Gary O
Member
Looks like I may need to store a rimfire rifle for 7 or 8 years. What is the best method to use? Thanks...
Long Term Storage?
- Thread starter Gary O
- Start date
- Status
tyeo098
Member
Cosmoline
witchhunter
Member
Gary, we don't have much of a rust problem here in Ca. I have stored mine in a safe for over 20 years with no problems. I clean them, then wipe with a light coat of oil for preservation, done. Leave oil in the bore too.
oneounceload
member
Cosmoline is king; after that, something like a Johnson's paste wax that will leave a coating that will not migrate over time.......................
MI2600
Member
I coat everything with RIG and use the silicone-treated gun socks. For handguns I do as above and place them in Zerust bags.
bannockburn
Member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
- Messages
- 26,309
I do pretty much the same thing MI2600 does and have never had even a hint of rust in long term storage.
Starter52
Member
^^^^^ Agree. Clean it, treat it with a good product, and store it in a Bore Store.
BSA1
member
It would help to know what part of the country you are storing the gun and in what structure (i.e. heated/AC house, storage unit, underground).
In general though cosmoline is a excellent time proven method.
In general though cosmoline is a excellent time proven method.
Last edited:
If it were me.......I would pull the stock, give it a good coat of paste wax, being sure to cover the Inletting and under the butt pad, and then store the stock in a silicone sock.
I would then clean the barreled action....and coat it with a heavy grease (like cosmolene).......and store it in a wax paper( or a vacuum seal bag).....
Then tie the stock to the action so they do t get seperated.
I would then clean the barreled action....and coat it with a heavy grease (like cosmolene).......and store it in a wax paper( or a vacuum seal bag).....
Then tie the stock to the action so they do t get seperated.
AABEN
Member
Rig is also very good to use. You might get a good P pipe and seal it with end caps. GOOD LUCK
Last edited:
Sunray
Member
Cosmoline is just thick petroleum jelly just like Vaseline. It's grease. So is RIG.
Apply any grease liberally to the metal and wax the wood. Assuming it is wood.
As mentioned, where you are in CA will make some difference. Lassen County is away from that big wet spot to the west, but near said wet spot things will be different.
Apply any grease liberally to the metal and wax the wood. Assuming it is wood.
As mentioned, where you are in CA will make some difference. Lassen County is away from that big wet spot to the west, but near said wet spot things will be different.
Cosmoline is great, but it can be a huge pain to remove. It is easier to remove when the firearm is stored in a (non-reactive) wrapping that is air tight. However, if the storage is not going to see super bad conditions and the metal you want to protect is not a steel that is unusually rust-prone, IMO it is overkill because many of the dry protectants are more than capable of protecting metal over years of storage. For example, quite a few people have used this product for years of storage, some in humid conditions.
If the gun has a really nice wooden stock, I would personally also use a good wood protectant. If the wood stock has open pores, I would give it extra special attention. If the gun has any leather parts, I would personally treat them with a leather protectant. This leads to another advantage with dry protectants...if the protectant has dried and bonded with the metal, it will not migrate over extended storage, potentially damaging wood, leather, or some of the more vulnerable composite materials.
If the gun has a really nice wooden stock, I would personally also use a good wood protectant. If the wood stock has open pores, I would give it extra special attention. If the gun has any leather parts, I would personally treat them with a leather protectant. This leads to another advantage with dry protectants...if the protectant has dried and bonded with the metal, it will not migrate over extended storage, potentially damaging wood, leather, or some of the more vulnerable composite materials.
I have always used corrosion x heavy duty on all my firearms that required long term storage while in the military. Spray all metal parts to include running a patch soaked in the stuff through the barrel. I than place item inside a sock.
ColtPythonElite
Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2011
- Messages
- 10,477
Is it gonna be stored and never checked again for 7 or 8 years?
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
R.I.G.
It goes the distance!
rc
It goes the distance!
rc
KB0VSO
Member
My guess is with good behavior you will be out in 7years.
Mman
Member
Airtight pelican case and vci (vapor corrosion inhibitor) packs.
GBExpat
Member
I would clean it well and then seal it in a VCI poly bag.
ApacheCoTodd
member
Steer clear of RIG if it's gonna be terribly hot.
I've had it bake hard after the elements separate. Tough to clean and can ABSOLUTELY impair function.
What it will take to fail - in my experience - is:
considerable heat
opportunity and space for the RIG to separate and flow
lack of sealing
Don't get me wrong - I like RIG more than most but found the above to be true twice now... won't be a third time.
One other thing to attend to is storing them vertically if possible against potential primer mixture flowing in hot conditions over time. Not always the case but why tempt fate. I'm sure I'm not the only one to have to radially re-postion a .22 round to get it to fire after long shelf storage.
Todd.
I've had it bake hard after the elements separate. Tough to clean and can ABSOLUTELY impair function.
What it will take to fail - in my experience - is:
considerable heat
opportunity and space for the RIG to separate and flow
lack of sealing
Don't get me wrong - I like RIG more than most but found the above to be true twice now... won't be a third time.
One other thing to attend to is storing them vertically if possible against potential primer mixture flowing in hot conditions over time. Not always the case but why tempt fate. I'm sure I'm not the only one to have to radially re-postion a .22 round to get it to fire after long shelf storage.
Todd.
JTHunter
Member
Gary O - what you haven't said, nor anybody ask, is WHERE you plan to store this rifle.
Will it be in a house with active A/C and furnace or in an unheated garage/storage shed?
Or, are you looking to bury the gun for a SHTF scenario?
If inside a house, a good cleaning with a good application of gun oil on the metal parts and some kind of protectant for the wood (nothing for "plastic" parts) and a "breathable" gunsock should be sufficient, esp. if you check it at 18-24 month intervals. If indoors, I do NOT advise putting it in an airtight container unless you add "dri-paks" to absorb moisture.
If outside or in a burial vault, grease it liberally, wrap it in a gunsock, then a plastic bag (bubblewrap is a good idea), then seal it in for the duration.
The worst thing you can do outside is to let the gun be exposed to warmer, moist air when it is cold. It will "dew up" like a glass of iced tea in the summer. AVOID MOISTURE at ALL cost!
When you bring the gun into the house, Leave it in the airtight container for at least 4-8 hours so it can adjust to the new humidity. Then open it.
Good luck with your storage problem.
Will it be in a house with active A/C and furnace or in an unheated garage/storage shed?
Or, are you looking to bury the gun for a SHTF scenario?
If inside a house, a good cleaning with a good application of gun oil on the metal parts and some kind of protectant for the wood (nothing for "plastic" parts) and a "breathable" gunsock should be sufficient, esp. if you check it at 18-24 month intervals. If indoors, I do NOT advise putting it in an airtight container unless you add "dri-paks" to absorb moisture.
If outside or in a burial vault, grease it liberally, wrap it in a gunsock, then a plastic bag (bubblewrap is a good idea), then seal it in for the duration.
The worst thing you can do outside is to let the gun be exposed to warmer, moist air when it is cold. It will "dew up" like a glass of iced tea in the summer. AVOID MOISTURE at ALL cost!
When you bring the gun into the house, Leave it in the airtight container for at least 4-8 hours so it can adjust to the new humidity. Then open it.
Good luck with your storage problem.
BSA1
member
Asked same question in Post #8.
O.P. has never answered.
USAF_Vet
Member
I picked up a tube of Royal Purple grease. I'm going to try it out and see how it fares.
JTHunter
Member
Sorry BSA1. I should have read more slowly.
Gary O may not be able to post right now. If his location is accurate, it's a suburb northeast of Sacremento and may be too near one of the fires.
Gary O may not be able to post right now. If his location is accurate, it's a suburb northeast of Sacremento and may be too near one of the fires.
- Status
