ot storing guns

[dbateman]

hi im currently in the process of moving from one side of the country to the other
and need to store my guns for awhile and it coming up to the wet season
and the humidity is really high i usle just get them out and oil'em up every couple
of weeks but will be gone for months ??
any advice on good products
i seen somewhere on here about some kind of wax ? done a search but didnt find it
thanks dave

[mod71alaska]

hi im currently in the process of moving from one side of the country to the other and need to store my guns for awhile and it coming up to the wet season
and the humidity is really high...any advice on good products...

Hi Dave,

I was in your situation a few years back. These are the products I used which TOTALLY protected my rifles from moisture while stored. I continue to use these products to this day.

I applied this:
http://secure.armorholdings.com/kleen-b ... ct265.html

...and stored each rifle in one of these:
http://www.borestores.com/

I purchased both products here. (Service is excellent):
http://www.pistoleer.com/borestores/

and here where Bore Store products sometimes are on sale. (However, Pistoleer above will match a sale price if you ask.): http://www.midwayusa.com/esearch.exe/se ... rch_Button

My firearms were 100% protected when they were in storage in a humid environment while I traveled. Now they are in a safe and further protected from "safe bites" because each rifle is in its own Bore Store gun sock.

One further thought for you: Don't store your rifles in a basement directly on a concrete floor and/or under overhead water pipes. Concrete wicks up moisture thru the floor something terrible, and water pipes sweat under certain conditions and sometimes break.

I hope this helps you. Good luck!

[dbateman]

thanks mod71alaska thats some good info there

[Andrew]

I was going to make a joke about cosmoline but turns out they actually sell that stuff still. I don't think it would be worth the hassle or the price unless you were going keep them stored for quite awhile.

Tectyl 846 - Cosmoline
Tectyl 437D - Cosmoline

[Malamute]

I prefer to store my guns bone dry, and covered with a light coating of dust and dog hair. Your area may require different treatment, as it's very dry here for the most part.

[Gun Smith]

When I recently moved to Oregon (wet, wet) I prepared my guns like this: I bought a couple of rolls of kraft paper from Wally World, a large can of WD-40, and added a bundle of old newspaper. I liberally sprayed on the WD-40 and wrapped the guns in the kraft and taped them up tightly. After that I wrapped them in the old newsprint and taped that up tight. I then boxed them in some shipping boxes I had saved from buying a few guns. I could get three to four in each box. 30 - 40# per box. I was not able to unrap them for about a two months after completing the move (waiting for my new safes). When I did they were perfect. My wife and I moved the guns in our vehicles instead of the mover. No loss, no damage, no worry.

[Charles]

Rig Gun Grease has been around as long or longer than I have and it does a splendid job on guns in storage. I left twenty guns in storage for 6 years and when I wiped off the Rig, they were just as they were when the grease went on.

When I moved to South America I took a Winchester 9422 with me. I left it in storage for a year before it was shipped down. When it got there, customs removed the lid from the drum and left the lid off in the rain for ten days. The rifle was broken down and inside my down sleeping bag. When I got the barrel it was half full of water and the bag soaked. I just knew the rifle was ruined! But when I wiped it off, it was good as new with zero damage. Again Rig inside and out. I heated the Rig until it was liquid and applied it with a small brush.

Great stuff that Rig. I am a believer!!

[AmBraCol]

The best rust inhibitor I've found over a life time in S. America's HUMID climate is good ol' ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) thickened with a bit of lanolin. The ATF prevents rust, the Lanolin holds it in place. That's all I use on my carry gun now and it's kept it rust free even when I neglect it a bit. If I were to store a weapon for a period of time here's what I'd do.

Strip off any wood (stock, grip panels, etc) then wrap the weapon in a layer of cotton strips - an old bed sheet works well. Liberally douse in ATF then wrap in a plastic bag. Then wrap in another with a layer of tape to squeeze out the air and make it compact. A weapon so stored will last YEARS in variable temperature storage with no problems with rust - just make sure that cotton stripping is liberally coated with ATF which will then continue to "wick" and keep the weapon coated. When unpacking you just strip off the tape, bags and cotton, wipe down with a rag, swab out the bore and chamber, reassemble and you're good to go. This process has stood me in good stead when storing my meager collection for indefinite periods of time - and ATF is plentiful and cheap in the US of A.

If it is not for a period exceeding a year, I'd just wipe them down with my usual ATF/Lanolin mixture but with added lanolin to make it even thicker, then store in a case that allows a bit of air to circulate around them (ie - not in a padded, egg foam type case or "fleece" zipper bag) and call it good. When removing them for future use I'd just be able to wipe them down with a rag, swab out the bore and chamber and be good to go.

[Andrew]

The best rust inhibitor I've found over a life time in S. America's HUMID climate is good ol' ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid)....

That stuff is all pupose coolant/lube/cleaner/rust prevention/hydrolic fluid and many other things. I work in a transmission factiory and I use that wonderful red stuff for all kinds of things. It's good on toast too.

[AmBraCol]

The best rust inhibitor I've found over a life time in S. America's HUMID climate is good ol' ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid)....

That stuff is all pupose coolant/lube/cleaner/rust prevention/hydrolic fluid and many other things. I work in a transmission factiory and I use that wonderful red stuff for all kinds of things. It's good on toast too.

I can't vouch for the toast comment, but it's one of the main components in "Ed's Red" and I've even used it by itself for quick and dirty cleaning of a gun following a range session. If you thicken it up with a tad bit of lanolin (about an ounce to three ounces of ATF) then it's a great preservative.

[dbateman]

thanks guys youv been a graet help

[Ysabel Kid]

When I left home 20 years ago I knew I'd be moving around for months before settling - getting trained and the like. I used Rig as well - and it works perfectly. Wish I had known about the bore socks back then - would have saved on some safe bumps over the years (I use them now). I have always moved my firearms myself - just not worth taking the risk!

Good luck!