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Dessicants for rifle cases?

WindstormSCR

WindstormSCR

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 28, 2021
705
585
Maryland
So I'll be going on a hunting trip sometime soon, and have a custom-cut Pelican Vault 730 for each of the rifles I'll be taking.

I know that moisture build-up inside closed-cell foam can be a concern, and while I have plenty of good solutions for desiccants in the safe, I haven't found a particularly good one for these kind of cases.

At the moment I've just stuffed a loose silica gel packet or three in there, wondering if anyone on here had any good recommendations beyond just tossing more packs above the top layer of foam.
 
I have a pelican that I store 6 full size handguns and a bunch of mags in. My gf and I just keep throwing more desiccant packs in it whenever we get more from purchases/items. So far it has worked well and I don't feel like buying a bigger one. I've got like 20 packs in there and it worked when I lived near Houston.

The other option I know of are those larger packs that pelican and other brands sell. But if you're planning to put a gun in there wet from rain or such I'd be willing to bet it'd be overwhelmed fairly easily.
 
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^ that

I just toss the ones in from electronics, scopes, clothes, whatever I order

Also kinda went away from expensive cases, I like quality stuff, but for a case the knock off pelicans from harbor freight etc do the job just the same, and seeing they get kicked around and gouged up by design, it’s a place I’d rather save money for ammo or other stuff

For the most part I just use soft cases, they stow and not move around as much, works best for driving or flying, unless you are flying 121 in which case good luck and god speed
 
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they sell reusable desiccant products, you can use them several hundred times

most of the time the ones you get in generic packages are close to the end of their life to begin with, as they absorbed the moisture in the package

there are also rated for moisture/volume of container etc, so just using what you have laying around might actually do nothing at all

ex:

the ones you get in a T-short from amazon is the size of a tea bag for that little package

if it has any life left in it, do you really think its going to make a difference in a several cubic foot gun case with a wet piece of foam

open the case once and the amount of humidity you let in...its over
 
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Also spraying the shit out of the gun with G96 always helps, did that on the boat all the time
 
McMaster Carr sells all sorts of different shapes and sizes of desiccant pouches.
Maple are reusable, some aren’t.

But they’re cheap.
 
simple green it's soap add warm or hot water scrub it will be clean soon or if you believe frabreze adds just spray it cause what smells like a turd mixed with flowers is clean or something like that .

lol
 
TurboTrout said:
^ that

I just toss the ones in from electronics, scopes, clothes, whatever I order

Also kinda went away from expensive cases, I like quality stuff, but for a case the knock off pelicans from harbor freight etc do the job just the same, and seeing they get kicked around and gouged up by design, it’s a place I’d rather save money for ammo or other stuff

For the most part I just use soft cases, they stow and not move around as much, works best for driving or flying, unless you are flying 121 in which case good luck and god speed
Click to expand...
Those Apache cases are a great buy... I think I picked mine up for like $75 a few years back and it's held up to some serious abuse.

Replace the shitty pluck foam for ~$40 and you have a screaming deal.
 
There are also electronic, rechargeable desiccant devices.
I use them for my camera gear.
B&H Photo sells them, probably available from other places, no doubt...
 
If it’s just a day or two, you should not have an issue. Here is the type of desiccant that came with this specific case. If you are interested, I can dig them out and see who makes them. I never use them as my stuff does not stay in a case over 24 hours so they are still sealed in plastic.
49E8C59A-2B1A-4214-ABA4-3F0327C96F3E.jpeg
 
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The CMP had something like this packed in the rifle cases my Doughboys were in.

www.zerustproducts.com

Plastabs - Zerust Products

Plastabs are perfect for protecting critical surfaces within narrow or hard-to-reach areas from rust thanks to their thin, small shape.
www.zerustproducts.com www.zerustproducts.com
 
I went for the hard cases for these two as they're my best/most expensive, and more specifically I didn't want the glass getting knocked around on a particularly packed long drive across a half dozen states. I agree for the most part soft cases are generally easier to work with.

ended up going with Pelican's Corrosion Inhibitor and Peli dessicant brick after my local FFL recommended them, since they should be good for two years for that case volume.

Pic of the MDRX in its Vault 730. Leaving some room for future items that will be going in there with it (Glass options, clip-ons)

@Hairball that's just hot, which case are you using that has that kind of perfect fit for multiple carbines? :love:
 

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Desiccant packs or canisters work best when they're in the same cut-out as the item that needs to be protected, with enough space around the entire item to allow the moisture to find its way to the desiccant. Tight fitting cut-outs with the desiccant in another tight fitting cut-out away from what you want protected doesn't work very well.
 
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