...I am starting medical school in August.  Alas, in preparation for the same I have sold off most of my Sport Utility Rifles, keeping only my L1A1 and my AR-15.

My question is this:  What is a good method for long term storage of my two remaining rifles?  I'm pretty sure  I won't have much time in the next four years to fool with them and want to "salt them away" for the duration.  Naturally, if all goes well, I don't want to open the storage container four years from know and find a pile of rust.

The L1A1 has wood furniture.  The AR15 is pretty much standard.

there is a product called Rig it works good for long term storage. some kind of sealed contaner. Ive always wanted to get one of those air lock baggie deals by ron popel and try that for long term storage. I think I have seen air tight storage tubes in shootgun news.

Stay away from the Bianchi Blue bags and things like that.  RIG grease is a good rust inhibitor, as is EEZOX.  Clean them very well, oil the bores, put RIG or something similar on the outside, and keep them in a cool, dry place.  If you seal them up airtight for four years, your chances of having piles of rust are very good.

I would be happy to baby-sit them for 4 years for you for a nominal fee?

John

What's the problem with the Blue Bags?  Same for NoRust Bags?


[red][size=4] P.R.K.

Please excuse my ignorance but...

I was thinking of coating them in oil or cosmoline (Except for the furniture) and putting them, disassembled, in large diameter PVC pipes with caps on both ends.  I don't intend to "cache" them, but  Iunderstand that some of our survivalist brothers use a similar method for long-term storage.  Is this a good method?  

Gus,

I thought the same as you before I started.  I took most of my handguns, coated each well with a rust preventative oil, put a couple of square cardboard no-rust vapor chips in a ziplock bag with each gun.  I then put several of the guns into a 20mm ammo can, with sheets of closed cell foam in between them.  I heated a 2 bags of silica gel dessicant until they were warm but not hot, put them in the can and sealed it.  Once the warm air in the can cooled, it would "vacuum" seal the can.

Most of my long guns went to relatives for long term storage.  I maintain the insurance, and ask them to shoot them when they can.  I did bring a couple of those "evil" black rifles and store them out in the suburbs (in the City, you cannot have handguns or assault rifles).  

Honestly, you may want to re-consider not taking the guns.  It is a great stress reliever to go shooting.  You won't get a chance to shoot very often (I don't, as I am in class or working part time), but it is nice to be able to go when you have the time.  You may also run into a classmate that shoots or is curious about shooting.  

AFARR

Storage cabinet or safe, golden rod, and no-rust bags.  Good for years.

Thanks, AFARR.  I have some large mortar ammo cans (80mm, I think)that will hold both of my rifles if I break them down.

I am actually "taking them with me" as my wife, children, dogs and I are moving to Shreveport this summer.  I just don't think I'll have much shooting time in the next few years.

Gus,

All work, no play!!!

I was always taught to plan events.  If you let your school work take all of your time there will be some resentment.  An hour or so a month is not much to go out and relax.

Getting a Ph.D., took alot of time.  I did not take time to relax as I should have.  Believe me, TAKE THE TIME.  It is there if you plan for it.  If you don't learn how now, the rest of your life will be run the same way!

Oh yeah, Houston is close to Shreveport.  You can store them at my house.

Agree.

4 years is not long term storage.  You could probably just oil them up and leave them in a basement for 4 years.   I'd say to play it safe, throw them in a safe (if you have one) with a golden rod.

assuming you keep them in a cool dry place and make shure they can breathe

one word "COSMOLINE" and lots of it
vasalene is a good substitute also if you cake it on inside and out

it works for uncle sam and just about everybody else.

ive personaly seen 60 year enfields,mausers and french fmas rifles packed in the stuff that were still in mint condition once the stuff was removed.

I want to thank you all for your generous offers to "baby-sit" for my Sport Utility Rifles.  I know it would be a highly distasteful job.

I think you should reconsider disassembling your rifles and packing them in that Cosmoline crap.  Take them to school with you.  I think you will be suprised to find out that you have more free time than you think.  I graduate from medical school in about 3 weeks.  During my first two years, I regularly found time to go to an indoor pistol range about 1/2 mile from my house.  I found that this was a great way to relieve stress from school, and also to keep my skills sharp.  During my third and fourth year, I found an indoor rifle range (100 yds) and have continued to shoot as much as I can.  

I think that you will find out that while the 1st and 2nd year really suck a$$, the 3rd and 4th years are really awesome and afford a lot more free time.  The 4th year is especially great.  In fact, I would happily repeat the 4th year if the dean of my school would allow it.  There is plenty of time to study and be a top-notch medical student and still enjoy your hobby.  Even when you cannot find time to shoot them, spending quality time rubbing your rifles with an oily rag will make you feel better, and will keep your rifles well maintained too.

Good luck with medical school.  Just remember that when the hours get long and the information to be learned seems overwhelming, that there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Besides, the first time that a patient refers to you as "my doctor" it makes it all worthwhile.

Hey whats with the "GENTLEMEN" title???



I know we have some wonderful ladies that post here....please do not tell me that this place in not Politically correct!!!!


On topic...I just bought an Enfield that was coated in cosmoline in 1947.. It was still in MINT condition...That would strongly point  me in that direction if I were you.  Mind you I do not know how I could go that long without even a little shooting time.......

Oh I almost forgot...if you had to pick only two these make a great choice...They would be the last ones I would let go in my collection!!

DRJAKEB, if you don't mind my asking, how much studying did you do your first two years?  I'm kind of expecting to be either in class or studying for at least 100 hours a week.  Medical students who I have talked to seem to think this is a pretty good estimate.

Ever the capitalist, eh Garand Shooter??? [:D]

And let me just say "Atta boy!!!!!!"

Gus,

I don't know about Drjakeb, but for my first two years (All done now, assuming I passed Radiology and Surgery), I went to class, went home, vegitated for a little while, then tried (TRIED is the operative word) to study in the late afternoons and evenings/night.  Mornings were class, some afternoons were labs (Histo, Physio, Gross, etc.).  

I wound up back in my old College days (10 years before I started Podiatry School) habit of studying at the last minute (for some reason, I stay up until 2am or later the night before an exam, sleep about 4 hours and do OK on the exam).  I am one of the people that can MOSTLY read something once and remember it (especially the general concepts and applications).  If it involves rote memorization, I need to work at it the same as everyone else.  

So, I got a part time job--it actually helped my studying, as I knew I had limited time to study and when I have free time, I had to start studying (normally I would put it off until the last minute).  No, I don't get out to shoot much, but I do on occasion (I just found out about a short--25yd. rifle range near here, so I may be able to shoot more frequently--although I still have to get my guns from storage outside the city limits before I can shoot).  

I have a number of classmates that study all the time--some of these are the top few in the class, some are in the middle of the class, and some are failing.   I have a few other classmates that are like me--study much less, and do the same.  It is actually going to depend on what your study habits are (it is tough with and on the family, though!!) and what you are comfortable with.  In the end, I study about 5 to 10 hours per hour of exam time (most exams are 2 hours, so I study 10 to 20 hours for them--with some exceptions for difficult or easy subjects.  I usually double that for the finals in a class).  Since there are usually one or two exams in a week, you can figure out how much studying that is.

I will give you two pieces of advice--
1.  Regardless of what they say, ATTEND CLASS.  Even if you are tired, etc. it is better to sit there and be seen than to be missing (the instructors DO know who is in class regularly--regardless of what they say).  This also helps because you are seeing things twice--once in class and once on studying.  People who skip class regularly are shorting themselves of what they paid for.

2.  Do as well as you can to start.  Study more than you figure on.  It is better to start with a 4.0 and fall to a 3.0 than to start with a 2.0 and struggle to get it back up to a 3.0 (still better to have a 4.0 in the end anyway).

AFARR

I think that 100 hrs/week is a pretty fair estimate.  I generally put in 14-16 hour days (more right around test blocks).  However, there were a lot of times (weekends AFTER test blocks) that were availible for enjoying the vices governed by the BATF.