hey all, going on my third deployment here pretty soon, and normally would not be placing my guns/cartridges into storage on account of a wife to take care of them but seeing as how this time around shes my ex wife im on my own lol. i will be placing my guns into storage in my cars trunk and then in a non climate controlled indoor storage unit and was wondering if theres anything i should do to protect my AR's and handguns in storage as well as my large stockpile of .223/5.56. thanks in advance for any input.

The ammunition should be fine as is.

I'd get some Cosmoline from Brownell's and hot dip the guns before wrapping them in VCI paper for the ultimate protection. If you live in a dry area, the paper itself should work for a normal deployment. Google VCI paper.

Thank you for your service, being in the military can be hard on families...

These (or something similar) would be a good choice:

Gun Storage Bag No Rust No Corrosion 12X52" ProTecht Long Term Storage One Bag 6 Mil. Thick Flap Closure

Make sure everything is well-padded, store the ammo separately from the gun(s) if possible, and make sure everything is locked up tight for the duration and have a friend check on the storage location while you are away if possible. Stay safe!

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

To give the best advice, we'd need to know what part of the country you're in. Does it get hot & humid? Does the area go through wide changes in seasonal temperature. Here in my part of Illionois, summers are hot and humid; winters are dry and freezing cold.

I would field strip the firearms, give them a good clean and oil with good old Breakfree CLP. Stay away from products that are hygroscopic such as Ballistol. Place the firearms in a protective bag such as:

Vapor Barrier Anti-Corrosion Firearm Storage & Preservation Bags - ZCORR Products

Ammo storage also depends on the climate. I'd put the ammo in an ammo can. The ammo can must have a lid with a rubber gasket to seal out the outside air. I'd then put in some silica desiccant packs in there with the ammo. Lock up the ammo can.

Thank you for your service.

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-John

The bags are the way to go. Heat is the enemy of ammo but nothing you can do about it, still ammo from then 40's is still being shot fine today with no perfect storage. Try not to let anyone see you putting firearms or firearm cases into the unit and don't tell anyone you did even friends, they talk sometimes and don't realize they have. Don't forget to get insurance on the storage unit to cover the contents. Being gone for awhile you never know what could happen, fire, flood, theft. Good luck.

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Psalm 23:4

Good advice on insuring the storage unit. Watching the Ferguson storage unit center burn on TV was an eye opener.

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-John

location is the south, flordia's hot and humid weather to be exact. sounds like i should just strip it and give them a good clean and oil them heavier than normal, and store then ammo in a can.

thanks for the thanks on the service lol

Sorry to hear about the divorce. They are never fun.

This is an awesome read: Results of gun care product evaluation | Mossberg Owners

This is some good stuff: http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleanin...prod26344.aspx

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Freedom isn't free.

First off, thanks for your service and sacrifice.

Aside from what's already been suggested, would it be possible to have your service armorer hook you up by storing your weapons for you locally and store the ammo yourself? Another option for your handguns could be to store them in a safe deposit box and have it serve as double duty for important documents.

Be safe and get home soon.

You don't have any family or friends you trust to hold them?

Don't forget the anti-corrosion bags and the silica desiccant packs for the ammo cans.

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-John

A little while ago I posted about vacuum packing ammo and gun parts. I think it is a good idea if you are leaving them for a long period of time. No oxygen in bag = no rust. Just saying.

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Not so Free in the Free State