Rust on an old 12-41 rifle

[Bob Seijas]

A really good light rust remover is boric acid. It's very mild, will not hurt the finish but it removes every speck of corrosion, even from complex parts. Warm a pot of water and dissolve as much boric acid as it will take. Immerse the part and keep it warm on the stove for several hours. Remove and rinse, it will be spotless.

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[Singer B]

A really good light rust remover is boric acid. It's very mild, will not hurt the finish but it removes every speck of corrosion, even from complex parts. Warm a pot of water and dissolve as much boric acid as it will take. Immerse the part and keep it warm on the stove for several hours. Remove and rinse, it will be spotless.

Thank you!

[Torpedo]

That is a really nice find!
I own one almost just like it, and as rust goes it's really not bad.
My approach is always to do as little as possible, simply shoot it, clean it and oil it as you would any other rifle.
You will find that after several sessions of this most of that rust will be gone.
The cleaning solvents and light oil will eventually get under the rust and lift it, don't be in a hurry.
As long as you keep it oiled and store it properly it will not get any worse and remember, the worst thing you can do to any machine is to let it sit unused.

[AZshot]

I agree, that little bit of surface rust is no big deal, has probably occured in the past 5 years, and similar happened to it back in time before. Just put oil on it (don't let the oil be so thick next to the wood that you'll stain the wood) and wipe it off after every handling session with a cloth rag. Remember the rust that comes off is abrasive, turn your rag often, use oil on it.
Extreme methods like boiling, steel wool, acids, bases, needle guns....are what ruins guns. Not a touch or red powder that oil will remove in a few sessions.