How in the world could someone "bend" a barrel by polishing it????/
Don't polish this off - the rust spots are surface. Use a chemical - perhaps vinegar
From Francis Prucha's "Army Life on the Western Frontier" the Army's inspector general, George Croghan, was indignant into the 1840s about the general state of the "bright" muskets in the hands of troops. He found most so overzealously burnished,* and often heavily polished, as to render them unfit for active service, and only for parade. Under this state of things, he felt muskets which should be serviceable 20 years, were bent and thinned to destruction after six or eight. "Burnish the musket ever so much," he stated in 1840, "and it will continue serviceable for a long time." [Prucha, 94-101.] But the army noted in the years leading up the restrictions of the regulations were often ignored:
I haven't tried anything like this yet. Would I have to let it soak in the vinegar?
White vinegar works very well, but needs a long soak to be fully effective - up to 48 hours. This needs to be followed by an immediate wash off and oil. After this, de-grease and use a dremel wirewheel to get the rust out of any pitting. This will get rid of MOST surface rust.
'Crooking' the barrel does not mean bending it. It means taking away the uniformity of the barrel - thinning the upper section of the barrel slightly. On shooting, the heat generated will cause the barrel to expand in different ways which will affect accuracy, in effect 'bending' the barrel. When cold it returns to normal.
I might have a hard time soaking a rusty Rev War period sword blade in vinegar so I wonder if Mr. Pullers Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner might work. I tried Brasso, Rust Dissolver, and plenty of wiping down with WD-40. Looks better but not great.
Why a hard time? Get some guttering or make a 'long box' = a big enough box lined with baking foil or a plastic bag - just make sure you don't puncture the liner.
I definitely have gotten a bit more accustomed to the worn look. Nothing I've tried so far has gotten it off, so I might just take the leap and roll with it, lol.
Any weapon is only new once - on first issue. Provided it is cleaned and oiled when required, it develops that 'look' of a service weapon. It is not mint. Some folk look down on anyone 're-blueing' or re-finishing any antique gun, but they often are the ones who can afford a decent example. Poor folk, like me, have to put up with the cheaper ones, broken, rusted and corroded, pitted and rotten, scratched, dented, stained and not nice to look at. You can very rarely get them looking new, or even nearly new - what some call 'display condition'. They all have rust staining somewhere and trying to clean out barrels and cylinders is a nightmare!
I'm thinking of trying a pipe standing straight up filled with vinegar up to the top with the hilt resting on top outside the pipe. That sounds easier.
You could easily make one out of PVC, cap one end, put a threaded connector on one end with a screw on cap. I've seen lots of these, people make them to transport fishing rods.
That's what I'm considering
Well I took yours and Old Soldiers advice. Here we are at 24 hours and 24 more to go.
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