Best way to bring a cold gun into a warm environment?

[jpwilly]

When I lived in OH we wiped our shotty's or rifles in WD-40 during cleaning and and repeated when returning from snow or rain. I haven't ever had a rifle rust on me even ones with weak or worn blueing.

I live in Phoenix AZ now and still use WD-40 but very likely it's not needed.

 

[bhk]

Been doing this for over 50 years. Make sure case is same cold temperature as the gun. Put cold gun in cold case and bring inside. Let both warm up to room temperature. This may take hours. I have never, ever had condensation form on a gun when I procede this way and I hunt in cold weather a LOT (including this morning). The cases I generally use are cloth lined insulated canvas.

This is easy and has been the general recommendation for decades (maybe a century or more).

 

[USAF_Vet]

Best way to bring a cold gun into a warm environment?

I use the front door.

 

[bearman49709]

I live in Northern Michigan, temps in the winter when rabbit hunting can get in the -20s(I don't hunt when it's colder than that). I bring the gun in take it out of the case and lean it on the wall, done this for over 35 years and never get rust.Scope lens may fog up, but that drys up in no time without any problems.

 

[twofifty]

Whatever methods maintain a gradual temperature gradient and keep the moist warm indoor air away from the cold steel will prevent condensation on the gun.

Armored - Cold can be the desert of Joshua Tree NP on a February night: water bottles froze overnight.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

First of all, leave the gun in a secure place outside (like a locked garage). Don't bring it in until the season is over. When the season is over, if possible, leave the gun in the sun, which will gently warm it and at the same time prevent the formation of moisture. Otherwise, remove the gun from the stock and run a heat gun over it -- or a hair dryer. Then clean and lube as normal.

 

[SSN Vet]

I'm takin' it that you guys having problems with condensation don't burn wood...

Bone dry air (and cracked skin) is part and parcel to heating with wood.... but it also makes for no condensation on cold metal.

We can run multiple humidfiers non stop and still can't get the hygrometer to read >40%

 

[MrOldLude]

I'm glad my guns aren't so delicate that a little but of condensation doesn't turn them into piles of ferric-oxide.

 

[Lone_Sheep_Dog]

The owners manual to my video camera says to seal the camera in a plastic bag in the cold air. Bring it inside and let it warm up inside the plastic bag for about an hour. Then take it out of the bag in the house. I'm sure that would work for guns too. Too bad there are no zip lock bags that are big enough for rifles.

 

[J-Bar]

Condensation can ruin a smart phone, too. Don't ask me how I know.

My second phone is now covered by the $8.00/mo. extortion/insurance.

 

[StrutStopper]

While I was hunting Sunday the temps went from moderate to fffffreeeezingggg at sundown. I just took my cold shotgun out of its case and threw it in the safe. I was thinking I should let it acclimate and wipe it down, but I didn't. I've got at least 4 or 5 bags of dessicant in the safe, I should check things out today though.

 

[Omnivore]

USAF nailed it-- The best way to bring a cold gun into a warm environment is through the door.

I've done it this way many times and never had a problem. I set the rifle, exposed, against a wall in a corner or some such and let it warm up.

I did have a problem leaving a blued Winchester, in a bag, in the truck outside during the winter for several weeks. Parts of the rifle in contact with the bag were rusted slightly, but cleaned up just fine. Otherwise I don't worry about it.

If your gun is so totally exposed that a little condensation for a few minutes is going to rust it, then you need to be doing something different anyway. Wipe a thin coat of oil or something on it before you go out, then just trapse in through the door and have no worries.

 

[lloveless]

Wood and electric heat=very dry atmosphere in the house. On the other hand if you use a kerosene, gas indoor heater then there will be enough humidity to condense on the gun/camera etc. I have elctric heat and never have a problem with condensation on my weapons/cameras
ll

 

[Owen Sparks]

Temp changes are harmless in a dry enviroment. Military ammo in factory sealed cans is a good example because those cans contain factory conditioned air with practically no moisture. Those of us who live in the Southeast can't escape the humidity from the Gulf of Mexico and don't have the capacity to do anything about it in our homes except to keep the temprature constaint.

 

[Hugo]

Perhaps take it out of the case and run a hair dryer all over it (set on low heat) for 3-5 minutes? It warms up the firearm and drys out any moisture forming at the same time. Or place a small fan near it to just blow room temp air over it for 30-60 minutes or however long it takes the metal to be room temp.

 

[d2wing]

Here in Minnesota this a problem most of the season. If you leave your gun in the cold where is is dry, not covered it will be ok temporarily. If it is dry, leave it in the case over night so it slowly comes up to room temp. The take it out of the case a leave it near a heat scource with moving air. After a few hours clean and oil and you are done. If it is wet like today is here, wipe it off and put in in moving heated air to dry. Do not leave it in a case more than overnight. Especially if it is damp.

 

[xfyrfiter]

I just lay mine on top of the pellet stove , the top never gets too hot to touch, but is warm and has good air movement. The problem i have is dust, even in a fairly tight closet. All guns are kept in gunnysaks or sackups.

 

[KodiakBeer]

Seems like much ado about nothing. In 25 years of Alaska living I've never done anything more than carry my guns in the house and forget about them. I generally wipe them down, but that's more about removing hand prints than moisture.

One thing I do with my hunting rifles is put a layer of Sno-seal (it's a wax for boots) in the barrel channel and between the other metal-to-wood contact surfaces each fall. That keeps moisture out of those areas where it might actually collect and cause rust.

 

[roadchoad]

Put it in front of a register and keep the fan running.

 

[alsaqr]

USAF nailed it-- The best way to bring a cold gun into a warm environment is through the door.

I've done it this way many times and never had a problem. I set the rifle, exposed, against a wall in a corner or some such and let it warm up.

Another vote for bring it in through the door. Never had any problem doing this. If the gun got wet while hunting it gets wiped down and oiled, that's it.

 

[Marlin60Man]

As far as I can tell ( and trust me I'm no expert ) you just don't want to bring them in from the cold and then put them up in a case. Since they might be moist with condensation, the case will just lock it in.

So all I do is just put them out in the air until they warm up. Maybe wipe the condensation off from them or something...

Also, I put gunstock wax on the metal on my rifles. That way any moisture that I do leave on there is ontop of the wax and not the metal.