Two year storage in gun safe

[WhiteKnight]

I am leaving to live abroad for two years, and need ideas on how to best store my firearms. I have a mix of synthetic and wood firearms and all have blued finishes. I already have dessicant packs in the safe, and a family member has agreed to refresh them every month. What oils should I coat the firearms with? Also, the safe is located in a garage with temperatures that vary based on the season (it can be below freezing in the garage in the winter, and in the 80s or 90s in the summer).

What should I do?

 

[CoRoMo]

 

[BADUNAME37]

I've seen what condensation does to steel, in an unheated area, it is devastating. Is there any way possible to have your safe in a heated area?
It may be the difference between no rust and everything rusted in two years.

 

[lions]

Would that family member be willing to wipe down your guns every couple of months or so? Maybe they could also run a heater in the winter and a dehumidifier in the summer. Offer to take them out for a nice dinner when you get back in return for their help.

 

[trickyasafox]

a goldenrod is a good investment. once we put one in our safe, I recharge the dessicant less and have better luck with rust prevention. They come in different sizes, but I believe they have a sizing chart to tell you what option is best for your safe.

They do require an outlet and power.

another option would be to rent out space at a gun shop. I know a few dealers who will hold guns for a monthly fee for people who travel or are holding a collection for a family member who died while the family arranges sale.

 

[rr2241tx]

http://www.mil-specproducts.com/productPage.aspx?prodID=569
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=26344/Product/RUST_VETO

Take them apart and dunk the metal then wrap in non-acid tissue paper. Don't dunk the scopes, I'm pretty sure that will void the warranty.

Get the safe out of the garage before someone else does it for you and put a Golden Rod in it instead of those dessicant packs that nobody will change for the whole 2 years. You can probably get someone you trust, like a brother or your folks, to let you put the locked safe in a closet at their house while you are gone.

If you write the combination on the wall behind the dryer in pencil, then you won't have to pay a locksmith to open your safe when you get home. No, don't ask how I know that.

 

[Ruger Redhawk]

I've always used RIG and a sheep skin wipe. I've stored guns for several years. I wipe them down and put them in a good plastic bag. Something along the line of a gallon size Glad Freezer bag. I squeeze the air out and wrap it around. Then I'll put it an second bag. I've had some put away in a safe with a Golden Rod for well over 10 years and have never had a rust issue. Now that's what has worked for me. They were in a safe down in Florida with high humidity.Hot in summer and sometimes pretty cold in winter.Like I said never a rust problem. I learned this with the plastic bags from some friends way back that were avid gun collectors. Ruger ships guns in plastic bags or at least they did. I know the rifles still do.Years ago I was given some unused bread bag that came from a local baker. The were long and worked great for long barreled handguns.

 

[brboyer]

VPCI - Vapor Phase Corrosion Inhibitor
http://www.rustbloc.com/index.shtml

 

[4thPointOfContact]

Definitely coat them with SOMETHING. I went to Europe for three years and my collection was in an un-conditioned shed (in a job-box) after being cleaned and wiped down with Eezox. When I came back all were in pristine shape, even the ones that were 'in the white' because they were in the middle of projects.

 

[Texas Gun Person]

Honestly... two years isn't that long of a time. I have had guns in my attic for years and years and years and years. Find them up there one day, and they'll be fine.


Every now and then I'll find a long gun that I just put up there when I moved into my house.

 

[GunsAmerica Fan]

You need to get a goldenrod from midway. This is one of those threads I wish I could shut everyone else off. You don't need to buy anything else. A goldenrod plugs in and is a little heater that keeps all the humidity out of your safe. I have left guns in for years with no oil and have had no rust.

 

[brboyer]

You need to get a goldenrod from midway. This is one of those threads I wish I could shut everyone else off. You don't need to buy anything else. A goldenrod plugs in and is a little heater that keeps all the humidity out of your safe. I have left guns in for years with no oil and have had no rust.

Thankfully your can't because you are wrong.

All the goldenrod does is heat the interior of the safe a few degrees above ambient.

 

[orionengnr]

Thankfully your (sic) can't because you are wrong.
All the goldenrod does is heat the interior of the safe a few degrees above ambient.

...which lowers the humidity in the safe significantly...exactly as it was designed to do. The science is fairly simple, and it works. Do your homework.

The decreased humidity will reduce rusting/corrosion to zero, if you wipe your fingerprints off the gun before putting it in the safe.

If you use Eezox, you may not even need a GoldenRod...however, I use both. I live in the Dallas area and it is quite humid here year round. I have no problems with any of my guns...those that are carried daily, those that are shot weekly, those that are parked in the safe and wiped down (maybe) once per year.