Storing your Guns

[valor1]

How do you guys store your guns (aside from throwing it into the vault) to protect it from rust or any harmful elements? Any gun oil or protective lubricants you use or favored? Thanks.

[stumbler]

I allow my guns to "climatize" before cleaning. I live in a humid area and do not use guns rugs to store guns or mags. WD40 is a big help.

[Prezzz]

I allow my guns to "climatize" before cleaning. I live in a humid area and do not use guns rugs to store guns or mags. WD40 is a big help.


Wouldn't use WD40 for long term lube. The liquid catalyst will evaporate relatively quickly and then you are left with a gummy brown varnish that (1) ain't lubrication and (2) ain't pretty. Use something like "Break Free" with CLP.

[stumbler]

Oops, sorry for the mis-lead. WD-40 upon returning from the range, climatize, then clean and lube. Thanks for the catch Prezzz

[John]

I wouldn't let WD-40 even get close to my guns. Outers Metal Shield is what I use for ... long term storage (now please take "long term" with some salt, those unfortunate enough to have only two pistols, do not usually store the for long).

Rgds

[Iceman]

I use CLP and then into a air tight bag together with a small size Silica Gel pack. Works great for me. But my brother is more fanatical, he uses Sweet's long term storage oil, place a Silica Gel pack into the air tight bag, vacuum the bag to seal it. He uses that method to store his original 1938 Remington Rand 1911.

[Wild Turk]

I use break-free, since my Dad was militarty and swears by it. He got a gallon of the stuff from an armorer and it hasnt run out yet.

I didnt realize that WD-40 was a bad idea. I never use it to lubricate, but I have used a light mist on the outside of the pistol right before it goes into the case.

[1911slabsides]

I shouldn't even post here because my gun collection is small, so small that storage isn't even an issue. The closest I've come to storage is putting it on my bedside table while I sleep. I just wanted to get in on the WD 40 thing. I've heard that WD 40 is bad for the blue on pistols. I don't know if that is really the case but I heard that years ago and I just stayed away from it. The truth of the matter for me is that I wear the blue off of guns enough as it is, I guess I don't want any help from WD 40, I enjoy doing it all by myself without chemical help. :D BTW I've been known to lube myself with Bud Light but that is another issue :eek:

[Iceman]

I only use WD-40 to clean and lube my door hinges! ;) :p

[primersinmyshoe]

I keep these guns in a safe with a heater to drive out moisture, the usual temp is 82f inside the safe. On the guns themselves, I have been using the Wilson Ultima Lube oil/grease, applied where needed.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v423/primersinmyshoe/DSCN1496Small.jpg (http://photobucket.com/albums/v423/primersinmyshoe/?)

[Iceman]

I keep these guns in a safe with a heater to drive out moisture, the usual temp is 82f inside the safe. On the guns themselves, I have been using the Wilson Ultima Lube oil/grease, applied where needed.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v423/primersinmyshoe/DSCN1496Small.jpg (http://photobucket.com/albums/v423/primersinmyshoe/?)

Very nice set up! Did you make those stands for the handguns yourself?

What type of heater is it? How did you to get it to work inside a safe? I think my brother would be very intereted to know! :)

[primersinmyshoe]

Very nice set up! Did you make those stands for the handguns yourself?

What type of heater is it? How did you to get it to work inside a safe? I think my brother would be very intereted to know! :)
I bought the stands off of eBay (here's a link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=52501&item=3695958450&rd=1)
The heater is a goldenrod 18" unit. There is usually a little hole in the bottom of the rear of most safes for a wire to pass through. I fed a wire into the safe and put on an outlet. I also have installed rope lights inside the door, and on the underneath of the ceiling of the safe, which also plugs into the outlet. The hard part of the lights was installing the magnetic on/off switch. One part is on the shelf support, the other part is on the inside of the door. When closed, the magnets make the switch open, which opens the circuit, turning off the light. I didn't trust it at first, I'd open the door real slow, checking to see if the light was really off. It was. The wire exits the rear of the safe and plugs into a nearby wall outlet. I can provide pics if requested.

[Iceman]

I bought the stands off of eBay (here's a link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=52501&item=3695958450&rd=1)
The heater is a goldenrod 18" unit. There is usually a little hole in the bottom of the rear of most safes for a wire to pass through. I fed a wire into the safe and put on an outlet. I also have installed rope lights inside the door, and on the underneath of the ceiling of the safe, which also plugs into the outlet. The hard part of the lights was installing the magnetic on/off switch. One part is on the shelf support, the other part is on the inside of the door. When closed, the magnets make the switch open, which opens the circuit, turning off the light. I didn't trust it at first, I'd open the door real slow, checking to see if the light was really off. It was. The wire exits the rear of the safe and plugs into a nearby wall outlet. I can provide pics if requested.

Sounds like you are a bit of a handyman! :D

I might have to drill extra holes myself because we are by law have to bolt safe to the ground of studs on the wall. However, if the safe is heavy enough, can't remember how heavy, then it's ok. Now, what brand/model is your safe?

[primersinmyshoe]

Sounds like you are a bit of a handyman! :D

I might have to drill extra holes myself because we are by law have to bolt safe to the ground of studs on the wall. However, if the safe is heavy enough, can't remember how heavy, then it's ok. Now, what brand/model is your safe?
After owning my own home for 25 years, I've had to learn how to fix things, or I'd be broke. Where are you that there are laws that tell you how store your safe? Anyway, here's a link to info on my safe: http://winchestersafes.com/. By the way, it is bolted to the floor. There were already holes in the bottom of the safe (it was bolted to a pallet) to bolt it to the floor. It would take some real manpower to get my safe up, out of the basement. I'm sure Max would have something to say about all the activity too, if he's not chasing the local squirles.

[Iceman]

After owning my own home for 25 years, I've had to learn how to fix things, or I'd be broke. Where are you that there are laws that tell you how store your safe? Anyway, here's a link to info on my safe: http://winchestersafes.com/. By the way, it is bolted to the floor. There were already holes in the bottom of the safe (it was bolted to a pallet) to bolt it to the floor. It would take some real manpower to get my safe up, out of the basement. I'm sure Max would have something to say about all the activity too, if he's not chasing the local squirles.

I am in Sydney Australia, I can tell you, the law here is just getting ridiculous...apart from 28 days cooling off period, you need to supply genuine reason for buying a gun, 10 round magazine restriction, minimum baarel length of 120mm restriction (I had to hand in my Glock because of that) and the list goes on...for the 14 years that I have been shooting, they have made life extremely difficult for shooters...all firearms are registered now and no semi-auto rifle and not even shotguns except over-and-underr. Anyway...thanks for the info about the safe... :)

[primersinmyshoe]

I am in Sydney Australia, I can tell you, the law here is just getting ridiculous...apart from 28 days cooling off period, you need to supply genuine reason for buying a gun, 10 round magazine restriction, minimum baarel length of 120mm restriction (I had to hand in my Glock because of that) and the list goes on...for the 14 years that I have been shooting, they have made life extremely difficult for shooters...all firearms are registered now and no semi-auto rifle and not even shotguns except over-and-underr. Anyway...thanks for the info about the safe... :)
Iceman,
Here in St. Louis, MO, USA, I have to wait 7 days for my purchase permit to be issued. If I already have over 10 (or more!) handguns, what's the wait for?? The good thing is that I can buy (for $10) more purchase permits. Usually I get two. Anyway, I'm glad to hear from a "gunner" from Down Under. What's up with that 28 day wait? Do you live in the city, or in the "out back"? Let us here in the USA know what it is like to be a gunner in your country. We don't know how good we have it.

[Iceman]

Iceman,
Here in St. Louis, MO, USA, I have to wait 7 days for my purchase permit to be issued. If I already have over 10 (or more!) handguns, what's the wait for?? The good thing is that I can buy (for $10) more purchase permits. Usually I get two. Anyway, I'm glad to hear from a "gunner" from Down Under. What's up with that 28 day wait? Do you live in the city, or in the "out back"? Let us here in the USA know what it is like to be a gunner in your country. We don't know how good we have it.

Hehehe...you guys are definately the lucky ones and you guys should thank the 2nd Amendment everyday!

Australia is pretty much a Police state (I hope the Aust. Govt. doesn't read this forum!) :p I don't understand the 28 days waiting period either, plus to retain your license, you need to show proof that you have attended club shoots to justify continuing owning a handgun and retain your handgun license. And check this out! We cannot have any calibre more than 9mm!!! And you probably guessed why, because the Police use Glock 21 in 40 calibre and they are the only ones who can have full capacity mags and we can only have max 10 rd. mags.

We also need to apply and buy 'Permit to Acquire' and they are $30 each! Plus eacch and every gun are registered through something called a Firearm Registry. Rifles used to good, as long as you have a license, you just just walk into a gunshop and buy whatever you want including semiauto's but now, same process apply.

Seriously, I think about moving to the US from time to time because I just love the sport and there arre just too much hassles to enjoy your sport. We also need to justify proper storage and also when your guns are in transit, you need to lock them up and then have trigger locks and then cable lock to your cars etc...and you can only take your guns to and from your place of storage and range.

Anyway, I used to own a couple of dozen of long arms and half a dozen of hanguns but now I only got two rifles left and starting my collections again under the new laws. I hand all of them back and I guess at least they paid me for them.

Once again, you good have no idea how lucky you are!!! :p :) :D

[John]

Moving to US, does not make you eligible for the same rights as US citizens, unless of course you already have a US passport.

How I know? Back in 1983 when I was living in NJ (permanent resident, member of the Chiefs of Police Association etc), I went to the local police to ask. I felt lucky I was not put into the cell, just for asking.

And if you consider Australia bad, come to Greece. Only two center-fire pistols allowed, and eight matches per year to retain your license. We renew them every three years, so if you have 508 matches in one year, 7 at the next and 237 the third, you loose it! Go figure. Oh yes, if you want to have a rimfre one too, then it's another 6 matches a year. Rifles are allowed, as long as they aren't semi-auto and of course if you own a rifle, it's more matches again.

Really interesting situation!

[kotonk]

i clean with mpro 7, spray birchwood casey sheath on all parts, wipe it down, lube internals with either ballistol, utlima lube or 3in1, then throw my gun in my safe with a couple of these:

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1152&title=DESI+PAK%7e

i live in hawaii so it's quite humid, but i haven't had problems with rust so far.

-kotonk

[gottripletsNC]

I have 4 shotguns, 2 rifles, two centefire pistols, and one blackpowder pistol, and I have owned quite a few other pistols, and got rid of them for various reasons, most of which were disappointment in their operation. The best course of action for me has been to just go every so often and take out my weapons, tear them down, inspect and reoil them. For the guns that have a high gloss "blue" I use remington Rem-Oil with teflon, and generously apply it then put them in my gun safe which is just a metal safe with holes in it to mount to the floor. 100$ at Wal-mart. My 1911 is parkerized, and my CD 20guage is matte black, on those two I use CLP, and keep it generously coated, of course I do my 1911 about once a week or two. It stays with me in my truck all the time. I have never had a problem with that, one shotgun started some pitting on the outside many years ago, and I attribute that to the fact it used to be on a rack on the wall, and dust would settle and would soak up the lube and dry out, then it could rust, ever since I put them in a case and kept them away from dust I have never had a problem.