Possibly going to Korea, what do I do with my guns?

[feralmerril]

I cant offer more than said, However, do you have any friends in desert country where you could leave them in a safe? I have some guns (safe queens) that I seldom have messed with stored for close to 40 years and havent hardly touched that are totaly rust free. I only lightly oiled them and dont worry about it. I never had one show a speck of rust, however I have always lived on the dessert or arid country in that time. I sure wouldnt want to put cosmoline on them!

 

[Crazy K38]

well you can leave em with me I do't mind! but for real, I say leave them with someone you can REALLY trust and have a contract or something

 

[ecam8000]

If you need storage, I'd be honored to help. I moved 260 in one trip from CA to CO a couple years ago. See pictures in the Lounge about page 25 under displays. They would get their own safe and I have lots of long gun socks.

 

[S/W - Lifer]

G-96 Gun Treatment - about 9 bucks for a 12 oz. can - will cure your protection concerns while in storage. My guns were in storage for 5 years and returned in damp boxes. Looked like a fire sprinkler had gone off or perhaps an overhead pipe broke. It was pretty clear just about everything had been soaked to the point that cardboard storage boxes were falling apart. Found not a speck of rust although a leather sling had mildewed or molded beyond use. Been using G96 for more years than I care to admit and have never been disappointed in the product.

The USG may store your firearms for you, although there may be a limit to the number. When you live the dream there are always drawbacks. Usually it's in the details.

 

[imjin138]

I spent a year there and only saw one guy with a POW. He had to keep it in the arms room until he left, but that was the Army and at Camp Hovey. I am not sure about the Navy and I am not sure about dependents. We weren't allowed any in country. I did like my time over there, however it does get very cold in the winter. If you get to Inchon they had a nice rod and rell factory over there that I toured.

The DMZ was a nice place to visit, but I only saw from the ground.

 

[Shooter10]

I have learned there is more than likely some local to you bank with large lockers in one of their vaults. I rented one that was two foot wide, three feet deep, and six feet tall with one shelf about 16 inches from top. It was built of sheet metal, had the two locks common to most lock boxes, and capable of holding as many or more firearms as you own, with boxes of ammo piled up on the floor, and long guns stacked up over it. I needed to invert close to 50% of the long guns, and none were in cases or bags. Well cleaned, left coated with CLP Breakfree, and 22 years later, all were in great condition. Only thing the CLP had congealed and I had ot replace the plunger tubes on the 1911s, with other difficult to clean small area, but no rust. Cost at that time was a flat $200 per year, which was well worth it. Check around, especially in older banks.

 

[S-W4EVER]

I spent a year in Korea in the early 90's at Camp Humphreys. If you want to acclimate, pull the lid off your septic tank and set by it.Dave

I was assigned to Camp Humphreys in the mid-1970s... evidently things didn't change much in fifteen years.

As far as weaponry, even the KNP's (Korean National Police) didn't carry guns (with the exception of 'Narco Kim' and 'Narco Yi', but that's another story). I had the feeling that they had some pretty strict gun control.

 

[Smitty500Mag]

How many guns are we talking about? Eh, more than 50, less than a 100. A "few" by my standards, a lot by anyone's normal standards.

Gator this married life is working out pretty darn good for you it would appear. I can remember just a couple or three short years ago you had sold off just about every gun you owned before you left beautiful downtown Lancing headed out into the world seeking your fortune er, I mean, fiancée'.
Isn't the Internet wonderful.

Smitty

 

[armybass]

Hey bro, I am right down the street and I am not going anywhere if you want to store them here.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Save the effort of going across the Pacific, and experience Korea on Telephone Road in Houston. Ma Gator still has a pile of your guns, load up the U-haul and have her hang onto the rest until you return. Say hello to the U.S. journalists for me if you make it to the North Korean Gulag. Ouch!

 

[Polar Boy]

in 1962 it was not a great or interesting tour.

Neither was 1969. Especially that little expedition north of the DMZ after the North shot down our EC-121.

 

[rayb]

If still possible, I would take one good shooter grade .45 or 9mm pistol, and something that shoots .223 or .308, and store the rest stateside. Should you decide or need to leave hastily, you'd most likely lose most everything you have there anyway.

I've stored while overseas, a little over 3 years at a time, with no problems. Good CLP coating, lots of the anti-rust paper from Brownells, and plenty dessicant. Store in a location west of the Mississippi and away from the coast.

Since you are in dependant status, you might be forcibly evacuated and your sponsor remain there. Then what? Don't take anything you don't need and can't afford to lose. Of course nothing at all may happen. However the NK regime isn't exactly a model of sanity.

Purchases of new firearms were still possible the last time I was there. A few Rod & Gun clubs were still operating in the late 1980's, don't know about now. Not many Koreans owned firearms when I was there. Doubt that has changed much. The politicians were always worried about asassinations (sp?), with good reason.

Good Luck. Your tour will be as good or as miserable as you make it.

rayb

 

[Duke426]

Having been in the Army with access to the company arms room, there is NO WAY I would ever store any of my own weapons in there.

The best advice is to have a good safe(s) and store the firearms in the home of a trusted family member or friend. Have a dehumidifier and check on them every time you come home on leave.

 

[Muley Gil]

While I was in Kosovo and Afghanistan, I stored a number of guns with a friend. I bought a safe and a Golden Rod. The safe went into his garage, covered with a quilt. The guns were well oiled. Three years plus, no rust.

My more valuable handguns went into the largest safe deposit box my bank had available. I had a large salesman's case and a backpack that I took to the bank while on leave to pick up "toys". I'm sure the tellers and customer service reps knew what I was storing, but here in the country, most everyone has guns and it is no big deal.

 

[Doc Nonverbal]

I wish you the very best of luck in Korea. With North Korea's nutcase dictator threatening nuclear war, South Korea would be at the very bottom of my wish list of places to have to work.

A good friend, a good safe, and a good amount of protection (oil, silicone gun socks, etc.) would be my recommendation for storing your shootin' irons.

Thank you very much for your service to our country. Good luck and Godspeed!

 

[GatorFarmer]

Thanks for the help and kind words. It looks like Korea is actually going to be ruled out on the basis of an apparent lack of facilities for speech therapy for the oldest boy. (I think he's fine, I didn't talk until I was older, but the doctors these days want him to have speech therapy to speed the process.)

Thus my wife is putting for orders for Camp Pendleton. Where facilities for such are presumably to be had, but where I'll have a different set of problems dealing with California gun laws (meaning store the ARs and hi caps or trade/sell them for lovely 1911s and older revolvers). On the plus side, I'll get to eat In and Out Burger and Spanish is easier to learn than Korean.

California, unless they changed the law since I looked into it, is also the only state that allows one to get an online law degree in their spare time.

 

[slowburninsteve]

Just don't go!!!!!

The best answer is , don't go anywhere! I would miss you severely!!!!!!!

Steve