of the border = Cotton buds.
North of the border = Q-tips or Cotton scallops! :huh

Since I started giving the whole rifle a quick spray with Ballistol before putting them away I havent seen any sign of spot rust.
But I've only been using it for about 18 months, only time will tell.

[Jack V]

Cotton buds?

South of the border = Cotton buds.
North of the border = Q-tips or Cotton scallops! :huh

Since I started giving the hole rifle a quick spray with Ballistol before putting them away I havent seen any sign of spot rust.
But I've only been using it for about 18 months, only time will tell.

A spray is the next best thing for getting into the nooks and crannies but it is hard to control where it goes . it's still thin and you tend to breath some while your doing it .

I am not a great lover of spray packs for those reasons but it is another option after you get the rust off as best you can . Ballistol and G96 a very similar products . They tend to leave a bit better coating after they dry out than ordinary oil.

[Lorgar]

North of the border = Q-tips or Cotton scallops!

My spidey sense is tingling.

[tactice]

Cotton buds?

Q-tip = tiny cotton but on the end of a toothpick

[tactice]

Standard Military drill is use a shaving brush to apply oil.

Sounds like a winner.

I've been doing it with a cloth but you can't get in those last few small joins with it.

[tactice]

Since I started giving the hole rifle a quick spray with Ballistol before putting them away I havent seen any sign of spot rust.

Thanks mate. I'll check out the various oils suggested.

Spray would be handy too.

[Seconds]

It's a bit fiddly but has been working for me.

I have a slim length of rectangular plastic about 2mm square.

It's square shaped, not round, and I oil it and run it sidewards along the where the mounts meat the action at the right angle. It's just enough to contact well and put a layer down.

[Wobble]

do you just have to disassemble and remount every once in a while to really get those tough to reach spots?

Wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to do occasionally. But I do mean occasionally.

Thinking like once a year, not once a month or anything.

Depends on your climate, storage situation and how fast the tough to reach spots gather.