When you aren't shooting, fondling or otherwise handling your gun; what it is best way to keep them looking good. Is keeping the gun in a holster a bad idea? How about keeping them in gun socks? I keep my M37 in a mini crown royal bag

Keeping it in a holster isn't a good idea because the leather is treated with chemicals that over time can damage the finish.

I keep mine wrapped in a cloth that's been sprayed with CLP. Then, I place it in a pistol rug and zip it up until the time it needs to come out. Works A-OK.

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With S&W, you're holding history in your hand

Back years ago, when I had one handgun, I started using an old, white, cotton sock to protect it.

I've never really seen any reason to change.

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John 3:16 .

I use these in my safe. They are from Midway.

Me too! You can also buy inside the door racks. They work great and saves nicking your handguns up from bringing them in and out of the safe! I lighly cosmoline to the inside of barrels of the guns I shoot very infrequently. Apply Militec-1 to the ones I shoot often. The outside of my weapons gets a coat of wax for long term storage, Militec-1 to my regular shooters. Buy yourself a Golden Rod for the safe to remove all moisture and you'll have no worries from corrosion.

Been doing this for years and only one rusted model 57 in the safe. From salt spray hitting it while boating to our camp site 34 miles away in a skiff up in Kodiak, Alaska. By the time we got our campsite up and our bear detection system set up it was pitch black and went straight to the tent and sleeping bags as it was -10 degrees. Just suffered some light speckling but both I and my all time best friend, Dave A. Glamamn (Ak. State Trooper, RIP) were both bummed the next morning as his 57 also had some rust like mine. Live and learn I guess.

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V/R
Roger / SG

Another Bore Stores user here..........

I store mine just like gscrasher & Sportsterguy.

Jerry

Lots of nice custom drawer rigs posted, very good looking and efficient. I'm a little jealous.

I used those as well, but mine came from BassPro (I needed several, I had a credit coming back to me there, and they were on sale to boot ).

Like many of you I am not a "one brand only guy," but most of my revolvers (stored in my second-largest safe) are S&Ws...




And some of my semi-autos (in the biggest of the safes) are S&Ws as well, but a smaller percentage than with the wheelguns...

silicone socks in my safe

Sack-ups are about the best thing going.

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Aaron Terry

Gotta agree. I have most of my finer pistols and revolvers in Sack-Ups , then inside of butterfly cases. I respray them , heavily, once a year with a good grade of silicone spray. Have some milk-type crates stacked in one safe. 1/2in foam sheets between layers of guns that are only in Sacks. And my safes all have Goldenrods.

I keep mine in boxes if they came with them, loose guns are stored in treated gun socks. I envy you who have such neat and orderly safes. I have a walk-in safe that limits me on the room since I can't add another, and things are starting to get a mite crowded in there. I usually keep the loose guns in the socks stacked in milk crates which do stack very nicely.

I keep mine in their original boxes wrapped in the original rust preventative
paper. Once in a while I will replace the paper if it gets too raggy. The original cardboard boxes don't take up much room and I like the idea of having the box the gun came in. Since they are all labeled it helps me keep things organized and makes a specific gun I am searching for easier to find.

Since all my Smiths are older guns, I do not have any in the big plastic boxes that would take up way too much room.

Chief38

Where can one get this rust preventative paper?

That's a great idea and a lot cheaper than those Pelican Cases
One thing-DO NOT store a gun in a holster or a case as it WILL rust. Gun socks-regular socks or Crown Royal bags are definitely the way to go.

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Forum consigliere

i got the same material from the safe factory and made alot of shelves for

my safe.I keep them clean and waxed up with ren wax and just lay them

in there.The boxes are stacked on a shelf .Seems to work pretty good for

the last few years.I like the easy access to the guns.I figure the safe can hold up to 70 revolver-semi's that way.

I store them in clean cotton socks stacked in the safe.

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S&W Accumulator

All my revolvers and semi autos before putting up have a cleaning patch with oil run through the barrels, then their sprayed with Super QCG and wiped with a clean cotton T-shirt. Then stored in Doskocil foam lined plastic cases or zip up pistol rugs.
All rifles and shotguns are cleaned the same way but stored uncovered and racked.




Ernie

I keep mine stacked in the safe in Bore-Stores.

I have them hanging on hooks in the gun safe. Keeping a gun in a holster is a worst case scenario because the leather has chemicals that attack the finish and in humid areas they attract moisture that cause finish problems.

My Grandfather kept a Colt Police Positive for 15 years in a leather holster and my uncle had to have it refinished because it was a mess.

I love bore stores both for the long and shorts.

don't have a safe yet just my closet. i store my handguns in a small plano hard cases, a little bit of clp, & those silicone treated gun socks with the midway logo. seems to be working well. no rust.

Here is what I did.




I got the idea from a post similar to this, made some measurements and this is what happend. The vertical parts of the rack fold down when the pistols are removed and I'm alble to keep my snubbies there. I also would like to point out that I am aware there is a rubber duckie in the picture.

After cleaning, all my handguns snooze comfortably in their Bore-Store snuggies in my warm and cozy heated safe.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

Bore Stores

I store guns in their boxes if they have one or in padded gun rugs. In either case they get wiped down with a silicone treated cloth after handling before they get put away.

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"Shall not be infringed"

I like the storage racks because you have easy access. They fit in the safe, two per shelf. They're perfect for revolvers.

Most replies are correct and good methods listed, Ensure before long term storage, and shooting that your Smith is properly cleaned and lightly oiled. I like the idea of placing them in white clean cotton wraps and storeing in their boxes if they exist. Periodically checking for problems that may occur in the future and anytime you handle them, wipe down completly before storeing again. Never had a problem in 35 years. Never store in a holster for reasons already listed.

EEZOX is everyone's friend.

I use this


[source nra.com]

and this


[source stack-on.com]

So far no issues

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Jorge

Same here, I take the end off one, and can fit two side by side in a document safe purchased from Office Max (not the fireproof kind, which can present humidity problems) which takes care of six, plus there is a shelf above. I have two of these, when they fill up it is time to get rid of something. Silicone cloth wipedown after handling, and a golden rod inside the safe. The neoprene/foam is non-reactive, no contact spots, whereas laying a revolver on its side on bare wood can result in a contact spot on the cylinder (don't ask me how I know this). Storing in a leather holster or a cloth case is the worst, just a big moisture magnet.

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Ed

That's what I use too.

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Andy

I store mine right beside the bed on top of the latest issue of National Rifleman. It never gets a chance to get any dust on it because I polish it at least once a day. After seeing some of the pics for holders I guess I will have to go out to the workshop and see what I can dream up. I love these make work projects.....cheers

In Bore Store gun socks, they protect the guns from impact damage and let me stack them up in the safe.

I give mine a good cleaning, a wipe down with RIG, then into soft side cases, then hung in the safe

Pelican cases work very well, they keep them both protected and organized by type weapon. They also stack very well in the safes.

Pretty nice way to store them

I do a lot of gun rugs and quite a few Crown Royal bags also
Hank

This all looks good. Old Corp - I like the crown royal bags and hope to pick up some on New Years Eve! I haven't tried it yet but a lot of gun shows show their guns displayed vertically supported by wooden dowels. The barrel of the gun goes over the dowel. This could be a worthwhile option.
I'm also thinking about using some rare earth magnets attached to the side of my cabinet. The ones that have a hole in the middle and can be attached with screws. I'll use this to hang my flat pistols like Glocks and CZ's. But someone asked me if the magnetic field would magnetize the gun I don't know..........about that.. any takers?

Logictox, those cases look like a good way to organize and protect your revolvers from damage, but I caution you on the potential for corrosion. The foam cushioning in those types of containers tend to attract and retain moisture/humidity, and can do some nasty things to your nice guns.

I notice that the open case that you show has all stainless guns, so it may not be as big of a deal with SS guns, but I thought I'd thow this out there. One time, during a move, I had a couple of hunting rifles stored in a similar case, and after a few months, I has some light surface rust. I was glad I caught it early!

I store most of my guns in Bore Store sleeves, in my safes, in a locked closet, in a locked room, with Golden Rods in the safe. I even use the Bore Stores for my rifles, as this eliminates the "safe dings" that are bound to happen when you have long guns next to each other in a safe.

The guns that I don't shoot get Ren waxed, or wiped with Rigs grease. The guns that I shoot often are wiped with an oily rag. I have some handguns stacked, some in their original boxes, and some in a rack. This is all based on shooters vs non-shooter/collectors, and how that works organizationally.

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NRA Life Member

My thoughts exactly. I use those cases for transportation but would never use them for long-term storage. The potential for the foam retaining moisture is moderately high and I have read of damage to bluing from being in contact with that kind of foam. As many others have recommended, I use EEZOX and Bore-Stores for long-term storage.

Clean "holy" cotton socks mostly. Some in the door panel holder (all loaded and ready to go) and the lucky guns in Borestores. The ones I am actually shooting are just thrown in nekkid on top of the socks.

All of mine get a wipe with lambs wool and a shot of G96 on it. Then they go into Boyt canvas cases with the cushioned lined interiors. They stay nice too.

Thare are a lot of nice options here too.

I made a rack in my safe using 3/16 steel rod and heat shrink tubing and slide my pistols over the rods stickong out from the underneath the shelf

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I put mine in one of those specially treated plastic bags; seal it with some rubber bands; then I put that inside a silicone sock and tie it shut. Then it goes into my safe which has several desiccant mechanisms. I put a small label on each one to facilitate identification!

What size Pelican case is that? I never thought to store them that way-makes a lot o sense

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Forum consigliere

Those in the photo are the Pelican 1500 case. I found a couple places on the net that have them at decent prices but Fry's just right down the road from me sells them for $99 each and they keep the yellow and black. I also use them to transport to the range and have a separate one for ammo.

Max

Most of mine are stored in their boxes if they have one. Others are in their presentation boxes, gun rugs, or on the safe door in a Liberty safe accessory. The long guns are, of course, stored the usual way.

How do those safe door hangers attach?

PSSMAN .....that is one sick collection...congrats!!!!

I store my revolvers in a Champion Medalist 22 safe.



I use Bore Stores on a couple of antiques. The rest are Versatile Racks, which hold 10, 8 or 6 weapons of various sizes, unwrapped. Several of the non-shooters or Safe Queens have been coated with Renaissance Micro-crystalline Wax Polish.

I have a Remington Mini-dehumidifier Model 365 and an Acurite Humidity Monitor installed. The modern stuff that gets carried or a range trip or two gets cleaned with Rem Oil, CLP, or Ballistol. About every 6 months they all get hauled out and wiped down.

I also keep my cameras, and all historical and financial information related to my collection In the safe.

For many years I used to keep various revolvers stored in socks. But as the collection continued to grow I had to look at other options.

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Semper Paratus