How can I clean this gun up?

[double bogey]

To remove rust and not blue, use a "Frontier Big 45 Pad". That gun is going to be pitted, I would remove the rust however you want, keep it oiled and shoot it. The difficulty in reassembling is exaggerated, there is a point where the hammer strut has to be in the correct position. YouTube is your friend.

It is a little tough if you take the internals out, like say installing a trigger and sear, but not impossible. Don't lose the detent spring and ball. And I highly recommend installing a VQ trigger and sear. But shoot it and try to wear it out.

[Abctx]

Use 0000 steel wool WITH oil. Lots of oil. Let the gun "soak" with liberally applied oil before you even start. Routinely rub the dirty oil off with a paper towel and put several drops of clean oil on. Rubbing the dirty stuff around will act like an additional abrasive.

When done, get some Brownell's Oxpho Blue. Rub it in with 0000 steel wool. Hard. As the steel wool darkens, so does the gun.

Use 0000 steel wool. Not medium or corse or an SOS pad. 0000 steel wool....

[Martin]

I have a couple of the Mark 1 pistols. They are great shooters. Mine a very accurate. You're gonna lose the blue under that rust. As others have said, 4/0 steel wool, lube and clean. Or re-blue. Enjoy!

[Nova]

As others have said, not a tremendous $$ value to the gun so I would get to scrubbing and then reblue or cerakote. Have fun shooting it.

[Randy]

I've seen where electrolysis will take the rust off tools rusted beyond recognition to near brand new, but without scouring the finish. I've never heard of it used for guns, but it would seem like an option here.

I did it on a shotgun that had been left in a duck blind for over a year. Went from the action being rusted and completely froze up to shooting the next day.

Just have to do it piece by piece.

[The Insurance Guy]

I did it on a shotgun that had been left in a duck blind for over a year. Went from the action being rusted and completely froze up to shooting the next day.

Just have to do it piece by piece.

I thought about you when I posted this. I don’t think this one is as bad as your shotgun. Those pics of your shotgun you showed me were very impressive

[Randy]

I thought about you when I posted this. I don’t think this one is as bad as your shotgun. Those pics of your shotgun you showed me were very impressive

Yessir.. A tank is easy to make. When the metal was finished the rust wiped off like a sludge. Never thought it would shoot again.

[kch73]

That's a straight shooting pistol for a factory gun. My Dad has one and it's the pistol I learned to shoot with. Great gun! Give her the love she deserves!

[jerp]

You mentioned maybe changing out the grips. I put these wood grips with a thumb rest on mine - really like them

http://shopruger.com/Mark-III-Checkered-Laminated-Thumbrest-Grips-Right-Handed/productinfo/90256/

EDIT - I see those don't fit a Mark II - these will:

http://grips4guns.com/pistol_grips/1602021.html

[roberts]

If you want to try and protect the bluing on the gun. I would order some of these from Brownells. They work great.

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/metal-prep-coloring/abrasives/metal-wool/stainless-steel-sponge-prod21175.aspx

[Mesquite Archer]

Don't worry too much about taking it apart, if you get in a bind bring it up to the club. I've put them back together before.

[White Falcon]

YouTube will be your friend to reassemble. It's a pain in the butt!

Seems to me there was an article in a recent NRA magazine of the difficulty in re assembly when you take down that pistol.

[Bowhica]

How can I clean this gun up?

I loved ours growing up and would consider another for sure! If that one were mine I would get it cerakoted with a two tone pattern so it hides the pitting. To each his own.

I’m a fan of cerakoting.