found a old civil pistol rusted bad how to try and clean it

[kentucky dirt fisher]

me and a good friend was hunting a old civil war site and have been digging bulletts all day, he have found a old fire pt and was digging on it and i worked my way down the hill, having found a lot of 3 ringers i took a break and was looking around and saw a old cave i walked down and started decting in front of it when i hit a strong metal sound on my garrett 1500 i dig down about 4 inchs and hit rock i dug around the rock and hit another i dug around it and put my garrett pinponiter in the hole and it went off i dugg down another 3 inches and saw a pices of rustly metal and dug it out and i sat there and looked at it and could not beleive my eyes it was a gun it looks like a old boot pistol but is rusted bad i will try to put a pic on later when i figuer out how what i need to know is how do i clean it up if anyone knows please let me know thanks

[Keppy]

me and a good friend was hunting a old civil war site and have been digging bulletts all day, he have found a old fire pt and was digging on it and i worked my way down the hill, having found a lot of 3 ringers i took a break and was looking around and saw a old cave i walked down and started decting in front of it when i hit a strong metal sound on my garrett 1500 i dig down about 4 inchs and hit rock i dug around the rock and hit another i dug around it and put my garrett pinponiter in the hole and it went off i dugg down another 3 inches and saw a pices of rustly metal and dug it out and i sat there and looked at it and could not beleive my eyes it was a gun it looks like a old boot pistol but is rusted bad i will try to put a pic on later when i figuer out how what i need to know is how do i clean it up if anyone knows please let me know thanks

Would have to see it to get any kind of idea......