Minor rust removal and rebluing

[FreshPrinceofRP]

Howdy y'all!

I recently got my first c&r rifle, an SKS, and caught the bug. By the end of the first day I had it completely stripped down, cleaned of cosmoline, bolt completely disassembled and all.
The one question I have is about light rust removal and rebluing both for worn areas and the areas with rust removed.

I have the birchwood casey bluing/rust removal on another rifle which worked okay. The real problem was rebluing, the cold method (that little bottle) wasn't as deep a blue and was noticeable.
So should I just remove the rust and give the gun to someone to reblue hot?
Should I just hand it over for someone to restore?
Or should I just use the cold rebluer?

[Marcus von W.]

Or you could just do the smart thing - carefully clean up any surface rust and leave it alone as far as any attempt at "re-bluing".

Cold blue is vile, nasty, toxic waste goo that smells like a diseased tomcat pizzed all over rotten eggs.

I'm not saying cold blue sucks donkeys on the back streets of Juarez, but....

[HOGLEG]

Or you could just do the smart thing - carefully clean up any surface rust and leave it alone as far as any attempt at "re-bluing".

Cold blue is vile, nasty, toxic waste goo that smells like a diseased tomcat pizzed all over rotten eggs.

I'm not saying cold blue sucks donkeys on the back streets of Juarez, but....

Thanks, now I have to clean my monitor screen.

Op. just clean it up and run it. Slight imperfections add character. If you want a show gun, send it off to be reblued.

[FreshPrinceofRP]

It's been thoroughly cleaned and well oiled with CLP 'cept for the firing pin which I'm trying to keep dry since where I shoot is pretty dusty. I did go through it with a lot of solvents and pipe cleaners.
I plan on shooting it Sunday and hopefully a lot more when I can find 7.62.
It's not a show gun, I just don't want the rust to get worse. So just light steel wool to remove the rust, and keep it oiled?

[C&Rtrader]

Its an sks. Shootit as is and enjoy it. No sense in making it "perfect." Rebluing will only destroy collectible value.

[Marcus von W.]

Yeah. Start out with bronze wool - it's easier on the remaining finish.

The less you mess with something like this and the more original you keep it, the more it is worth now and further down the line.