What the heck!! I just opened my larger gun safe for the first time in about a week and noticed a funny smell. Then when I started checking the guns, which are all in gun socks, I found that most of them had a very fine filamentous gray mold inside the sock and starting to attach itself to the wood stocks, in particular the checkered ones.

I had a desiccant pack inside the safe. I can clean out the safe interior and dry it completely with a hot air gun if I have to. The guns can be cleaned, dried, and re-oiled. If I launder the gun socks, will that remove the silicone impregnation? Should I get some spray silicone and treat the gun socks again?

Kind of irritated to have this happen. I was being so cautious I thought I would never encounter any kind of problem inside a safe.

All advice willingly received.

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David Wilson

(If I launder the gun socks, will that remove the silicone impregnation?)

Maybe

(Should I get some spray silicone and treat the gun socks again?)

Yes for sure.

Get a golden rod to put in there. Midway has them.

Is the safe in a climate controlled environment?

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Georgia On My Mind

Does the larger safe have a power outlet, I'm thinking bout a dehumidifier for the next one.
Must have been a temp change of some kind. That worries me also, do you check them every day or two?

Jerry

David this is scary. Where do you keep your safe? I think I would get one of those Golden Rods. I have my safe inside and I have no problem "yet". Don

PS Going to check my safe.

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"Don't worry be happy"

Dessicants (silica gel etc.) pull moisture into a safe. Heaters (Goldenrods, bulbs) push moisture out. At least that's how the pros and cons were explained to me. I have a 23 year old Goldenrod working continuously in this swamp. No problems, yet. Joe

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Behavior Creates Destiny

Dessicant packs will saturate with moisture and become ineffective until re-charged. There is a Remington brand that you can plug in occasionally when it indicates re-charging is needed and I had some that I would put in the oven for an hour or so to dry them out. I dont use dessicant packs anymore because unless your safe is completely sealed I believe they can pull moisture in as Pharmer said above. I just replaced my Liberty dry rod after 6 years as it was no longer getting warm. If you have a dry-rod, check it every so often to make sure it is still working. All it has inside is a resistance wire to generate heat.

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Tony

what is acceptable humidity for the insid of the safe?
I heard between 40-50% is this correct?

The environment is climate controlled only to the extent that coastal Southern California is. This is the time of year when we have overcast skies until noon (May Gray and June Gloom) followed by sunny and possibly hot afternoons. There can be big humidity and temperature swings. I trusted the desiccant packs and don't have a dehumidifier, but I will now definitely look into one. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. The Goldenrod solution sounds like a good one.

Now that I know this can be a problem, I'll be in that safe frequently to keep an eye on things. I have some separate lockboxes as well. There seems to be no problem with those, but I'll keep an eye on them.

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David Wilson

Thanks for posting this, David. As usual, I've learned something and will quickly dispose of my dessicant packs. -S2

Here's a little paper by the Curator at the Springfield Armory. It's very interesting reading.

Springfield Armory National Historic Site - Preservation Advice (U.S. National Park Service)

Bob

The advice usually gets ignored, but all I have ever done is drill a small access hole in the back of the safes to fish an extension cord size wire through and install one or two standard "night lights" in strategic places. It helps illuminate the safe interior and keeps any mositure dried out. I get a five pack of replacement bulbs at the local dollar store for, oddly enough, a dollar, and find the bulbs generally burn for months. My safes are in a basement and I never have had a problem with mold, rust, mildew or condensation. "Goldenrods" do the same thing, they just cost more.

I agree totally, I did the same thing with a 40W standard bulb (not CFL's) and added a small hygrometer. The humidity is usually about 35-40%. The other safe contains a Goldenrod.
Steve

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Birds like shiny new toys too.

I have a golden rod (18 yrs old) in my safe and never had a problem. The safe has been in a garage and basement in my previous houses, with not one issue with any of my guns. The rods are great, just plug them in. Joe

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

bk43, thanks for that link. Very interesting reading and from somebody with plenty of experience.

I have used a "golden rod" safe drier for over 15 years and it was enough for my original safe. Suddenly last year I started to get the same mold that you described on one older WWll Luger holster in that safe.
I purchased a room dehumidifier and put it next to the safe and you would not believe the amount of water that it sucks out of the air. I have to empty it every day. Problem solved.
For some reason the basement humidity went up last year. I now have two dehumidifiers in my basement and things are fine.

I'm curious how much heat the Goldenrod or small wattage light bulbs generate in the confines of a safe.

My question has to do w/ ammo storage and heat. I was taught that ammo will last indefinitely if stored in a cool, dry place. Would the Goldenrod or small wattage incandescent bulbs generate enough heat to affect stored ammo?

My safe is a new, modern model w/ what I consider to be excellent expanding "weatherstripping" between the door and the body of the safe.

I can easily check the temperature differences w/ a small thermometer but I want to know how much is too much for ammo.

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... a little behind in my work

That's some bad luck David. Your guns are ruined. I'll head west and get those moldy ol' smelly things outta' the house for you.

No, No... no need to thank me.


I never had good luck with any dehumidifier I didn't have to plug in. The guys have allready stated the "Golden Rod" is a good product.
I even subscribe to the "two is one and one is none" theory and have a rod in the front & back of the safes.


Now just PM me on when would be convenient to pick up the "old collection" so you can get started over.

GF

GF........with friends like you...

I have a rod type dehumidifier in each of my safes, which are in my basement, and I still have trouble with mold, mildew, or some nasty substance. Perhaps I should try two in each one as GF suggested.

Slightly warm .. A bulb would put out more heat..

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

Aloha,

We have His n Hers safes. Both have Golden rods. the biggest they make.

All firearms are in gun socks or similar.

We are less than 200 yards from the Pacific Ocean breezes blowing our way.

So far no problems in either safe.

My safe is Never locked when I am home. Closed maybe, but not locked.
On a cool morning, when I open it, I can feel warm air coming out.
So, the GR must be working.

For those of you still having mold problems, even with a desiccant dehumidifier, I would suggest re-charging it immediately. Most of these (like the Browning model) can be recharged in an oven, but some do have to be replaced. If you're still having problems, your safe may just be in an area that is prone to humidity and the only other suggestion I can make is to combine several golden rod dehumidifiers or combining a golden rod with a desiccant dehumidifier.

If you're having trouble with humidity even with a golden rod, I would check the size of the golden rod. A smaller rod may only work on a smaller safe, so look into a larger rod or possibly running two at the same time.

Browning also sells a "ZeRust" protectant that will coat your guns with an invisible vapor that forms a corrosion and rust resistant barrier.

Contact me for more info.

Good luck!

How do I know it's time for me to go to bed? When I see the title of this thread and think it has something to do with casting a gun safe out of molten metal!

We have the other problem here, stuff drying out too much. I bought a Mauser about three years ago that had been stored in a large barn out on some desert property. The stock felt like old, dried up driftwood. You could feel it sucking the oils from your fingers like a blackboard eraser.

I brought it back to some semblance of normality using proper boiled linseed oil (BLO) rubbed on over several weeks. The first few coats were soaked up so quickly that several times I turned away to replenish the cloth to find that when I looked back, it was hard to see where I had just put BLO on.