What I was wondering, since I am new to this is, what is the best method to store this firearm?
You left out the part that you live in the desert in Utah, where the realtive humidity is 5-8% year round. Whoops. Or did you say you live on the beach in Florida, where the humidity level is in the 90s all the time, and the salt spray off the ocean forms a crust on your front door? Oh, I forgot, is the safe in the unheated garage, and you live in MN where the temp varies 50 degrees each day? The correct answer isn't going to be the same.
Basically, guns are pretty rugged. But you need to protect them against moisture and air that either contains moisture, or will allow condensation to form on them. There are proven methods that protect guns against any kind of corrosion. The problem being its a pain to clean them prior to use.
The guy living in the desert might get by with WD40 and the gun rug. In more extreme climate conditions, extra help might be called for. CLP is a military specification (its marketed as a brand, but its no really because its the military spec.) It comes in different flavors and smells, but if you want a pretty good starting point for a gun rarely fired, try Collectors CLP.
Its a waxy thicker liquid, and you'd probably want to at least wipe it down prior to taking it shooting. Regular CLP works great for the US Military, and most shooters in moderate climates.
I address the moisture issue differently. I bag my cleaned and oiled guns in Ziplock brand baggies. No, its not a paid announcement, but I'd take any pay they want to dish out... I guess there are other equal thickness locking freezer bags. I'd suggest you seek a good sealing kind with a thickness that prevents the front sight from poking a hole. Then I just exhaust all the air I can as I zip it shut. The result is oiled gun, in a bag that prevents any air from reaching it. Mine go into a gun box. You can use a gun rug just as easily. While the cloth material they're made from can hold moisture, the ziplock will protect against that.
I generally don't like gun rugs for storage for a number of reasons. They take up a lot of space. They can hold the above mentioned moisture against a gun. Worse, you can't tell by looking what gun is in the rug. You've got to unzip each one to see. One of my friends in the business actually puts a tag on each gun and on its gun rug. Talk about a mess when you've got several hundred guns on a table and the same number of gun rugs! Matching only takes a few hours for 3 or 4 people... But it does solve the ID problem.
Safes in an area where the temps can go up and down, like a garage, basement, or home with setback thermostats can also present a problem. I'm still not convinced the Golden Rod will keep it warm enough to prevent all condensation. They're advertised to do that. I've tried it all, and without a real problem because of my bagging system. You can also try a dessicant, but they tend to need cooking every so often. Its a good indicator of the moisture problem in your home. If they change color after only a few weeks, you've got to add in more protection. I use my Goldenrod on the front porch, under my outdoor cat's bed. When it gets cold, he won't move off the thing!
