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I've got a REM 700 in 30-06 that's been a great shooting gun for me. It was the first gun I bought myself and I've shot all of the deer I've killed with a rifle with it. I'm getting pretty fed up though with the barrel. Every time I pull it out of the safe it has a new spot of rust on it. I am meticulous with cleaning and oiling after every use. I have other rifles right next to it with no issues at all. I just think this has an inferior finish.

I've gone so far as taking steel wool to the affected areas to remove the rust. I've gone through the blueing in a couple spots which is where I am at a crossroads.

What are my options for refinishing this and maintaining some of its aesthetics? All I really care is that the barrel stays black and it can sit in the safe without pitting with rust. Should I be looking for someone to re-blue it? What other options am I not thinking of? 32169F78-0C31-4C94-82F2-41EAFACF12EF.jpeg 6922695F-B7E5-47F9-8140-B6DC1685EC61.jpeg 3EA5C268-DE79-4A16-A5F9-BA89E1CDAF51.jpeg 29A6EB96-EA22-4663-9E06-3B04252B60B5.jpeg
 
No golden rod or hygrometer. I'll look into that. The safe is in a hall closet in the very middle of the house. No bathrooms or anyone sleeping nearby.

At this point I'm going to need some work done to get it back to good. No major pitting, but I can't leave it as-is. So in addition to storage advice I'd like some input on finish options.
 
That rust spot looks like from a fingerprint. Honestly, I wouldn't let a blemish small as that is bother me much on a hunting rifle. But it would be nice to prevent more of them.

Gun safes in household closets, those tend to be places where no air circulates. And they tend to hold in moisture, as in clothes that mildew. If the safe is gonna stay in the closet, it needs a dehumifier like the Golden Rod.

I'm not an expert in touching up blue steel finishes, but I think steel wool is the last thing to use. Others will chime in on this.
 
Appreciate the input. I don't have power nearby so what are my best options? I see the silica bags...are those worth anything? Or is it nothing but a goldenrod will do.
 
Silica gel paks have worked wonderfully for me for years and years. They can be "recharged" in a warm oven (150 with door open), as far as I know forever.

In a power outage they continue to work where electric moisture gadgets go on lunch break.

Once you have mitigated the condensation in the safe by that means or others, Get yourself a can of good ol' Johnsons Paste Wax (in the squat yellow can) and apply to every surface (yes, disassemble and coat the bottom of that barrel/action too). When it dries to powder, polish it off just like waxing your car (wool sock works best). This is the treatment I have used for storage and for Alaska trips. (On those trips I left the wax dull and powdery on the gun since appearance took secondary importance to protection.)

Does wonders for the wood too, even aluminum anodized optics shine like new. Fingerprints have no purchase point and are wiped off with a swipe.

Final insurance policy is a silicone-treated gunsock (as sold by Midway). These are the best things that ever happened to gun storage.

At the muzzle there, some of that spotting may be associated with some condensation retained by the plug screws/holes. Get 'em out, oil 'em and re-install.
 
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You can go low tech and put a light bulb in your safe, leave it on all the time. Something like an old time christmas tree light bulb 2 or 3 watts. It will put out just enough heat to dispel moisture. If your safe has a fire proof liner it may be the culprit too, moisture is trapped in the liner and released as steam in the event of fire.
 
You can go low tech and put a light bulb in your safe, leave it on all the time. Something like an old time christmas tree light bulb 2 or 3 watts. It will put out just enough heat to dispel moisture. If your safe has a fire proof liner it may be the culprit too, moisture is trapped in the liner and released as steam in the event of fire.
That's a great idea, using something that small. I imagine even a 25 watt bulb would warm things up a bit too much.
 
Silicone-treated gun socks help too. I don't have a heater and so far no rusting on any of mine that is in them. I am not saying this will work for you I am just saying it's worked for me.

The problem is once the rust gets through the blue it will always be a problem spot anytime you take it out.

Probably the best thing to do is prevent any pitting, keeping it oiled and safe from moisture and use it until all the blue is worn and it starts to gets ugly then either reblue or sandblast and refinish with a bake on moly finish.
 
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Thanks for all the input. I got some silicone bag dehumidifiers and will be ordering a silicone treated gun sock too. As far as the existing rust, I'll do my best to get that worked out and touch up the bluing. In the future home, it sounds like a ventilated room is going to be the best for long term storage too.
 
A product called Eezox (https://www.eezox.com/) is what you need.
It won't effect the finish on the metal or wood. I've been using it for 30 years.
Spray down all the metal surfaces and let it set. Take a white rag and start wiping it off and watch the rag turn red with rust particles. The formula penetrates the metal pores and sits at the bottom. That prevents new rust from starting. You can literally hose down your gun and put it away.
Areas as you've shown you need some bronze wool! Not steel wool that removes the bluing. Bronze wool will not! Wet down the bronze wool with eezox and rub the metal surface to remove any rust growth. Then wipe it with a cloth to clean and rub down again with some eezox and let dry. Then put in your safe with no more worries.
The day before any hunting trip, wipe down your gun with eezox. It will really help in the rain or snow when it comes time to clean it when your back home.
 

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