Long Term Gun Storage?

[mtnman31]

I am going to store a couple of my guns for a while and was looking at some storage options. Do the VCI (vapor corrosion inhibitor) gun bags work well? Would I need to do any special prep work before storing a gun in these? I am considering these because I don't want to have to use cosmoline or some other heavy grease/oil that needs to be painstakingly removed before putting them back into use. Any recommended vendors or places to get a variety of sizes at reasonable prices? I have one (pistol size) that was a sample and if they work I'd like to get a few more. I'd like to find something that I could use for rifles too.
Thanks.

[Recluse]

I am going to store a couple of my guns for a while and was looking at some storage options.

I had a few rifles and one shotgun I needed to store for several years. I used plain old G96. Sprayed some on a bore mop and ran down the barrels, sprayed it directly on the bluing and the wood stocks, then used an old cloth diaper to rub it in, then gave it one more light spraying.

Three-plus years later, zero rust and the wood stocks still looked brand new. I didn't do anything more than store these in one of my gun safes. No fancy rags, no humidifiers, no nothing.

Easy to clean off, too. Just run a dry patch through the barrel, and take a soft clean cotton cloth and wipe off any excess on the exterior, and you're ready to go.

G96. My cleaning supplies cabinet ALWAYS has at least one full can of the stuff in it at all times.

:coffee:

[Char-Gar]

I have stored guns for up to ten years with zero damage with Rig Gun Grease. It is not hard to remove. Just run a patch down the barrel and wipe it off the other surfaces with a rag.

When I moved to South American, I packed a broken down Winchester 9422 in a rolled up down sleeping bag in the bottom of a steel drum and spot welded on the lid. It was stored for two years and then shiped by sea.

There Ecuadorian customs broke the weld and poked around, but didn't find the rifle. They did however leave the barrel sit outside in the rain for two weeks with the lid not quite on. The bottom half of the barrel pretty well filled up with water.

I was certain the rifle was toast, but when I cleaned off the rig from the metal and the wood, it was a good as new. Not a speck of rust.

I have been using Rig for serious protection of guns since 1956 and am sold on the stuff.

[Bad Water Bill]

+1 on RIG
I had to store my guns for 28 years while the kids grew up (single parent) . They were wiped down with RIG and there was no rust.

A friend said the steel mills are the biggest users of RIG. Bought in 55 gal drums and used on steel stored outside in the lakefront elements.

How much better can it get

[mroliver77]

I use liquid alox for rust protection. I thin then wet patch the barrel and wipe the rest with a rag. I bought a couple cmp guns in the poly bags. No idea how long stored but they had no rust. Check out polygunbag.com
Jay

[winelover]

I am going to store a couple of my guns for a while and was looking at some storage options. Do the VCI (vapor corrosion inhibitor) gun bags work well? Would I need to do any special prep work before storing a gun in these? I am considering these because I don't want to have to use cosmoline or some other heavy grease/oil that needs to be painstakingly removed before putting them back into use. Any recommended vendors or places to get a variety of sizes at reasonable prices? I have one (pistol size) that was a sample and if they work I'd like to get a few more. I'd like to find something that I could use for rifles too.
Thanks.

Check out this site:www.zcorrproducts.com

I think this is what your after.

Winelover :drinks:

[Thumbcocker]

While I have never actually tried it, I think that wiping down with good oil or grease or Ed's red and vacuum sealing with a food saver would work pretty well.

[Shooter6br]

I have test informally rust protection long term The best i know and the cheapest isnt high tech is plain old peteroluem jelly any brand. I understand that in WW2 guns where put in heated petroluem jelly ,wrapped in plastic and buried Lasted 30 yrs! Try a test on some mild steel Leave it out in the elements It will surprice you

[Andy Griffith]

The best thing to do, is to get some Renaissance Wax or pure carnuba wax and wax down the outside of the gun- which makes it waterproof. The wax will not dry out. It can be used on wood and steel- it helps seal the pores of the wood also and keeps stocks from becoming to dry and splitting with age.

The bad thing about oils and greases...some do tend to dry out over time- and those that don't dry out can soak into your wood stocks on firearms and make them soft and swell where the wood meets the steel.

Be certain, that if you have firearms with recoil pads on them- store them barrel down, as the recoil pad will gradually flatten and become useless over time if not stored barrel down, or the gun lying flat.

One thing NOT to do...do not use the cans of "damp rid" in your safe or gun storage area!
I had a friend that did...and the plastic tub cracked as the stuff expanded while soaking up moisture...made a terrible mess all over his safe and ruined two gunstocks!

The biggest enemy is moisture in the air condensing on your firearms. Moisture in the air is fine, but the minute your firearms are cooler than the air...condensation begins. The problem with many oils and greases...water will disperse them because as is common knowledge, oil floats on water. However, if you add some tallow to the oil or grease (like they do in steam cylinder oil) that oil will not run or float on water and will adhere to the metal.

Wax is the best thing as it won't hurt your metal.
Cosmoline and Rig (if you can find some) are the next best choices- both are greases, not oils.
Oils are great for lubrication, but terrible for preservation.

Here's the test Brownells did with some of the most popular brands of oils and preservatives, and take a look at the results:

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=10700/guntechdetail/Gun_Cleaning_Clinic__Knowing_the_Limits_of_Rust_Pr eventatives

[leftiye]

Seal them in 8" pvc pipes with some dessicant and bury them out in the desert.

[stephen perry]

Silicone spray on metal and wood. Clean gun and run 2 old Hoppes patches through leave bore wet.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR :brokenima

[Nrut]

Andy Griffith
Thanks for the Brownells link..
Very good information!
Looks like to me I'll be using plain ole WD40 for bore protection..
I wish they had done a test using G96 as that is what I use now for exterior protection..
Condensation is a major issue for me...When bringing a rifle in from the cold I first put in a "cold" fabric gun case then under the blankets and wait for the rifle to come up to room temp.

[mtnman31]

I ordered a few gun bags from polygunbag.com and will try these out. The guns will be stored at my house. These are just some rifles that I won't be shooting because I plan to pass them on to my children (when I have some). These aren't going into an underground, burried cache or anything like that. Mostly, I just want to seal them up to keep from having to maintain them - laziness. I still have not settled on what I will apply to the rifles to protect them. Nonetheless, whatever I use (oil, grease, wax) and the VCI bags will keep me from having to take them out and occasionaly oil them. Thanks for the input and ideas.

As a side note - even though WD-40 works well, I am inclined not to use it as in my experience it seems to form a messy laquer over time, maybe not in a sealed environement but when exposed to everyday pollutants such as dust, grime, heat, etc it gets messy after a while.

A product that I do really like is Fluid Film. It is not easy to find (got mine at John Deere) but in the short time I have been using it, I really like it. It seems to do a great job preventing corrosion and is a good penetrant as well. It is wool-wax based and has a unique smell that I can't decide if I like or not. Give it a try sometime.

[corvette8n]

Cosmoline

http://www.schafco.com/cosmoline.asp

Then when it come time to clean them off you'll feel like you just bought a few curios & relics lol

[Jim]

Seems like long term gun storage methods are like boolit lube; there's a hunnerd different ways and they all work. I take the action/barrel ass'y. off the stock, wipe it down well with 90 weight gear oil, replace it to the stock and that's it.

[missionary5155]

Good evening
All our weapons get stored 3 years and after maybe used for about 8 months when we return to the U.S. My general storage method is to remove the butt stock on shotguns and lever guns, wipe them with whatever oil (motor oil, Breakfree...) then wrap the metal in wax paper & taped shut with masking tape. Long stocked rifles get the whole stock removed. A few bolt guns have been wrapped 17 years now.. no rust. Handguns get the stocks removed then the oil treatment and wrapped in wax paper. Again there are some revolvers still wrapped for 17 years+. All go into a BIG long plastic bag in a long wood box. The bag gets "vacumed" to remove the air then tied shut. Box gets the lid screwed on & stored in a basement where a dehumidifier opperates during the damp months.