Cleaning up a rusty M82 scope and mount

[browningautorifle]

I have cleaned objects like this with fine stainless steel brushes in a Dremel tool.

I've used some of those on occasion too and have been blown away that all the rust was gone and no damage or removal of anything else...the brushes didn't last long but they worked great.

I just do the work out in the shop where small detritus doesn't matter.

[ssgross]

the brushes didn't last long but they worked great.

my experience as well. I resorted to this on that Enfield named Doug - think it was my first milsurps post, and first serious milsurp cleanup ever. The spot where the barrel contacted the forend had thousands of deep tiny pits I couldn't get the rust out of...so I started with dremmel and fine brass wheel, no go. switched to the stainless one and out it came, with whatever was left of the finish underneath still intact on the ridges between the pits.

I just do the work out in the shop where small detritus doesn't matter.

I made the mistake of not putting my leather apron on over my sweatshirt...for the rest of the day I would randomly feel little pricks or sharp tingling all over my chest and stomach...thought I was becoming ill, rash or something. After several dumbfounded minutes a magnifying glass showed hundreds of tiny wires poking into my clothes.

[Harlock]

Yeah, depending on what happens I may try a brass dremel brush first and then stainless steel for the M82. Waiting to hear back from a machine shop about them getting the staked screws out to start, as just due to the rarity of the scope I don't particularly want to to try it myself....

Speaking of "metal wires everywhere" I used to use cheap brass wool for cleaning light surface rust. I regretted it when that stuff fragmented everywhere, and I was feeling it in my socks for weeks. I recently discovered brass velcro brushes at a tack shop, and they have been lifesavers: Velcro Brush - PBS Animal Health (just as an example) super cheap, and they don't flake everywhere.

Other updates - I sold the M73B1 with the broken crosshairs to another collector who wants to try and do a full restoration (sourcing a correct tube alongside fixing the crosshairs themselves). The other M73B1 and M84 are completely cleaned as I posted pics before. I'm considering swapping the M84 onto my 1903A4 as its easier to remove and store without the scope that way. Right now I have a Lyman Alaskan B series on it. Maybe one day I'll track down a Lyman M73 or M81 marked scope to fill those holes in my collection...