Storing Guns in Foam Padded Cases

[Roofuss]

Those of us that live in Arizona don’t seem to fully understand what this is all about!

LOL !
Yep, lived in Arizona for 35 + years and I just stored my guns in my Fort Knox safe, never had any issues when dealing with very low humidity levels. We moved to Montana several years ago..and now its a somewhat different story. My safe has a couple electric warming rods, and 2 de-humidifiers and had no issues .

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Last year I purchased a new in case Colt Python Hunter...1980-'81 vintage. The foam in the Zero-Halliburton case had disintegrated over time...it had a reputation for that. There was bits of foam all through the revolver...the brass Colt/Leupold disc on the scope had turned green as had the brass on the cleaning brush handle.

It took time to clean everything up to like new again...no worse for the wear but it shouldn't have been allowed to happen. I added new reproduction foam to the case and all is as it should be. I do not store the revolver in the foam...it's kept in a safe.

Foam cases are to transport a firearm in safely...not a long-term storage option.

 

[Onomea]

Thanks for posting the pic of your refurbishment, Snidely. That's pretty much what I am intending to do. I'm also considering flocking, which doesn't look that hard, but am unsure as to how well it works on foam. (I'm thinking foam may flex to much for the flocking to remain adhered properly...)

Edited to add: I looked up Zero Halliburton cases. Very nice indeed!

Anybody else have examples of presentation cases to show us?

 

[Ματθιας]

I have a stripped lower that I put in foam lined Walmart special small clamshell gun storage case many years ago. I forgot all about it and a year or two later when moving some stuff I found the box. When I opened the box the lower had the same pattern of the foam stained on the receiver. It was a pain to get off!

 

[Narragansett]

My rifles are stored open in a gun safe. My handguns are stored in pistol rugs, some felt and some foam and I have never had a spec of rust, discoloration or a freckle, and there is nobody fussier than me.

Back in 68, I had a lawyer friend that i shot with ask me about how I took care of my guns. I told him oily rag. He have me an 8" square piece of real lambs wool and a can of Kel All pure industrial grade silicone. He showed me, treat the wool with silicone, rub it into the fibers, and wipe your gun down. Retreat the wool from time to time.

Since then I have never used another product and never seen a spec of rust. Now, I must say, I do wipe them down every 3 months or so.

My silicone is available at many hardware stores, and a can lasts 10 years. Probably a 10-12 oz can. This is pure, no petroleum additives.

Why lambs wool, because the fibers get into everywhere including screw slots. Remember real lambs wool. Buy a skin with a few friends, and cut it up into squares.

My product is from Kelloggs Professional Products in Sandusky , Ohio.

You will not be sorry. Oh, and a treated piece of wool lasts 10+ years.

No Rem Oil for me

 

[Tom S.]

Anybody else have examples of presentation cases to show us?

Here's the case that came with my 629:

 

[Tom S.]

Here's the case that came with my Model 57:

 

[skwchock]

Thanks for sharing this information. It was useful...

 

[Onomea]

Very nice, Tom! Thanks for posting the pix. Now those beautiful cases are clearly for display and not for travel. I like the glass front/top.

 

[TOM BECKWITH]

S&W used foam in the 41 and 52 boxes for a short period. As I recall in the A500,000 range. That foam has some breakdown problems - probably oil related. No metal damage I noted.

 

[SSGRock]

A few years ago I started wiping my pistols down with oil then put them in a plastic bag and store in shipping box.

 

[growr]

I have been saving all of the silica packets that come in medicine bottles and save them to store inside the cases of my firearms, handguns get two packets, long guns get 3...

Never had a rust issue on any of them even though they are in original cardboard or foam lined cases.

Randy

 

[ISCS Yoda]

I guess all of my handguns not out and about for home defense use are stored in gun socks or gun rugs and most of my long guns are in gun socks or stored "nekkid". If I didn't use external protection the guns would touch each other and risk being scratched.

Hmmmm....I have one rifle stored in its original case and it is foam padded. l have to look at that.

 

[Hoosierville IRN]

I screwed up the finish of my as-new Hi-Standard .22 Olympic rapid fire pistol by storing it in a foam-lined plastic pistol carrying case. A sad story.

Me too. In my case a once beautiful Gold Cup National Match.

Have not had issues with fabric or fleece lined pistol rugs. Oil 'em up and stick them in! I check them every few months just to be sure they are okay.

 

[.38SuperMan]

In my career if 55 years I was a commercial photographer. Through much of my career I stored cameras and lenses in cases with closed cell phone. Halliburton, Pelican and many others use closed cell phone in their cases. Granted guns are valuable but professional cameras and lenses are way more expensive than the average gun. Motion picture lenses can easily exceed $100,000 for a set of lenses and a single Hasselblad digital camera without a lens can run $85,000.

In the 55 years I was in the biz I never say a camera or lens damaged from closed cell foam.

I have a few guns in cases with foam but typically have my handguns in high quality gun rugs. I take them out a couple of times a year and wipe them down with a silicon cloth and run an oiled patch through the chambers and barrels. My king guns are in another safe and not in a case or sock. The humidity in my home runs on average45% and in my king gun safe I have a goldenrod just for safety. Even then I take them out a couple of times a year and wipe them down and run an oily swab through the barrrl. Again I’ve never had a problem.

 

[Drm50]

A few years ago a guy I knew passed. His boy inherited the guns and had no use for them. Everytime I saw him for the next 3 years he kept saying he was bringing guns up and making me a deal on them. Finally he comes up one night with guns. He had bought those $20 plastic, foam lined cases for the long guns and stored them in his basement. When you opened case guns looked new. The bottom sides were rusted so bad they were fused into the foam. Caused by condensation in non ventilated storage. The vinyl soft cases can do same thing.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I've kept a P35 in it's fleece lined zippered case in since I bought it new in 1972.....No issues.......My 41 lives in another zippered fleece lined case......Again NO problems.......As I have told ya before a lot of my handguns live in foot socks.......No problems.......Even held at gun point I'd NEVER put a gun in a plastic bag to store......Maybe only if you wanted to hide it in the towelette tank when you have to use the bathroom.

 

[FZ1UKS&W]

I use Midway USA silicone treated pistol rugs for all of my guns. A friend turned me on to them. He's been using them since the early 80's and it shows. Just like everyone else a little treatment throw them in the rugs park em in your safe rinse and repeat every so often. These rugs are made well and inexpensive. I also keep 6 x 6 desiccant pack all over my safe. I get them by the thousands for free(too expensive at the LGS) so I switch them out every month or so even though I don't need to, but it keeps them dry for sure!

 

[Echo40]

I've had several guns stored in the foam-lined cases they shipped in, dating all the way back to 2015, yet none of them have ever rusted.

Meanwhile, I've had two guns rust on me which had been stored inside of a safe for a mere 6 months.

You can store firearms in foam-lined cases, and they won't rust unless you're living somewhere with absurdly high humidity, don't oil your guns at all, and can't be bothered to toss a desiccant pack or two in there.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

I store most handguns...whether in a box or a rug...in vapor treated paper from Brownell's...blued handguns in particular.

BROWNELLS GUNWRAP™ PAPER