Yes, instead of taking a dremel or other abrasive tool to the rust (which likely greatly enlarged the area), treat small spots with a rust converter paint. OK, you will still need the dremel to expose the rust (if it is under paint), but there is no need to grind away. To me, beyond saving the original paint, the other huge benefit of minor treatment is it saves the original decal work.

And if all the rust is exposed to the surface, then treat chemically, which has been discussed 500 to 600 times already at length.

I really only do the spot treatment when there are a handful of small spots, otherwise, I do the chemical treatment. The big advantage of the chemical treatment is that it only attacks the rust, paint and decals survive fine, and it also attacks internal rust. But of course, rust under paint will need to get exposed first for the chemical treatment to work, so that again can mean careful use of a dremel.

I have a vintage MASI right now, it will get the full soak, as saving the original paint and decal work is too important to me.

There are several problems with abrasive rust removal. First, anything abrasive cannot tell the difference between what you want to keep (paint, decals, chrome) and what you want to get rid of (rust). Secondly, without a microscope, getting ALL the rust with abrasive attack is difficult. Any rust left behind will be back. Third, it turns a small spot of damage into a large spot with no paint.