The information below describes and shows the process of gently, thoroughly, and efficiently cleaning silver metal. The gun used for this demonstration is a Percussion Over/Under Rifle/Shotgun (.40 Caliber/20 Gauge) with silver furniture and inlays. The photos below show the Percussion Over/Under Rifle/Shotgun before cleaning:

Cleaning Methods

Two methods of cleaning silver are demonstrated in the sections below. These are as follows:

1. Mineral Spirits and Boiled Linseed Oil
2. Blue And Rust Remover

Mineral Spirits and Boiled Linseed Oil

The Mineral Spirits and Boiled Linseed cleaning method consists of applying a mixture of 50% Mineral Spirits and 50% Boiled Linseed Oil to the metal and brushing with a soft bristled nylon brush till the oxidation is removed. Note that this is the same mixture used for the initial application(s) in a Gun Stock Oil Finish and for gently cleaning an Oil Finished gun stock. Therefore, this cleaning method will have no adverse affects on the gun stock finish.

The brushing process is performed thoroughly and efficiently by bolting a soft bristle (0.006" diameter) nylon brush to a Palm Sander as shown in the photo below:

The photos below show the Lambert Map Projection silver inlay before and after cleaning with Mineral Spirits and Boiled Linseed Oil:

This method of cleaning is recommended for silver inlays to avoid damaging the gun stock finish.

Blue And Rust Remover

The Blue And Rust Remover cleaning method consists of applying Blue And Rust Remover as directed with a soft cloth or cotton swab. Note that this method takes less time than the above cleaning method.

The photos below show the silver Patch Box before and after cleaning with Blue And Rust Remover. Note that the Patch Box was removed before cleaning.

This method of cleaning is recommended for removable silver furniture.

Results

The photos below show the results after using the methods above to clean the silver: