Rust on guns in safe

[h4344]

So I asked about this before and this thread is sorta a follow up. I have a few handguns and long guns in my safe. The hand guns don't seem to gather much if ANY rust over the course of a few months however the rifles don't seem to be fairing as well.

After cleaning 4 guns I have found this much rust after giving them a wipe down with oiled paper towels (the kind that does not leave left over tiny pieces).

There actually seemed to be much less compared to my first cleaning a few months ago with the same guns (like 60% of this came from just the Remington 870 shotgun).

What I'm looking for is solutions to keep any and all rusting to a minimum in my safe. I do not have a dehumidifier yet but I heard it helps this problem, I also started covering the metal exterior surface of all my firearms with the oil shown below. If you have any other advice I would love to hear It! This problem has been minimal so far and I just wanna stop it before I start seeing serious issues.

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[F2CMaDMaXX]

Sure, so a few bits of advice for this problem.

1) Go ahead and get either a 'golden rod' or "rechargeable dehumidifiers - i use the latter, let me know if you want to know which ones.
2) Hoppe's gun oil is alright, it's nothing magic and there are plenty of other options that are more effective.
3) Wiping down the exterior metal of *any* firearm is essential for cleaning/storage - wipe them down whenever you touch the metal before putting it back in the safe.
4) Some products are better for surface protection Vs general lube (they'll all do both, but some err more one way or the other.

 

[Joe13]

Sure, so a few bits of advice for this problem.

1) Go ahead and get either a 'golden rod' or "rechargeable dehumidifiers - i use the latter, let me know if you want to know which ones.
2) Hoppe's gun oil is alright, it's nothing magic and there are plenty of other options that are more effective.
3) Wiping down the exterior metal of *any* firearm is essential for cleaning/storage - wipe them down whenever you touch the metal before putting it back in the safe.
4) Some products are better for surface protection Vs general lube (they'll all do both, but some err more one way or the other.

What he said^^.

Dehumidifier of some kind is essential

 

[Camelfilter]

+2 what @F2CMaDMaXX wrote.

-if you decide to go with the rechargeable dehumidifiers (big descant), Check RV stores. Can get similar sized ones a bit less expensive.

 

[Diamondback]

Also, maybe throw in some silica packets for dehumidification, just like if you were sealing 'em for long-term caching.

 

[MountainBear]

Before any gun goes in my safe, it gets wiped down. I usually use either Butch's, Break-Free, or Hoppe's.

A lot of my stuff is mil-surp, so some of the ammo can be considered corrosive. So I clean the bore as well. I usually run a wet patch through last, to leave a coat of oil in the bore, especially if the gun won't get shot for a while. I just bore snake it before I shoot it to remove the oil.

For short term storage, the light coat of oil is sufficient. For longer term storage, I generally put the guns into silicon impregnated gun socks. Two things though. I don't know if they will do all that with rust prevention, but they've never hurt my guns and I have some that have been socked up for years. So I still wipe them down with oil before socking. Two, it cushions them from getting safe scratches and dings.

If you live in the valley or some other rain haven, consider a golden rod or some other permanent solution. I have plug in rechargeable units. I use two so that when one is recharging, the other is still working. If I had more available plug ins, I would have a goldenrod.

If all else fails, shoot your guns often enough to keep them cleaned every week...

 

[DenimChicken]

Dehumidifier of some sort sounds like it is a necessity in your case. I'm not one for magic snake oil, but I think a thicker oil would help as well for longer term storage. I was having rust issues and switching from CLP to Slip2000 EWL helped a lot for rust resistance.

 

[KKG]

I've found that Corrosion-X is one of the Better products on the market. I had a shotgun Barrel sitting out in the PNW weather with the top 4 inches being bare. The rest had Corrosion-X applied. I think you can figure out what happened.

 

[jbett98]

Buy a Goldenrod, you won't be sorry. They're only $22.00 on eBay.

 

[nammac]

A warming dehumidifier that helps circulate the air is essential... you want to keep the air inside the safe drier than the air outside...

Completely wiping down firearms before placing in the safe is essential... I personally use silicone cloths for the final wipe down before they go in the safe. It's worked well for me...

Silicone socks are a great way to protect long term and I too have arms stored untouched for more than a decade without issue...

Remember that any bluing is simply controlled rust, and some residue might be expected from firearms that haven't been handled in some time.

As for the 870, mine is about seven or eight years old, and it simply has always shown the most rust upon wiping down after being stored... there's no visible rust on the gun, but as you've discovered a rag or towel will show what the eyes don't see...

 

[Crohnos01]

I had this problem in my safe even WITH a Goldenrod. My safe was in an unheated, basically open to outside air humidity however. I reloacted the safe inside a closed, heated space and solved the problem. It kind of sucks, but our RH is just too high in this area to keep guns in storage with a conditioned space for them.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

A light coating of RIG Gun Grease or Vaseline can go a long way to preventing rust on guns stored for the long term.
Andy

 

[orygun]

I had this problem in my safe even WITH a Goldenrod. My safe was in an unheated, basically open to outside air humidity however. I reloacted the safe inside a closed, heated space and solved the problem. It kind of sucks, but our RH is just too high in this area to keep guns in storage with a conditioned space for them.

I put the safe in the center of the house away from any outside walls and I don't have any rust problems. I'll make sure our hunting rifles are dry when I put them away, but always pull the slings off if we've been hunting in wet weather. Only when I'm sure they are dry do I put the slings back on the rifles.

I've been meaning to get a goldenrod for years...

 

[2A2Dend]

All firearms get cleaned/wiped down when handled with Break Free CLP
I use an 18" Golden Rod and a Liberty Safe E-333 dehumidifier. I recharge by plugging this in to a 110v outlet monthly.
As additional protection, an oil impregnated gun/rifle sock is an option. I do not use any, but if you have rifles close together, they're another added, great protection to think about.
Ideal condition, ambient room temperature should be that of the internal temperature inside the safe, with Golden Rod in operation.
I keep room temp 65° - 70° respectfully.

Keep in mind, the more you open your safe, the more humidity changes. Room temp vs inside safe temp need to be balanced if at all possible.
If your safe is in a cold area, add another dehumidifier.
I suggest a thorough cleaning and oiling.
My safe is on an interior wall.

Too much warmth inside is not good

 

[etrain16]

I've been using the Eva-Dry E-500 for about 3 years now - not a spot of rust on any piece of metal in my safe. I have a heating rod, but have never installed it, appears I don't need it. I recharge the E-500 every 2-4 weeks depending on the current humidity - more in fall/winter, less in summer. The color of the beads let you know when it needs to be recharged. Seems to work very well. I'm pleased with it. Under $30 on Amazon.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Those EVA dry's are what i use, i run two in the safe, recharge each one day after the other - don't put silica packets in the safe, once saturated, they essentially give out moisture instead of soaking it up, these plugins are silica filled with the built in heater to recharge them outside the safe.

Also worth your while to get a little humidity monitor to put in there as well, helps let you know if what you're doing is working or not.

 

[thorborg]

Use cotton rags, paper of any creation is abrasive and while possibly unnoticed after a cleaning with it, repeated use will eventually tell, especially on a varnished or lacquered finish. Andy knows; for storage long enough in an environment that will produce oxidation, grease it up. Do not laden the wood, and if nothing else, be sure to swab the barrel before shooting even if not overly greased. I once poked out a giant spider and her silken egg sack just three weeks after its last use though not likely to blow things up might be a different thing if a wasp with its mud egg casing.