Rust at the muzzle

[abunaitoo]

I picked up a Remington 552 Speedmaster .22 rifle.
Not bad condition for a rife that wasn't used for over 10 years.
It was in a case that the zipper had to be broken to open.
It looks like it was never cleaned.
Barrel was hard to remove with all the fouling.
Got it apart and cleaned.
Big problem is it had a glob of rust on one side of the muzzle.
Soaked it, got most of it out using Flitz.
Took it to the range today, and shot jacketed bullets out of it.
Seemed to get better after around 50 rounds.
I still see a spot of rust.
Suggestions on best way to get the rest of it out?????

[tazman]

I assume the rust impinges on the bore at least a little causing an imperfect crown. Or is it inside the bore at the muzzle?
If it is the former, getting the barrel re-crowned would probably be best.
For the second, I have no good idea or experience about that. Possibly shortening the barrel.
For rust removal, I have used the Birchwood Casey--Blue and Rust Remover. It does a very good job of getting rid of rust. It will also remove blueing so you have to be careful with it. Cue tips are in order.

[buckshotshoey]

Wherever there is rust, there is pitting. If the pitting isn't too bad, it will fill with lead/and or copper. If your accuracy is acceptable, leave it be. If not, shorten the barrel, recrown, and if necessary, remount front sight

Only you can decide if this firearm is worth the expense.

[oconeedan]

I have cleaned up the crown by using a round acorn nut on the end of a bolt. (cut head off bolt). Chuck acorn nut tool into hand drill, put a dab of lapping compound on it, and spin it in the crown. You are not re-crowning, just cleaning up the edge that meets the bore.
I would try this before cutting off barrel .
Dan

[abunaitoo]

It is just one spot on one side of the muzzle and in the barrel.
Just a small spot, but was a bubble.
Got almost all of it out.
I was thinking of counter boring it.
Problem is making it stright and even.

[abunaitoo]

Picture
248449

[buckshotshoey]

That was the second thing I was going to suggest.... a rebated target crown. That might be the cheaper option. From the pic, it doesn't look like the rust goes very deep in the bore. But I would just shoot the hell out of it first. None of it may be necessary.

[RU shooter]

As has been said already brass round head screw or the like and some lapping compound . Even a 30-38 cal copper bullet and lapping compound in a drill will do . Don't look like it is inthe barrel too awful much if any from the picture

[fiberoptik]

Looks like some wiener head left it standing muzzle down on cement a while.


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[Tripplebeards]

There will definitely be pitting under the crown where that orange rust build up is when you remove it. I would lightly buff/sand off the rust and apply my left over oxoho cold blue to it. It can’t look any worse. You can also find an acorn style nut that fits in the taper of the bore and spin it in your drill with some lapping compound till it’s clean but the outside rim will never look smooth until it’s recrowned or sanded smooth. If it really bugs you after that pay someone to recrown it but I bet it will cosmetically look a lot better after you lightly sand it off and re blue it. Rust and blue remover will definitely remove the blue but the current rust needs to be sanded to the point it looks like dark blue stains before it will start looking like it’s going to come off. It’s already to the point of no return with that orange bubbly build up so you might as well give it a try. Oxpho cold bluing is extremely easy to do. I tried last year for the first time. I did a complete rifle and it looks better than any Remington or Ruger factory bluing job on any of my rifles. Looks like a fun afternoon project for me. I’d find a foam sanding block and start doing circles around the outside ridge of the crown(not in it) to clean off that rust but not hard enough to remove the existing good metal. Very lightly with something like 400 grit. You can stuff some clay or play-do down the crown just a hair to keep the rust and debris from going down into your barrel and action. Then polish it with some chrome polish and a dremyl tool with a buffer head. From there you’ll need to strip off the polish with alcohol or similar then heat it up a little and apply some cold blue. Wala! It’s all done in my mind.lol I’d probably try and put some more rounds through it to clean off the inside rifling which doesn’t look like there’s any issues with anyways.

[ASSASSIN]

If you want the muzzle recrowned, remove the stock and strip the gun down as much as you can and send it to me and I will recrown it for you. No charge! Just pay the return shipping.

[Texas by God]

That's a good pic. I would invert the muzzle and put fine Emery cloth or coarse steel wool on the end of my thumb and remove all that rust. Then inspect the crown with a magnifying lens and check for burrs with a q-tip at the muzzle. If the pitting doesn't extend down into the muzzle you shouldn't have to recrown it.

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[abunaitoo]

The picture was taken after I cleaned out most of the rust in the barrel, and shot jacketed through it.
It shoots OK.
50yds, CCi Standard. After around 50 of jacketed.
248476

[Texas by God]

Are you confusing plated bullets with jacketed? I’ve never seen .22LR loaded with jacketed bullets.
I’m glad you worked it out, those are nice rifles.

[abunaitoo]

Plated, I guess.
Have a few jugs of .22 that I found, was given.
All mixed, not sure what they are.
Shot the ones that were not lead.
I think it still needs some work.

[M-Tecs]

22 Short, Long and Long Rifle bullets are lead, lead plated copper or lead free. The copper plating is very thin and used in place of various coatings like wax. 22 Mag not being a heeled but is jacketed.

[Bazoo]

A 22 will shoot different points of impact with different makes of ammo. Sometimes a lot more than you'd think.

[fiberoptik]

UNLESS you have one of the rare weapons that puts them all in one hole. Keep that one for sure!


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[abunaitoo]

The price of Wold Match being way to high, my go to is now CCI standard.
Not as good, but good enough for me.

[fiberoptik]

The price of Wold Match being way to high, my go to is now CCI standard.
Not as good, but good enough for me.

Green Tag always did me right.


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[M-Tecs]

Quality ammo tends to perform better but each firearm has it's preference. With a quality firearm this is what you can expect. https://www.accurateshooter.com/guns-of-week/22lr-rimfire-ammo-comparison-test/

[abunaitoo]

I've never had good luck with Green Tag in any of my rifles.
As far a ammo goes, I've found even Blazers, if you get the right bunch, will shoot great.
Not as consistent, but as good as expensive ammo.
When i find a lot number that shoots well, I try to get a case of it.
Has to be the same lot number, or it's not the same.

[fiberoptik]

We used blazers in the early 80’s on smallbore 4 position team indoors. Boy did they ring the steel bulletstops with authority! Then I could shoot the thumbtacks from adjacent targets with peeps @ 50’.
Used military Mossberg 144’s.

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[abunaitoo]

Took it out again today.
I think it's the best it's going to get.