Condensation on guns coming in from the cold

[leadaddict]

I shoot often in the cold weather here in Iowa and when coming back inside with all that cold steel it gets very wet. How do you deal with this? I tend to just let it warm up and then clean it and oil it very thoroughly as soon as possible. I’ve tried leaving them enclosed in their cases and let them warm up there, but the cases I have are not air tight and they still get some moisture on them and it takes longer to warm them up.

Any other ways you deal with your weapons when bringing them in from the cold?

 

[Eyesac]

Take a hot shower with them. J/K. I just let them warm up, but I guess you could use a hair drier if you wanted to speed up the process...

 

[PRM]

Gradual warm up is about the only way. They are going to get some condensation.

I use Gibbs lubricant on my guns. We have been using this product on our range for about 12 years now. One of the best lubricants and rust preventatives on the market.

Also a great company. I deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 with National Guard. They sent us a case of Gibbs to take with us (free of charge).

http://www.gibbsbrand.net/weaponsmaintenance.html

 

[M2 Carbine]

If you suspect this is going to happen, wipe the guns down with Corrosion X. Good idea to wipe them down if they are such as car guns also.

We used this stuff on the offshore helicopters and other equipment in the Gulf of Mexico. Everything is always covered with a salty mist.
One day I saw a mechanic using a spray can on my chopper, Corrosion X. I've been using it on my guns and rust prone machinery ever since.

 

[Snowdog]

If it's a pistol you're carrying, it's not going to get cold enough to be a problem. If you're bringing it in from the car/truck where it's sat for a while, you might want to oil it outside if it's not already sufficiently protected and place it in a small closed container (box, carrying case, etc) and leave it in this container after bringing it in while it warms to inside temperatures.

Back when I used to keep a pistol in the car overnight, I had a carrying case that I would leave it in while in the vehicle and after bringing it inside. After a couple hours, I would open the container, inspect the pistol and apply oil if needed.

The trick is to simply keep warm air away from the cold metal, so a container will assist you with this.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

One point to consider is that condensation forms inside the gun, too. The trigger mechanism, the inside of the bolt, and so on are all going to be wet. So a thorough stripping and cleaning is indicated.

 

[JohnBT]

I just prop the long guns' barrels against a radiator until they dry out.

I remove the wood grips from handguns before I put them on the radiator.

I love radiator heat.

John

 

[Red Cent]

Remove magazine caps, springs and followers. Swab the tubes, spray the parts and re-install.
Rem Oil. Yellow cap, green can of spray. Reaches about anywhere. After a shooting session, I spray bolt face, breech face, and lightly allover. Let soak for a few minutes, and spray off softened gunk. After spraying the action down good, I stand the long guns on their bearrel end and let drip dry. Then wipe.

 

[2WheelsGood]

A tip some cold-weather photographers use with their cameras is to put them in a zip-lock bag until they warm up. The same would work well for your purpose.

 

[harmonic]

Definitely do not leaves guns in their cases when you bring them in from the cold. The condensation stays inside the case.

Take the guns out and after they've warmed up for a few hours, wipe them down with a dry cloth. Then when the metal is completely warmed and no visible moisture, wipe with a silicon rag. Season according to taste and serve with butter.

 

[rcmodel]

Out of the gun case as soon as I clear the front door.
And not put back in a case again until I go shooting again.

I lean long guns right over a furnace vent to warm them up & dry them out ASAP. Then wipe them down with a R.I.G.-Rag after they get up to room temp.

Handguns are laid right on the furnace vent, or on the defroster vent in the truck on the way home.

rc

 

[bhk]

Actually, I put my gun in a cool gun case and let them warm up slowly in the case in the house. It is important that the case is thoroughly cooled to the same temperature as the gun. If I am going for a hunt on my property on a cold day, I place an open case out on the patio to let it cool down when I am hunting. If hunting from my truck, they cool down naturally inside the cab or in the bed. These are not air tight cases, just the normal zip-up kind. I remove the gun from the case after two or three hours of warm up in the house. By this time the gun metal is warm enough to prevent the condensation. I have never had any condensation form on a gun using this method. I have used this method for many decades and have read of it being the recommended method for about the same length of time.

 

[1KPerDay]

Definitely do not leaves guns in their cases when you bring them in from the cold.

I respectfully disagree. Leave them in the cases UNTIL they're up to room temp. Then remove them, wipe down, etc.

Condensation forms much less if you allow things to come up to temp gradually, and not fully exposed to the air. Same with woodwind instruments, guitars, etc. Leave them in the cases until they're up to temp.

IMO>

 

[Nushif]

I uh ... wipe them on my shirt or with a towel?
... I don't even think about these things!

 

[Snowdog]

There are bound to be plenty of effective methods in preventing condensation on firearms during temperature changes.

However, I can say with absolute certainty that keeping the firearm in a closed case while the metal warms to room temperature is perfectly safe, presuming the firearm was cased outdoors or cooled in the case,
Note: a closed container most certainly does not mean a holster, flap holster or otherwise. Closed means sealed.

As long as the metal is not exposed to room air (along with its moisture) while it warms to inside temperatures, you'll be fine. If suddenly exposed to the warmer air outside the case while still cold is when condensation forms. Once acclimated to interior temperatures, inspect and oil.

This method has served me well for years.

 

[rscalzo]

Nothing we didn't deal with when assignment forced long periods out in the cold.

Our handguns always got wet from either precipitation or extreme weather changes. constant maintenance is the only way to ensure proper functioning. Quite frankly it was more difficult to deal with the dampness on duty leather gear than the handguns. A change in the early 80's to S&W SS helped but we kept cans of WD40 handy to rinse out any handgun seriously drenched. I favored this after finding how great it worked on my boat used in salt water..




http://boeshield.com/

 

[franconialocal]

My duty sidearm sees all sorts of condensation, road salt, below freezing temps., snow, ice, etc. (Sig P-220). When I get back to the PD or free time I just let it warm normally and do a once over inspection and function check. This includes dumping the magazines and wiping down every case as well it it's really bad. The trick is to get to it quickly, esp. with the road salt. I don't really do anything differently than I normally would....just a little more frequently.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

I was a patrol officer in the Great Pacific Northwest where it rains a lot and it often gets pretty cold during the winter. Our cold weather and foul weather clothing was designed with a slit in the sides at the waist that fit around our holsters so the gun would be outside our clothing and completely exposed to the elements. My Beretta would get soaked if I worked traffic control around a motor vehicle accident scene in the rain or if I had to get out of my cruiser for any reason when it was downpouring, snowing, sleeting, etc. Heavy condensation would form on my Beretta if I was outside in the cold for awhile and then entered a home in which somebody had just showered, ran the washing machine or dishwasher.

When I'd get home I'd field strip my Beretta and use my wife's hairdryer to blowdry it. The process took just a few minutes. I never encountered any problems with rust.

 

[kludge]

If I know it's going to be cold I put it in a gun case that is also out in the cold - close the gun inside the case before I go in the house, and let it warm up slowly to room teperature (overnight) before I open the case. No condensation, no problem.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

When I'm doing some serious hunting -- say for elk in Colorado -- I leave the gun outside the bunk house at night.

 

[langenc]

On a similar note, I have seen that after removing cased (soft) guns from the trunk and lying them on a low table they are often wet on one side if the hot sun shines on the other side.

First time it happened, I couldnt believe it. I take great pains to hang the unzipped cases over the heat for a time to make sure they are dry, even if it hasnt rained.

As I think about it, when this happens the furnace is probably not on-May thru September.

 

[Walkalong]

I leave them out until they are at room temp and any condensed moisture is mostly evaporated, then wipe them down and oil as needed before they are put away.

 

[Hatterasguy]

Modern stuff I find is pretty corrosion resistant. Honestly my Sig and 1911 have gotten wet and I have been shooting them since last September without so much as a bit of oil sprayed into the action now and than. I'm just so busy with work I haven't had time to clean. The Sig has been shot in the rain and snow at least 2-3 times.

Now the old stuff is not forgiving, when my Swiss 1911 rifle got a bit damp I wiped it down with oil. Older rifles need constant attention, modern stuff has pretty tough coatings on it and can be abused quite a bit. Or is made from plastic, in that case you really don't have to care much.

 

[Mark8252]

I simply remove the firearm from the case right away and place it on the gun rack on the wall. Never had any problem. Of course I live in Colorado...low humidity.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I simply remove the firearm from the case right away and place it on the gun rack on the wall. Never had any problem. Of course I live in Colorado...low humidity

I hunt elk in Eagle County, Colorado -- and I've seen guns brought into the bunkhouse and within minutes have moisture beaded up on them.