Best short term storage method

[Dstyles75]

So I'm in love with my two stainless Smiths (686 and 617) and I want them to last for decades. I bought the Smith and Wesson blue boxes and Bulldog Pistol Rugs to keep them in. So far I've just been leaving them in the pistol rugs and take them out once or twice a month to shoot them.

I've heard a few people say its bad to keep them in a foam lined pistol rug and I've heard its bad to keep them in a blue box with a foam lining. Something about CLPs will break down the foam lining and the little bits of foam will get into the gun. I've also heard they can "rust" or "oxidize" if stored in those cases.

Am I hurting my babies? Am I being paranoid?

How do you guys store your stainless guns, not long term, but for occasional shooting?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[saemetric]

Either in Bore Stores of just laying on shelf

 

[W.E.G.]

Baloney on the "hurt your babies" thing.

Shoot them.
Clean them with oil and your wife's toothbrush.
Store them in any secure and dry location.

 

[WHS 5906]

Other than storing them in salt water, you can pretty much store them anyway you want. I wipe mine down with WD-40 from time to time. You should remember that the hammer and trigger aren't necessarily stainless as well as the sights. So an occasional wipe down is in order.

 

[DR505]

I put mine in the safe on gun racks. Not too worried about rust in New Mexico, but they get a wipe down as well.

 

[LoadEmUp]

I use Bore Stores or Sack- Ups ( gun socks, gun sacks) for mine. It helps me not ding them up while moving in or out of the safe. They also help protect the non SS parts from rust.

 

[Rangerpat]

+1 Sack-Ups they work great in the high humidity of Florida.

 

[sophie]

You are being a little paranoid about this. Lots of the heresay passed around about foam breakdown is just that. Never had a problem and had my guns in foam lined gun cases since '79 and pistol rugs and never had a problem to this day.

 

[Comrad]

I slip mine into a nice gun sock, both blue and stainless, no problemo.

 

[Dstyles75]

Thanks everyone. That eases my mind. I can continue doing what I have been. Thank You.

Dave

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

They are stainless. Not much to worry about except maybe the hammers. Some foam will break down when exposed for a while to some (most?) grease or oil. Didn't hear it from my cousin's deceased best friend (who wasn't into guns, anyway); I know it because it has happened to me with at least two different cases. I could probably identify one of the foams in person, but if you want to trust a foam, you should probably consult somebody who actually knows a bit about the chemistry of foam and gun lubricants and preservatives. I generally avoid the problem by dropping the gun into a plastic bag before putting it into a case or box. Since most of my guns are blued, I carefully RIG them before bagging them. You probably don't have to be so careful.

 

[turnejm]

Stainless Steel Firearm Storage

You will hear all kinds of suggestions/recommendations about storage (both short/long term) of Stainless Steel firearms. The biggest thing that I have found is storing a firearm with rubber grips installed. Surprised the heck out of me, when I found the serial number in the bottom of the grip frame rusted. This was after a range visit and the subsequent cleaning that I was doing. Although, not fragile, stainless steel will rust! My gun safe has desiccant bags in different locations, and I still had the problem. Short answer is, Take precautions and don't assume that it can't happen!

I store my NIB stainless Smiths in their original boxes. Anything else, in good gun rugs, wrapped in 100% cotton towel material sprayed with Rem-Oil.

 

[civil1977]

Bore Stores are the ticket. That's all I've used for years.

 

[Old Corp]

Use a variety of different storage options, including the foam - lined hard cases.
Just so that the gun is not in direct contact with the foam, I generally use a piece of wax paper between the gun and the foam.

In zip-up rugs, I spray a very liberal dose of silicone on the insides of the rugs.
Never had an issue, even here in sauna-Summers NC.

 

[Wheel Fan]

My 40 year old blued Winchester shotgun has always been stored with it's case unzipped a couple of inches for air circulation. It's probably un-necassary in our dry climate here but it still looks good for a 40 year old gun so it isn't hurting anything. My revolvers blued or stainless have been stored in off the shelf pistol rugs, zipped tight, with no problems. If our guns get shot, cleaned, oiled and are stored with common sense, they'll look better then we will in a few decades.

 

[BigBill]

I'm starting to polish my guns more than oil them up on the outside. Maybe using a gun spray silicone is another way to go too. I don't like using oil on the outside finishes because in time it stays up.

 

[PMRet]

Bore Stores regardless of the finish, they provide padding and silicone protection and allow for air circulation.

 

[rbert0005]

I would not concern myself with the foam lining breaking down.
I would, however, concern myself with putting my guns in any kind of foam or untreated cloth for any kind of storage.

Foam and cloth, or fuzz, for that matter attract moisture.

Not for me, or my guns,
Bob

 

[KLYDE]

Bore Stores regardless of the finish, they provide padding and silicone protection and allow for air circulation.

All of the above. Bore Stores. You will not find anything better.

 

[AveragEd]

Some of my handguns lounge on handgun racks in my safe while others sleep in a door-mounted handgun storage system. Allowing dry air to circulate around, over and through them is better than being locked in an air-tight container.

My experience with shotguns (not my own, fortunately) has taught me that wood-framed "hard" cases with a "fuzzy" lining are serious rust-breeders. Ask anyone who ever used a Browning case made like that for long-term storage.

I saw someone mention WD-40 earlier. While great for things like removing sticker adhesive from surfaces and degreasing and cleaning things, WD-40 is NOT a lubricant. Think about it - how can anything that cleans leave a lubricating film behind? Spray it on something and check back on it a month or so later - you'll find a gummy varnish-like film. No one participating in this thread has mentioned using it as a lubricant yet, but I know a lot of folks do. To them, I suggest checking with a gunsmith.

Ed

 

[Dregg]

I store all my handguns in a large safe. They are propped up in a teflon coated rack. Some are actually "hung" by a teflon coated rod inserted in the barrel.

I would not store a gun in a sock, case, or holster. I've heard horror stories.

 

[lagavulin62]

I keep mine in a save on the shelf. I checked on all of them two weeks ago. some hadn't been touched in 3 years. A little dust in places that I wiped off. I like those padded gun bags you can get at any sporting store. You can wrap the gun in that wax paper that comes with the gun and put it in the bag. They won't even get dust on them. the dust was on the ones laying on the shelf. those btw are the ones I was supposed to be shooting the most. I tend to shoot mostly my CZ75 and Makarov so my revolvers tend to have a lot of down time.

 

[sqhead]

i made as many shelves as my safe will hold,stapled on sale cloth on them and just lay the guns in the shelves,i like to see and be able to grab a gun when i want.I hav'nt ever had a problem.