Will Gun Solvent Remove Rust?

One of the first things you’ll be taught with firearms is the importance of maintaining the weapon by cleaning it. Not only does cleaning your firearm maintain its firing efficiency but taking care of your weapon will increase its accuracy, safety and lifespan.

Although gun solvent is wonderful for removing dirt and debris from your guns, it’s actually not capable of removing rust.

The good news is, although its incapability to remove rust can be frustrating, it has the ability to do you one better. It does this by helping you keep your weapon clean, contributing to avoiding rust in the first place.

Maintaining your firearm correctly should be as close to your heart as your constitutional right to bare one. Cleaning solvent is a staple in anyone’s maintenance kit.

The primary role of gun solvent is to remove the build up of dirt and debris from your firearm.

There are many types of gun solvent available (we reviewed the best one’s here) on the open market, from thick reliable liquid solvents to aerosol spray-can solvents. Choosing the right solvent for the job, however, can be a little tricky with the only real difference in products being the quality of the job they do.

For the most part both aerosol and liquid solvents work, the only notable difference is the situation in which they would potentially be used.

Gun Oil

Different from a solvent, gun oil is used after you’ve cleaned your gun. Gun oil is used as a protective coating once you have cleaned away all the dirt and debris that will damage your firearm.

Using quality gun oil not only protects against rust deep into the metal, but it will increase the firearms lifespan, accuracy, RPM and operation.

CLP Cleaners

Clean, lubricate, protect. CLP cleaners are a more modern and time efficient way of cleaning your firearm.

CLP’s were once considered to be cheap and nasty as a product when considering your maintenance kit, however, today they have been made much more efficient in the way they remove rust and debris from your firearm.

CLP’s are not recommended for a deep clean however, for this you will need something more heavy duty.

Below we will look at some of the best types of cleaning products for guns:

Best Rust Remover for Guns

Hoppe’s No.9 Gun Cleaner [Best Bore Cleaner]

Hoppe’s is a name needing no introduction as they have been producing gun solvents for years.

This product has proven itself time and time again to be exceptional value for money and quality.

While Hoppe’s No.9 is one of the best overall cleaners on the market it is only designed for light cleaning.

Things we like:

• Pleasant smell
• Childproof caps
• Suitable for any firearm
• Simple, quick and easy to use
• Approved by champion shooters

BreakFree CLP Aerosol [Best Cleaning Spray]

With a growing number of people choosing an aerosol cleaner as opposed to an oil based cleaner its easy to understand its ranking.

An aerosol based cleaner makes it simpler to target smaller moving parts with its added bonus of a straw attachments making it easier to reach inside the mechanisms.

BreakFree is revolutionizing aerosol cleaning. They have a wide range of lubricants and cleaners originally designed for military use.

Tested to temperatures of -65F to +475F BreakFree aerosol is designed to reduce metal to metal wear.

Things we like:

• Straw attachment makes cleaning mechanisms easy
• Stops dust settling on your gun
• Works in extreme weather conditions
• Available in a range of different sizes
• Effective after saltwater testing.

We Also Recommend

Westlake Market, Birchwood Casey Blue and Rust Remover

The Westlake Market super value pack for cleaning and restoring guns is our top recommendation. The Blue and Rust Remover is a reliable solution that removes rust and old blue easily and quickly without causing damage to the base metal. Suitable for removing finishes from old firearms muzzleloaders and antiques.

The Super Blue liquid provides a double strength action solution specifically designed for bluing highly polished steel parts (except stainless). For the price not only do you get the above, it also includes top quality Otis brushes, one bronze and one nylon.

In addition to that it comes with Westlake Market 3 cotton patches and 2 Westlake Market disposable absorbent pads. The manufacturer is so confident in this product that it has a 100% money back guarantee should you not be happy with its quality and results.

How do you clean rust off metal?

When the oxidization process occurs on metal it causes rust to appear. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end of the road for your firearm. You will be glad to know there are many ways to remove rust from your weaponry.

Baking Soda

1. Rinse the item with water and shake dry
2. Cover all of the rusty areas in baking soda
3. Leave the item for an hour or so.
4. Scour with wire wool or a metal brush.
5. Rinse and towel dry.

Vinegar Bath

1. Submerge your item in white vinegar and let it sit overnight
2. Remove your item and scrape with a metal brush or wire wool

If your item can’t be submerged then apply rags soaked in vinegar and wrap the rusted area.

Citric Acid

1. Add a few inches of hot water to a bowl
2. Sprinkle in 2 – 3 tablespoons of citric acid.
3. Submerge your item and let it sit overnight
4. Scrub off lingering rust specks with wire wool or a metal brush
5. Rinse and pat dry.

Lemon and Salt

1. Generously coat the rusted area in a layer of salt
2. Cut a lemon (or lime) in half and squeeze the juice over the salt
3. Let the mixture sit for 3-5mins
4. Using the rind of the lemon, scrub away at the rust.
5. Rinse and pat dry.

Does WD40 remove rust?

WD-40 can be used to remove rust and to protect items from rust. To use this method do the following:

• Take a suitable size container and place your rusty part inside.
• Sprat the WD-40 over your part, soaking it thoroughly.
• With a wire brush or a piece of wire wool use circular motions to gently work away the rust and debris.

Note: you may wish to try this on a tiny section to begin in order to ensure no irreversible damage is caused.

Takeaway Points

The main thing to take away from this is that solvent won’t help you if you develop a rust problem with one of your guns. If you ever do have a rust problem and need to get rid of it, we’ve recommended our best pick for rust removal.

If you’re on a budget and can’t afford our recommendation, we’ve included home-remedies that should help with very minor rust, but will lack the power of purpose-made products.