Storing your rifle

[mssandy713]

How do you guys store your rifle? To keep from rusting.

 

[BillyJack2012]

In my safe with silica desiccant.

 

[MarkBrumbaugh]

Clean, wipe fingerprints off metal parts with slightly oily rag.
Store in a cool, dry, place.

 

[Majorlk]

If you wipe down the firearm with a silicone rag or similar and store is in a location with less than 50 percent humidity, rust will not be a problem.

All my firearms are stored in a vault in a room with a dehumidifier that holds the humidity to 40 percent.

DO NOT put them in gun cases with cloth or plush interiors. In reality, storing them in cases is a bad idea, no matter what kind of case it is.

 

[jaylind]

In my safe with silica desiccant.

Just a thought, every time you buy shoes or anything else that comes with the desiccant packs... save them for the safe.

 

[BillyJack2012]

Just a thought, every time you buy shoes or anything else that comes with the desiccant packs... save them for the safe.

and for my ammo cans...

 

[Taylor339]

It's 99% plastic. I keep mine in a nylon tactical case.

 

[mssandy713]

Thank you guys for all the advises. This is my first rifle and I do not have a large safe to store it. And I heard leaving it in a case is a big no-no. But I also have infants. So I can't just have it laying around. I don't plan on buying anymore rifles, so to invest in a large safe may just be a waste. Do you guys use the lock that it comes with? Sorry for all the stupid questions but you all seem to be pretty knowledgeable in here.

 

[Majorlk]

In you case, yes, I would use the lock. As for the only rifle you'll ever buy ... I've heard that more than once.

The case will do as long as you open it every couple of weeks and let it air out. If you are shooting on a regular basis you'll be ok.

Don't sweat the questions. We are always here to help ... and I mean all, well most, of us. That wasn't a royal WE.

 

[w-30dreamin]

Just my opinion but a safe should have been bought first before the firearm.Even with only 1 firearm,a safe is not a waste.

Infants grow into children,children and firearms do not mix unless supervised.Children snoop thru their parents belongings.

To answer your question,oil and silica.

 

[Shooterjgs]

"As for the only rifle you'll ever buy ... I've heard that more than once."

Yea haven't we all...

 

[Jyezahn]

Even if you don't have any desiccant packs, you can purchase them at surplus stores for cheap, like $2 for a bag of 30 or so.

FWIW, my dad had several rifles and shotguns stored in his closet. Three kids in the house, and we all knew better than to touch them without his permission. If you don't want to buy a safe, then don't (unless it becomes a state law), just teach your children proper respect for the gun, and I'd say use the cable lock and a trigger lock. If you really want to be safe, remove the bolt carrier group and store it in a separate place.

 

[mssandy713]

I will definatley take out the bolt and use the cable lock. When the kids get older I will definately get a larger safe but for now they are still not mobile and can't even wipe their own ***. Also, I keep the ammo in a separate room. You are probably right that this will not be my last rifle I was just trying to convince myself or lie to myself. have you guys ever heard of a rifle sock?....

 

[brucev]

When my daughters were born, a church member called to invite use to visit. While my wife and the babies were in the house, he and I stepped out to his shop. Inside he had a 12 rifle walnut gun cabinet that he'd built for a customer who decided not to pay. He sold it to me for his cost saying he wanted the girls to be safe. That was 23 years ago. I have since that day stored my rifles, pistols and shotgun in that cabinet. The house is of course heated and cooled as needed. I usually wipe the everything down every few months. I've not ever had a single issue with any of my firearms having any problems with rust, etc. Of late I have thought about putting a low wattage light in the cabinet since it would very effectively keep the interior warm and prevent any build up of moisture. Then happily I'd have a good excuse to take all my firearms out and rub some oil on the metal and some BLO, etc. into the wood.

 

[Majorlk]

I will definatley take out the bolt and use the cable lock. When the kids get older I will definately get a larger safe but for now they are still not mobile and can't even wipe their own ***. Also, I keep the ammo in a separate room. You are probably right that this will not be my last rifle I was just trying to convince myself or lie to myself. have you guys ever heard of a rifle sock?....

Yea. All they are good for is attracting moisture. Don't waste your money.

 

[zload]

I don't think a "sock" will work on an AR style rifle too many right angles. I live in FL and never have had a rust problem as long as it was lightly wiped down with some type of gun "oil"/cloth etc. and stored in a house with AC which reduces humidity but not anywhere near 40%. Your fingerprints would probably do more harm than average ambient humidity unless you live in a swamp! Maybe an inexpensive metal gun cabinet with a padlock would do for now until you "get hooked".

 

[JeffF64]

If you ever decide on safe be sure you buy at least 1-2 sizes bigger than you originally think will work! Ask me how I know... But if you don't get safe think outside the box some, if its just to help keep small hands off in a few years, large tool chest, old school locker and you might be able to locate things like this at salvage yard, pawn shop etc. taking bolt out and locking it in separate box works great, the box can be small as well, I remember while doing maneuvers with tanks fully uploaded with ammo (while doing force on force) taking all bolts, firing pins out of all machine guns, main gun etc. just as to not accidentally fire a live round at someone.

 

[WHS 5906]

I store all my nice long guns well oiled and wrapped in a knee sock. The sock will let the gun breath but protects it from banging into other guns. My safe has a dehumidifier rod which keeps it about five degrees warmer than the rest of the room. Whole house AC during the summer and electric heat in the winter is a very dry house. Never had any problems at all. Those dehumidifiers are just a heating rod. You could replace it with a small watt electric bulb and do the same thing.

 

[Majorlk]

You are right about the little rods. They do nothing to actually reduce humidity.

My dehumidifier was $250 and sucks up to sixty pints of water a day out of the air. The humidity in my basement never exceeds 40 percent.

 

[Ramlock]

We live at 7458ft elevation in New Mexico, humidity is scarce, wildfires are plentiful though

Speaking of safes, I found out the industry is.........wait for it....yep the same as ammo I ordered a Fort Knox 72"x41"x27 yesterday and the build time is 8-10 weeks. Sounds like 12 to me