Is there anything special a person should do when storing a SS revolver for an extended period of time.

I'm thinking wipe it down real well and put some sort of moisture absorber in the box. What about some sort of chemical to prevent tarnish.

I have several guns stored for decades without a problem. I cleaned them thoroughly, gave them a good coating of silicone, put them in Bore Stores and placed them in a dry environment. I assume SS wouldn't be any different. As with any metal object, the most important thing is keeping the parts protected and away from humidity.

If you are really serious about long-term storage, coat the entire gun with grease (Hoppes grease is good) inside and outside. You can use tobacco-pipe cleaners to help do the inside. Smear grease on the pipe cleaners and run them through. Later, you can remove the grease with Hoppes #9 solvent.

For shorter-term storage, you can use heavy oil (automobile oil, e.g., 30W).

Using moisture absorbers is also a good idea. But SS won't rust easily, so you don't really need to go to extremes.



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I've had good results with RIG Grease.

We go overboard on this. A stainless steel revolver will easily go 10 or so years without any extra effort. Yes, clean it. You can attempt to oil it, but the oil will just bead up and roll off. If you want to feel better about it, I'd suggest maybe waxing the metal parts. The old military overkill was done to carbon steel and excessive quantities of cosmoline.

I've got blue steel guns that are about 80 years old. Still look better than most recent production. And I consider them to be in permanent storage. But all I've done to them is slather CLP Collectors on them and then bagged them in ZipLock bags. That last is to protect their box as much as to keep air off them. In the current thread, we're dealing with much more durable products. In a normal storage environment, the steel won't be exposed to most airborne contaminants, or moisture over normal indoor levels.

So on a practical basis, a clean SS revolver with oil or wax and a plastic bag should make the gun last at least as long as the bag plus a decade.

So next we need to define "long term". If its too long, as in multiple decades, maybe the grips need to be removed and stored with the gun in a separate bag/baggie. Use a major brand, not a discount house cheapie. You can tell by the thickness. Just remember, we may not be alive 20 or 30 years from now. That should temper your desire for them to survive in perfect condition.

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Dick Burg

Excellent post, thanks.

I've decided to retire my 686, I bought it new in 1986. It's in nearly pristine condition having perhaps 24 shots fired through it. I'm almost certain I won't be alive in 20-30 years, I'm 71. I want to pass the gun to one of my grandsons passing through my son-in-law before it gets there.

I think well made firearms in good condition with a history should be family heirlooms