Long term gun storage basics?

[h4344]

Wrap the guns in heavy wax paper, like the manufacturer's do!

Will the Reynolds wax paper from like the cooking isle work?

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

I think it will for this purpose. It's mainly to keep the stuff on the gun, off the stuff the gun rests against. Also stops that sponge issue we mentioned earlier.

 

[Dr Prepper]

If you're storing them for more than say a month unattended, i would recommend staying away from the otherwise good idea of silicone desiccant packs. They don't take too long to suck up moisture, but then they're spent and essentially hold moisture nearby, if the air dries out more than the pack contains water, they will release it back into the air again.

I thin if you do the paper, socks and lube, you'll be good, maybe leave the cases cracked open rather than closing, let the air circulate as it wants to.

Finally, i'd say you could get away with the cases closed given all the other precautions, however as you've already found rust, i will say that you would be better off not closing the cases fully. Stick a spent casing in the jamb to keep it open, maybe use rubber bands to hold the cases closed against that.

Yeah I second this line of thinking as well. Avoid ANYTHING that "wicks" moisture or "draws" moisture near it. I know most of the museum's use Renaissance wax which actually is a very thin micro crystalline wax layer that basically "hardens" on it (or at least as hard as wax gets). It's also very inert another major reason they use it...it safe on just about everything. One thing I'm trying to get is I think they are called Veri check humidity indicator strips like a peice of paper that turns pink or Violet to indicate humidity levels. These are very cheap I worked on 787 on boeing would put like a whole 55gal drum full of dessicant bulk bags piled in the engines while the plane is in "storage" and they would take those strips inside clear bag around the engine to monitor humidity. They depleted FAST and went through who knows how many drums of that stuff...funny place.
I'll also say I've never really had any issues with rust I usually buy them rusty and fix em up. But I just pulled my 92fs out from under my foam mattress after only a couple months are wouldn't you know...a tiny bit of color starting to form, and of course because it's my "beater" last time I was groping it and swapping mags etc. (also cast the chamber for reloading) I put it away without wiping it down. Not smart... Now on the other hand I have all kinds of steel parts receivers barrels you name it, in boxes in the same room... For same period of time with relative same amount of fondling/groping and they aren't rusty... Now I'm sure unlike most people on here i have to store pretty much all my toys in soft cases. I check them about once every six months to a year. Never really had a problem with rust yet. My room is kinda humid as well it's typically 50-65% humidity during the winter lowest it gets is about 40% during summer with my window wide open. To circulate the air.
I use eezox oil and LOVE it! Like most of you I grew up on hoppes #9 and love the sweet smell. To me that eezox has kinda the same odor. Smells like sweet grass to me. It's the industrial solvent it though. Check the msds it's actually pretty aggressive..fyi Canadian msds give you more info than Our crappy American gov't mandated ones. Also this stuff dissolves just about any kind of rubber I've seen kinda hard to find containers for it. So I'm sure it would eat at the foam over time.

One last note. Although messy...cosmoline does work. Pretty much the entire world still uses cosmoline for alot of packing. and it works. I've heard rigs is pretty much "new age" cosmoline. I have a gaint tub of it I'm not sure if I'll ever use it though. Alot of gunsmiths swear by it though. But I've always been kinda skeptical about alot of "gunsmiths" pretty Shure the NRA museum uses Renaissance wax as well.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

A liberal coating of RIG gun grease on the surface of your gun goes a long way in fighting rust.
Wipe down the bore with a RIG smeared patch and you are good to go there as well.
Andy

 

[MrNatural]

Basically i just wanna find them in the same condition i left them when i pull em out again.

The "VCI Weapon Protection Bags" and other products this company makes are pure peace of mind at excellent prices:

Products Archive - Zerust Consumer Products

Like Pappy used to say: "If you can't afford to lose, you can't afford to gamble."

(Drops mic)

 

[jbett98]

ZCORR bags are probably your best bet.
Around $15.00 per large bag. Reusable and good for at least 5 yrs if you remove the firearm multiple times and a lot longer if left undisturbed.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...wspedWSgWINZ-jR7g&sig2=c2NK5o0X4SDl9lQYFtC6ng

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

 

[PaulB47]

Desiccant can be renovated by cooking it in the oven...

My problem is a basement that gets cold in the winter. I usually put CLP on everything but one blued contender barrel left sitting out still managed to get a dot of rust on it. I think the humidity must get pretty high down there. I need a goldenrod or at least a low-wattage light bulb in my safe. I think I will do that right now in fact.

Pay particular attention to bores. I no longer store any guns without having run a patch of CLP down the bore. Of course this means every time I get a gun out of the safe to shoot, I have to run a dry patch through it first, just to be safe.

 

[L84Cabo]

You need a relatively air tight storage container that you can control the environment of. Ideally this would be safe. If the money isn't there for a safe, then a metal gun cabinet, large foot locker, etc. Guns should be cleaned and wiped down with a silicone cloth or similar (Renaissance Wax is fantastic stuff btw)

All guns go in the container. Then add a Golden Rod, large container of desiccant and humidity meter. All can be had off of Amazon for $50-$60 give or take. Check guns daily and review the humidity meter until you're sure you have a stable and safe environment. Then a weekly check and wipedown with a silicone cloth should keep them pristine.

Guns are expensive. And to a certain extent you have to pay to play. Spending a bit of money now to establish a proper storage...and security...system will keep your investment from rusting.

 

[BlackRyder]

Someone mentioned vacuum sealing them. I've actually done this with one my my grandfathers old guns, a super valuable colt 1911 that I will probably never shoot- it's a display piece/safe queen that was only fired at the factory, if that. I cleaned and polished it, rubbed it down with renaissance wax, and sealed it with my food saver. This was over 8 years ago and it has not shown any rust or even tarnish so far (although it's in my parents gun cabinet and The last time I checked up on it was about a year ago, so maybe it's time to pull her out again and make sure everything is still copacetic)
I'm sure that someone you know has a vacuum sealer if you don't- or you can buy a food saver from Costco for pretty cheap- they are definitely worth the investment, especially if you are into hunting/fishing. Or burying ammo caches.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

A simple cheap long term storage preservative I've used that won't allow rust,, Vasoline.
It's a poor mans cosmoline that can be easily removed with degreaser.
A light coating applied both in and out of the bore as well. I've never
Had a rusted weapon come out of the cabinet, and I live on the coast.