New guy...new gun...

[Rastoff]

Obviously it's best to keep it in some kind of locked storage. Failing that, keep it where the air can circulate.

The biggest problem with the case is that the open cell foam keeps any moisture against the gun. This accelerates the corrosion process. So, keeping it in a drawer is better.

It would probably be OK in the case as long as it's not long term storage. Go shooting twice a month and you should be OK.

 

[TahoeDust]

Are there other lockable cases with a material inside that is better for storage than the factory case? Maybe something with a different type of foam that is moisture resistant and can be customized for my pistol and accessories?

 

[Justin69]

I recently purchased silica gel packs at my lgs. They absorb moisture in safes & other small area's.

 

[Rastoff]

Do you have a budget limit for this case?

 

[TahoeDust]

Do you have a budget limit for this case?

Not necessarily. I would be a lot more inclined to buy it immediately if it could be had in the <$75 area. I have no idea if that is realistic though. If it is too pricey I would probably still eventually buy one, but it would just have to wait a bit. Most of my disposable income is going to ammo for now.

 

[Rastoff]

These are Ok: Amazon.com: Gunvault GV1000S Mini Vault Standard Gun Safe: Home Improvement@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51U4R1cA39L.@@AMEPARAM@@51U4R1cA39L

Certainly better than just the plastic box. There are better ones, but the price gets over $100 pretty quick.

 

[TahoeDust]

These are Ok: Amazon.com: Gunvault GV1000S Mini Vault Standard Gun Safe: Home Improvement

Certainly better than just the plastic box. There are better ones, but the price gets over $100 pretty quick.

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I was looking for something to replace the factory case that is portable like it is that I could store the gun in and also take to the range/travel with. I was not looking for a "gun safe".

Possible something with a type of foam that is more moisture resistant.

 

[TahoeDust]

I recently purchased silica gel packs at my lgs. They absorb moisture in safes & other small area's.

I think this may be a good solution. I could keep silica gel packs in the factory bag and just change them regularly to make sure the moisture stays low.

 

[Justin69]

I picked up a box of them for $8 They are made by "stack on". This company is known for there gun safes. They are reusable too. Directions say you can pop them in the oven & dry them out. They even have an indicator telling you when they need replaced (have too much moisture).

 

[Rastoff]

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I was looking for something to replace the factory case that is portable like it is that I could store the gun in and also take to the range/travel with. I was not looking for a "gun safe".

Possible something with a type of foam that is more moisture resistant.

Back and forth to the range is not an issue with the original case. Even leaving your gun in there for a week is not an issue, as long as you clean it before it goes in there.

It's leaving it in that case for a month or more that it becomes an issue.

Any case can be a problem because the cloth touching the gun can be bad. If you keep it in a gun sock that is treated with silicone or something like that, it might be better.

Still, the issue is long term storage not short term.

 

[TahoeDust]

That makes sense rastoff. For the foreseeable future I do not see the gun going more than a few weeks without being shot and cleaned. I will worry about a better storage solution when/if I start shooting it less.

Thanks

 

[TahoeDust]

I just got home from putting 200+ rounds through her. Gun ran great. No FTF or FTE. I shot Freedom 147gr, Blazer 115gr (steel case), and a few Federal +P HST 124gr. The Freedom shot great. The Blazer ejected at about 5:30...caught a few off the brim of my hat. It was also a little smokier than the Freedom. The Federal HST will be my SD round so I just wanted to make sure it fed/ejected reliably and it shot great.

I had been doing some dry fire drills working on trigger control and it seems to have really helped. I have been practicing dry firing with a casing balanced on the top of the slide right behind the front site to get. I think it definitely helped. Groups were definitely tighter than last time.

 

[FAS1]

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I was looking for something to replace the factory case that is portable like it is that I could store the gun in and also take to the range/travel with. I was not looking for a "gun safe".

Possible something with a type of foam that is more moisture resistant.

Is this gun used for home defense? In my opinion it's always a good idea to secure your gun when you are away. I would spend some money on a good quality handgun safe for now if it's the gun you have to secure. Maybe something that will also work well for quick access.

Congrats on the new gun!

 

[Rastoff]

I had been doing some dry fire drills working on trigger control and it seems to have really helped. I have been practicing dry firing with a casing balanced on the top of the slide right behind the front site to get. I think it definitely helped. Groups were definitely tighter than last time.

No thought needed; it definitely helped.

Dry practice is the most over looked tool to improve shooting. The case on the muzzle is a great idea. What kind of a casing are you using? If it's a 9mm I would recommend trying something different to increase the difficulty level. Try a rifle case like a .223. This will add a little more challenge and your shooting will improve even more.

Also, consider a cheap laser. Normally I wouldn't recommend a laser, but for training it can be helpful. Don't use it for aiming. Use it for the same reason you use the casing. Point the laser at the wall. Try to hold the laser dot so it won't move. It's impossible, but, as you work on it, the movement will become less and less.

Again, take the laser off when not doing dry practice. Using it for dry practice will help though and you won't have to pick up a dropped casing. You can get a laser on ebay for less than $25 that mount to your rail. Because you're not using it for aiming, only for stability training, the cheap laser will work fine.

 

[Bkreutz]

or even cheaper, buy one of those $4 Kmart laser pointers and rubber band it to the pistol. That way you won't be tempted to leave it on for real firing. (well, you could use it 1 time I guess)

 

[Rastoff]

or even cheaper, buy one of those $4 Kmart laser pointers and rubber band it to the pistol. That way you won't be tempted to leave it on for real firing. (well, you could use it 1 time I guess)

It could interfere with racking the slide, but it's a good idea.

 

[TahoeDust]

No thought needed; it definitely helped.

Dry practice is the most over looked tool to improve shooting. The case on the muzzle is a great idea. What kind of a casing are you using? If it's a 9mm I would recommend trying something different to increase the difficulty level. Try a rifle case like a .223. This will add a little more challenge and your shooting will improve even more.

Also, consider a cheap laser. Normally I wouldn't recommend a laser, but for training it can be helpful. Don't use it for aiming. Use it for the same reason you use the casing. Point the laser at the wall. Try to hold the laser dot so it won't move. It's impossible, but, as you work on it, the movement will become less and less.

Again, take the laser off when not doing dry practice. Using it for dry practice will help though and you won't have to pick up a dropped casing. You can get a laser on ebay for less than $25 that mount to your rail. Because you're not using it for aiming, only for stability training, the cheap laser will work fine.

The laser is a good idea. I may have to give it a try. I actually worked with a 9mm casing, a .223 casing, and for a real treat a .270win casing. That was test.

 

[Rastoff]

The laser is a good idea. I may have to give it a try. I actually worked with a 9mm casing, a .223 casing, and for a real treat a .270win casing. That was test.

See, you don't need our help. You're obviously figuring things out for yourself.

I do have one beef with the casing idea; it blocks the front sight. For every dry press, include all the fundamentals; grip, stance, sight alignment, sight picture, trigger control, breathing and follow through. By practicing them all, all the time, they become natural and eventually automatic.

With the casing you lose the ability to practice sight alignment and sight picture. Not the end of the world, just not perfect.

Of course the laser isn't perfect either. It tends to move your sight off your front sight and on the target. That's bad. Everything's a compromise.

 

[TahoeDust]

I cracked and just ordered the Apex DCAEK.