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Thread: Could this be (gulp) rust??

  1. #1
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    Could this be (gulp) rust??

    I field stripped my AR yesterday, but to my surprise, found some discoloration on the bolt lugs and webbing, towards the front end of the bolt. Here's a picture I took:



    It looks a little brown near the front, as it seems to me. I hope to heaven that's not rust. I scrubbed it with CLP but the discoloration has not gone away.

    Of course I started to panic when I saw this. It hasn't been wet, and I've kept it clean since the last range session. This is a brand new bolt that's only been to the range once. I've never seen an AR bolt rust before, either on a service M4/M16 or a privately owned AR of any kind. Am I going crazy, seeing things that aren't there, or is this something to be concerned about?

    If anyone's wondering, it's an AR15 Performance Recon 6.8mm upper & BCG attached to a lower I assembled myself on a Stag stripped receiver.

  2. #2
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    I can barely see it in the pic. The steel the bolt is made from has a high carbon content, a little surface rust should be easily removed with a bronze or stainless steel toothbrush. I like 3 in 1 oil for rust protection; it also helps with removing existing rust. As long as there's no serious pitting, you're fine.
    B.A.S. Mechanical Engineering Technology

  3. #3
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    .

    Man! 3-In-1 is like salad dressing stuff. There are oils that are way better than that stuff. I'd use motor oil before I used 3-In-1.

    To remove surface rust use 0000-steel wool soaked in gun oil (CLP, Hoppe's, etc.) and lightly work it over the area.

    To prevent rust, try these: Eezox, BF Collector, CLP, etc.

    For your Bolt, it should have been wet with some kind of oil where it wouldn't (couldn't) rust. What happened? You weren't running it dry were you?

    Were you shooting some kaa-kaa ammo?

    .
    Last edited by ucrt; 12-11-10 at 22:12. Reason: Clarity

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by ucrt View Post
    .

    For your Bolt, it should have been wet with some kind of oil where it wouldn't (couldn't) rust. What happened? You weren't running it dry were you?

    Were you shooting some kaa-kaa ammo?

    .
    Last time I fired the AR it was covered in Slip 2000 EWL. The ammo was Remington 110gr.

  5. #5
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    You will be fine OP. Just run a brush across the bolt with lots of good quality oil and clean it with a rag. There is no reason to flip out and have a stroke. It's only a bolt. Go shoot your gun and enjoy.

  6. #6
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    I don't see anything. Your bolt should be so wet with lube that there's no chance for rust anyway.

  7. #7
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    I keep my BCG lubricated with Mobil 1 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil. It has some excellent properties.

    It wont' evaporate under temperate conditions.
    It's lightweight.
    It won't combust, since it is synthetic it won't break down under stress either. That's what makes it such a great motor oil.
    It's cheap @ $8/quart.
    I put some in an eye dropper and add it to the holes in my BCG if it looks dry.

    Everybody has their pet oil. Just clean the bolt with Hoppes No. 9 and a toothbrush. Steel wool (0000) is always excellent to keep on hand for removing rust without effecting the surface too much. The keys to rust prevention are to keep oxygen away from your metal. That is what oils do in addition to providing lubrication. A barrier from molecular oxygen.

  8. #8
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    Do you clean with automotive brake-cleaner?

    A part hosed down with automotive brake-cleaner and not re-oiled afterwards, can begin to show signs of surface corrosion. The automotive brake-cleaner strips all evidence of lubrication from the pores of the metal leaving the part exposed. This is one reason I add Break-Free CLP to my OMS/CLP cleaner.
    “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” -Lao Tzu


    http://quibphotography.com/

  9. #9
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    ^^^ Quib is one of the most knowledgeable members on this forum on the topic of maintenance and cleaning of AR-15s. I have learned a lot from Quib and the solution/system he speaks on is a great tip and I presently use it.

    https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=35490

  10. #10
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    Just lube it up and shoot it until the rust is gone.

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