Storing guns

elkcrazyfred

What is a good product for storing my guns to keep them from rusting? I have heated safes and I keep them in protective socks in the safe. I wipe them down with Rem Oil cloth every now and then and every time after they are handled. One guy told me about a product called armadillo but that must not have worked out as it is no longer available.
I just wondered if it really is a good idea to put a gun oil that prevents rust is the right way to go as the blue is rust and over time would it attack the blue on a gun.

elkcrazyfred

I was just wondering if bolt action rifles should be stored in the fired position. Does it harm the spring to leave it cocked?

11b6r

Age old argument. Tastes great, less filling. IF the spring is damaged from being stored cocked, then it is not much of a spring. Consider the suspension on your car- sits in the driveway with springs under load day in and day out- your car is not drooping onto the roadway, right? Others will have other opinions. No, will not hurt springs.

charliemeyer007

I always try and store them fired. The springs are still under compression but not as much. Every little bit helps. Dummy rounds or snap caps are a cheap investment.

scrubberguy

elkcrazyfred:
Yes springs fatigue! The posted example of car springs? Yes I've seen cars sagging at one end or the other because of a collapsed spring. It doesn't matter if it's coil or leaf they can wear out!

Any good 1911 smith will tell you to change the springs in your 45 every 5 to 6 thousand rounds or so.

I try to store all my guns in the "fired" mode. Easy with a bolt gun, as you close the bolt on an empty chamber,hold the trigger down as you lower the bolt handle in place.

With O/U or S/S shotguns you'll require "snap Caps" and the use of a strong leg to move recoil setting sears to fire the second empty barrel.

Use common sense and the springs in any gun will live longer than we will. Shut'em up in a closet cocked for a few years and they'll be bad.[8D]

perry shooter

Hello I think that you will find very knowledgeable people will vary on their opinion to your question. Most of their opinions are based on personal experience so I will give you mine I have used a spring tester on valve springs for high RPM race engines. I also made a tester for recoil springs in 1911 type pistols. My results point to Quality or being over stressed is the main reason for spring failure or fatigue in strength. I have one recoil spring in one of my match 1911 type pistols with over 250,000 rounds it still has the same relaxed over all length and still has the same compression weight to a set compressed length . I had a high dollar pistol Hammerli 208s that used a hammer spring from a vender to Hammerli. these springs would fatigue in as little as 500 rounds and the relaxed length would be much shorter then new. I had a custom spring maker build me 1/2 doz. and after 20,000 rounds it tests as new. Your mileage may vary.

Bill DeShivs

Here we go again-
Properly designed and manufactued springs do not "wear out."
Springs can be damaged by cycling (they get brittle and break,) or bending past the design point.
Now, before all you "experts" chime in, read what I said-properly designed and manufactured.

givette

If it doesn't matter, then leave the firearm uncocked. All the parts are where they are designed to be. Not locked back from where they are supposed to go. Joe

n/a

Any mechanism including springs WILL wear out eventually. What would stop it?

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