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Long term firearm storage

GRAYHAIR

Private
Minuteman
Jan 24, 2019
72
195
I am 80+ years old and have hunted and fished since I was 5 years old. I have never sold a firearm, so I have several.
In my later years, I have about stopped hunting except for using a pellet gun to run birds and squirrels out of my fruit trees. The guns will go to my grand kids when they get independent since their mother does not want guns in the house.

My better firearms, of which six are competition grade, are stored in a gun safe inside a temperature controlled home and used very little. When not used for a time, how often do I need to wipe them down with an oily rag and what is the best way to prepare them for long storage. Do they need to be in a treated gun sock?

On an internet search, I got a time frame of weekly to every 10 to 15 years.

Thanks.
 
I like this and I reapply every 6 months and haven't had a problem. I'm in VA so humidity is mid-range. You may know about it I see you're asking about frequency of application it sounds like. It comes in spray, wipes or metal bottle (which I use w/ a silicone cloth).

Per Birchwood Casey:
"DETAILS
BARRICADE® RUST PROTECTION RAPIDLY DRIVES OUT MOISTURE FROM METAL PORES AND DEPOSITS A TRANSPARENT PROTECTIVE COATING WHICH SEALS THE SURFACE. IT’S THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT YOUR FIREARMS FROM RUST. WITHSTANDS 500 HOURS IN ASTM HUMIDITY TEST AND 96 HOURS IN ASTM SALT SPRAY TEST. BARRICADE® RUST PROTECTION IS ALSO AN EXCELLENT PENETRANT FOR LOOSENING RUSTY OR FROZEN PARTS, AS WELL AS A GOOD LUBRICANT AND AN EFFECTIVE BORE CLEANER. TAKE YOUR PICK OF HOW YOU’D LIKE TO PROTECT YOUR FIREARMS – WITH A VARIETY OF CAN OPTIONS! IT’S NEVER BEEN EASIER.


33128 - BARRICADE® RUST PROTE"
 
Beware gun socks as they can actually create marks on the metal and on some 'oil' finishes and actually stick into the finish. Your humidity-controlled safe and occasional oiling are best bet. The products above are all fine. Even 3 in 1 oil, lightly applied so it does not soak into the wood, is fine.

Wipe down occasionally... but once the oil is on them... you don't need to do it often. I do mine about once a year, mainly to remove dust. Oily rag, nothing more. I've been using the same oily rag (which I keep in a tupperware box) since late in the Clinton Aministration.

Cheers,

Sirhr
 
Beware gun socks as they can actually create marks on the metal and on some 'oil' finishes and actually stick into the finish. Your humidity-controlled safe and occasional oiling are best bet. The products above are all fine. Even 3 in 1 oil, lightly applied so it does not soak into the wood, is fine.

Wipe down occasionally... but once the oil is on them... you don't need to do it often. I do mine about once a year, mainly to remove dust. Oily rag, nothing more. I've been using the same oily rag (which I keep in a tupperware box) since late in the Clinton Aministration.

Cheers,

Sirhr
Well hell. I'm going to have to go look now. Since I got a bit tight I decided to try to keep bolts and levers from banging against one another and figured the sock was the best and cheapest (other than another safe) way to approach this.

Thanks!!!
 
I store guns that seldom get used in VCI bags, (vapor corrosion inhibitor), and have had very good luck with them, the brand I use is called "ZERUST" and I usually pick them up at the Tulsa gun show, but they can be bought off the internet, last for 5 years.

 
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Well hell. I'm going to have to go look now. Since I got a bit tight I decided to try to keep bolts and levers from banging against one another and figured the sock was the best and cheapest (other than another safe) way to approach this.

Thanks!!!
Beretta makes one w/o silicone. But unless you're talking bluing/nice wood, I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Beware gun socks as they can actually create marks on the metal and on some 'oil' finishes and actually stick into the finish. Your humidity-controlled safe and occasional oiling are best bet. The products above are all fine. Even 3 in 1 oil, lightly applied so it does not soak into the wood, is fine.

Wipe down occasionally... but once the oil is on them... you don't need to do it often. I do mine about once a year, mainly to remove dust. Oily rag, nothing more. I've been using the same oily rag (which I keep in a tupperware box) since late in the Clinton Aministration.

Cheers,

Sirhr


Yep. Gun socks are THE enemy to guns that are in storage. Just like leather holsters. Everybody who shoots NSSA or CAS knows that you do not store blued steel guns for long periods of time in leather rigs.
 
Beware gun socks as they can actually create marks on the metal and on some 'oil' finishes and actually stick into the finish. Your humidity-controlled safe and occasional oiling are best bet. The products above are all fine. Even 3 in 1 oil, lightly applied so it does not soak into the wood, is fine.

Wipe down occasionally... but once the oil is on them... you don't need to do it often. I do mine about once a year, mainly to remove dust. Oily rag, nothing more. I've been using the same oily rag (which I keep in a tupperware box) since late in the Clinton Aministration.

Cheers,

Sirhr
Is the rag from a blue dress?🤣
 
Hornady One Shot is one of the better products for rust prevention...

For link below for product comparison - rust prevention tests, polymer tests and friction tests...
COMPREHENSIVE CORROSION TEST: 46 PRODUCTS COMPARED

1589645563183.png




The test linked to above does include Birchwood Casey RIG #2 Oil... it does not include or mention RIG Grease...
Excellent info. Thanks
 
Here in SE AZ, you'd think we get damned little humidity here in the High Desert

Wrong.

The AZ Monsoon turns my central A/C into a water factory with the condensation.

Greg