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Posted: 4/24/2007 8:09:47 PM EDT
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I have some inherited guns, and I want a good way to store them indefinitely (no cleaning, oiling, etc...) is cosmolene still available? through whom? I hear cosmolene is super hard to remove, what do you use to do the removal job? any substance that works better than comsolene (IE easier to remove) for real real long term storage (IE forever)? I hear nowadays the army use vaccum sealed bags instead of cosmolene. maybe I will use them as well as comsolene. any good manufacturers of these? especially available locally? thanks for the help, I cant be the only guy wondering these things. |
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Break-free Collector might be what you need: Collector Liquid provides a protective coating against rust and corrosion on metal to metal finishes; no need to remove before use. -Developed for military use to protect weapons for up to 5 years in storage. -Exceeds military requirements for rust and corrosion protection. -Unique 100% synthetic oil formulation with multiple high performance anti-rust and corrosion inhibitors. -Will not break down to form waxy residues under heat or with age. Contains no wax or mineral oil. -Protects up to five years. Lab test results show over 1,200 hours of rust and corrosion protection on mild steel panels when exposed to 100% humidity at 93 degrees with out developing even one micro of rust. -Does not have to be removed before firing; always "grab and go" combat ready condition. -Safe for use on all metals and finishes. -Ideal to protect gun collections, knives, swords, and sports equipment. Perfect for museums and police armories. www.break-free.com/?location=/main.asp |
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if you are looking for a readily found and easily removed cosmoline alternative, Petroleum Jelly, AKA vaseline, it is basically a more refined cosmoline, need to make sure they are clean and dry before application though, store them in as dray a place as possible, w/ descant if possible. petrolatum <pharmacology> A semisolid unctuous substance, neutral, and without taste or odour, derived from petroleum by distilling off the lighter portions and purifying the residue. It is a yellowish, fatlike mass, transparent in thin layers, and somewhat fluorescent. It is used as a bland protective dressing, and as a substitute for fatty materials in ointments. Petrolatum is the official name for the purified product. Cosmoline and vaseline are commercial names for substances essentially the same, but differing slightly in appearance and consistency or fusibility. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
Quib what I found funney is that more than one internet rust test has found regular BF CLP to work better at preventing rust than Collector. Yes you can still get cosmoline, Midway, Brownells etc still sell it. Lots of folks like RIG grease for long term storage. Me I use Vacum bags and descentent packs with a light coat of oil on the metal. |
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For long term storage I would use Eezox along with the vacuum bags and a desiccant pack. The Eezox dries to a wax so there is nothing to run off or degrade, and because it is dry after the solvent evaporates, it will not spoil the desiccant pack in the plastic. It is also a "good to go" type product so it does not have to be removed for use or show. Eezox is very good at corrosion protection on it's own. Just check all the tests on line. |
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ok thats a lot of good options. anyone have a link to a test comparing them? so what about ammo storage. whats a good air/watertight box to store it in. are those army ammo crates (you know the green boxes with the handle lock thing on the side) water and air tight? any good sustances to put on your ammunition, or will everything corrode the primers? |
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those green Army things are called Ammo cans. They will work fine. Dont know how deep you can put them under water before they take on water. the ammo cans have a rubber gaskit and work well in sealing from the elements. Note this is for USGI 50 cal metal cans, not those plastic look a likes. |
Do not put anything on your ammo. Keep it cool and dry and it will last for decades. Any type of “substance” you apply to the ammo could possibly seep into the powder or primer rendering your ammo useless. I have Turkish 8mm ammo for my 98k Mauser that was manufactured in 1937. This ammo has gone bang every time I pulled the trigger. Why? Because during it’s life time this ammo has been correctly stored............... cool and dry. |
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Here is a link to some cosmoline http://www.amazon.com/Goodson-Cosmoline-Rust-Protectant/dp/B0009RDJ1G It is not that hard to remove, it just takes slow and constant heat. http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/cosmoline/index.asp To see how to remove it. I have purchased rifles that were stored coated in this stuff that were made during WWII and they look like they were made yesterday. I suppose if you wanted to bury them you could put them in a section of sealed ABS pipe http://www.ppfahome.org/abs/index.html. But I have no experience with that. When the Russians preserved their rifles they just dipped them in cosmoline and put them in wood crates for 60+ years. |
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I have a couple AKs that I am putting away for long term storage and I never thought about vassoline. I will have to give that a try but I can just imagine the looks I will get down at sams club if I buy two or three of their "ALL WEEKEND SIZE" bottles of vasoline... I will have to get a shooting buddy to go in with me after a range session  The trick would likely be getting the bore completely filled. Lube everything up, lube up a couple mags (inside and out) and put it in one of the oversized plastic bags we can seal up. Then, get a length of PVC with a screw endcap and drop the sealed bag in there along with a seperate bag with a stash of ammo in a waterproof container w/ desicant. Finally, add a couple desicant packs and seal it all up and stash it for an emergency... If you do a couple and store them away from the rest of your stuff it would give a great backup plan... I will post pics in the survival forum when I do one! 
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Wow... they are going to think I am running a "cat house" if I need to buy vasoline by the case  I guess I could heat the vasoline and use a funnel to pour it down the barrel?This should be a fun project... I am not so sure it will be fun getting it back out of the gun when done but it would best to find any problems BEFORE you needed the gun? I have an ugly AMD-65 screw build, it was my first AK build that is going to serve as my experiment for this. |
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doing a little research around the web ( http://snipersparadise.com/sniperchat/index.php?showtopic=1765 ), I have heard that dessicants are bad for primers. is this true? the same place also said not to vaccum seal ammo, as this was also bad for the powder. it recommended just sealing it tightly, and not putting in dessicant or sucking all the air out. what say you hive mind? Also what is this RIG grease I keep hearing about. is this easier to remove than cosmolene? can a weapon be fired coated in RIG grease or must it be removed first? how does RIG compare to cosmolene? |
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Yeah the RIG grease is the best choice for long term storage IMHO.Just buy the RIG rag setup and wipe everything down leaving a film.Store the RIG rag in a ziplock freezer bag. Ive had some German K98K's in storage since 1998 and they look perfect.Most are kept in gun lockers which are somewhat sealed.I personally have no use for plastic gun bags etc.. To put the weapons back in service after being coated in RIG you basically just wipe them down with a clean cloth and patch the bore out with Hoppe's No.9 and then dry patch again.If you want the grease off completely just clean/wipe the surfaces down with CLP.To put back in storage just wipe them down again with the RIG rag and coat the bore with the RIG grease after cleaning. Been using the RIG grease for years without a single issue and its much more user friendly than cosmo.Seems to last forever too. |
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