Storing Guns in a Safe

Blokey

Is it better to leave the handguns in their original cases or open on the shelf.

Blokey

I've been reading a couple of interesting threads on gun safes and I'm learning a lot. On a similar vein, I was wondering how you store your guns in the safe. Of course, a good going over with RIG or oil and a dri-rod seem to be good storage basics. All my guns have their original boxes and papers so I was wondering what the pros and cons of keeping the guns in the boxes are. I wrap the gun in gunwrap paper and put a couple of desiccant packs in the box. Is this a good practice or should the guns be stored in padded pouches separately from the boxes? What are your experiences? Thanks in advance.

idsman75

I prefer to keep my guns in a cabinet or safe. It allows air to circulate around them. Then I throw in a Golden Rod to inhibit corrosion. If you absolutely do not and will not have a cabinet or a safe, don't store them in cases. Get a Bore-Stores padded silicon-treated case for each one and store em in there. However, you still have the security issue to deal with. Check out borestores.com for such cases. It's better than wrapping them in plastic and keeping them in the original boxes. By the way...keep the original boxes.

Mr. Lobo

I too have hurt guns from keeping them in a case (no air). I have found over the years the best way to keep my guns in good condition is to use them often and clean them when I am done shooting. They are made to be used just like a car. If you don't use them it is harder to maintain them then just taking them out and warming them up once and awhile. When I store them I oil them well and put an oily rag in the end of the barrel then I put the in the safe or on the wall rack.

Otoman

Blokey, your mention of Rig Oil is a great one, I have been using it for about 25 years and have never had a gun rust, and several of them are stored in gun Rugs...Man I think Rig is the best stuff ever invented to prevent rust on guns. I needed to buy some recently and found out that they have been bought out but their products are still available...

mhanson

Hey guys need some more info on that rig oilwhere do i get it

JimmyJack

I do not like the idea of putting an oil rag (or anything else) in the bore of a stored gun. Someone might shoot it without knowing its existance and it could cause big problems. I think you are better off without it, just light oil. In the service we used to put cigarette filters in the bore to keep them clean, and it proved to be a stupid idea also.

Blokey

Great replies, thanks!RIG was bought out by Silencio (the hearing protector folks): http://www.silencio.com You can get RIG products from Brownells and: http://www.cheaperthandirt.com I've yet to hear anything bad about this stuff.I think I will store my guns in Bore Stores cases; seems like you can't go wrong with these too.[This message has been edited by Blokey (edited 02-26-2002).]

ref44

I stored blued guns in a Liberty safe for 10-12 years in hot & humid Houston without a goldenrod and never saw any trace of rust. Of course, the house was air conditioned, and I used the guns often, cleaning them and wiping them down with G96.

RUGERNUT3

I use safes...with rods. I ALWAYS remove every gun every 8-10 weeks to clean,as if they were fired that day (meaning a complete clean). I start with a brush in the bore with #9 or whatever..and end up with a patch on a jag with a high qaulity bore oil..swabbed till almost "squeakey" dry. Then I go over the blued surfaces (OUTER)with a mix of bore oil and good old 3 in 1, and leave the surface slightky oily. I usemilsurp "twill" patches for the outer oiling as to be sure and leave a good coat on the surface..a smooth cotten or terry rag takes too much of the oil w/it. Use Flitz on my steel,chrome,ss surfaces. I always use true lemon oil on the woods, not some d%#$ polish that smells like lemons. The correct way to apply lemon oil to a nice wood so as not to leave it oily is..: take a soft terry cotten rag, cover it with real lemon oil, ring it out till damp. Take this rag and run it under the faucet good, ring it out reallywell, then wipe over your wood REAL well.Then take a baby butt soft terry and polish it ALL off till DRY..not greasy and conditions the wood very nice. Sometimes we tend to forget the wood needs conditioning too...dry wood=cracks in thinner areas of the stock. I have a Berretta (spelling help please).410 my dad bought for me when I was 5 (a long time ago). Until he died when I was 10 he took care of his guns in this manner and taught me too, minus the Flitz,I added that. I have some beautiful old guns that look new, stock and all, inside and out...not a speck of rust, nor nary a hairline crack....its just me gettin rusty and cracked! It also helps to have a "few"guns so you can spread the wear and tear of shooting around.........after all,..........variaty is the "spice of.......I just love my guns.....

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"ANY" EXCUSE IS A GOOD REASON TO BUY "JUST 1 MORE".& VICIE-VERSIE!

RUGERNUT3

Oh yeah almost forgot....for gun papers, boxes, ie; manuals,pamplets that come w/your gun....go to your local frame or art shop and pick up some "plastic" bags of the size you need to hold your boxes and papers. The shop will have the right kind of plastic that will keep age from creeping up on the stuff DONT just use zip-lok baggies are regular trash bags if you want to keep this stuff in prime condition as the plastic has something in it that ages the paper products..some chemicals of some sort. I only store gun manuals and papers in the safes, in the art bags...the boxes are kept in the art bags, in a closet. Hey, someday these manuals and pamplets if kept prime will be worth something 40 years down the road....my grand kids will love em....

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"ANY" EXCUSE IS A GOOD REASON TO BUY "JUST 1 MORE".& VICIE-VERSIE!