Do you store your guns in their cases or a safe box or...?

[rickysays]

Is there any harm in storing guns in their individual cases?

I keep my Glock in it's case, and also have individual cases for my shotgun and Sako rifle. When it's time to hit the range I just set the cases in my truck and off I go, but I'm curious if there are any down sides to storing them this way.

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[slimmer13]

That foam holds moisture. I like my boys to get air flow.

 

[Nosferatu]

Throw some desiccant packs in with them and make sure you change them regularly.

 

[Koda]

The convenience of moving them from house to car works even better for the house-thief as well.

 

[nobamaplease]

That foam holds moisture. I like my boys to get air flow.

I've seen lots of rust on older firearms because of that storage method. Usually just on one side of the weapon.
Not a good way to treat your firearms (boys)!

 

[rickysays]

Thanks guys - I'm lovin both the responses and the humor

Sounds like I need to get a better storage method in place asap.

 

[HB of CJ]

Lots of folks keep their firearms loose but secured inside a well ventilated or humidity controlled safe or vault. Unloaded. Actions open. The motion detector squawkers, tear gas blasters and cameras are optional. The ammo is elsewhere.

 

[41mag]

Real steel tends to rust. Teflon etc has advantage in such circumstance. Locked up securely has lots of options. Necessary care depends on materials. Damage to finish is common in neglected care. Blued steel & wood require better care.

 

[Nosferatu]

The advantage of not having them centrally stored is you can put them in quite imaginative places where the smash-and-grabbers won't look.

Think big zip-lock bag and toilet tank.

 

[AMT]

That type of foam used in the cases, that you've shown in your pictures, will start to break down over time. Usually will start to flake apart. But, if you have any oils on your firearms (after cleaning you give them a light oil) the oil will seep into the foam and over time the foam will turn into a sticky gooey mess that will start to eat your metal.

*MANY Auto Mag's that were stored in their original cases with that type of foam have been pitted horribly bad. And they are made out of stainless.

I just found this picture.... zoom in and notice the pitting all over the right side....

 

[BigDog67]

I have some locked in steel cabinets, some in a glass front cabinet and some hang on the wall or lean in corners behind doors. NONE sit around in their cases.

 

[EHJ]

I store rifles in cases. Modern cases, modern foam, reputable manufactures. (Dry boxes.)
I am also liberal in my use of re-dryable desiccant packs.

I have also restored a few things that were improperly stored previously that were in crappy cheap foam hard and soft cases.
So, I agree that once you've seen what old foam can do to poorly stored iron - it's enough to put you off on the idea.

But most manufactures still use and supply a non-lined hard shell case - some offer nicer lined cases, (and some just give you a cardboard box) for storage and transport as it comes.

That Glock has sat around in that case since the day is was packaged , shipped, warehoused, distributed and stored before it ever got sold.

 

[Dinglenutz]

I have a couple "safes" that I wired for electricity and placed a small heater and a dehumidifier in. Seems to work for storage. The HD stuff is in small lockboxes around the house, and they get fondled/oiled/etc more often.

Inside the safe, the pistols are in their factory cases mostly.

 

[Mr Smith]

I do both, but really only 1 of my guns lives in its case. The rest are in safes.

My over/under shotgun is a case dweller since it comes out to play nearly every weekend, and gets cleaned and oiled every weekend as well. So it doesn't usually go longer than 2 weeks without being fired, cleaned, lubed, wiped down with oil, and placed back in its velvet socks in the case. I shoot in the rain frequently and the gun and I both come back home soaked. Just gotta wipe the gun down with a dry paper towel to soak up the droplets of water on it, give it a good cleaning, then I squirt some oil on a clean paper towel and wipe down the barrels and action for rust prevention, grease the internal action parts lightly, then put it away.

If I were storing it long term (longer than a few weeks) though: it would be inside the safe.

 

[ARFrog]

Pistols in rugs with separate zippered areas/compartments for the gun and magazine holders. Rifles (especially with wooden stocks) in silicone treated gun socks. Don't really like original Tupperware boxes. Don't leave them pre-staged out of the safe in gun cases - the 3 or 4 minutes saved in getting them out of the safe and into the case is not worth the safety or theft risk IMHO.

 

[The Heretic]

Handguns are in their original boxes. Most are stainless so not worried much about rust there, just about getting banged up.

Most rifles get wiped down with Balistol and wrapped in a silicone treated cloth. Some are stored in a hard case, some stored in the original cardboard box.

 

[arakboss]

I double secure mine:

 

[Knebel]

I store my model 12 under the couch loaded with 3 slugs and 3 buckshots...

However, everything else gets cleaned and drenched in oil and back into a lockable cabinet.

 

[AshWilliams]

All firearms stored in the safe with humidity control via a Goldenrod humidifier. Cases organized in the closet next to the safe.

Works for me. YMMV.

 

[Member 34319]

I usually just leave mine in the porch.