Armory Sponsor
Posted: 2/1/2005 4:12:14 PM EDT
| I noticed a bit of rust on the side of the barrel on one of my rifles. I keep them in a rack in the basement, usually fairly well oiled to ward off humidity. I guess it's not enough. Would putting a fan down there help dry the air out enough to avoid the rust? Any other suggestions. A safe with a golden rod or such is out at the moment, it's just a rental for the next few months and I don't want to haul it out of the basement. |
+1. All a fan will do is circulate humid air. You may also consider one of those "gunsocks" with the silicone. I have heard that they help, but I've never used one. |
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An even better method is to put each firearm into one of the special plastic bags with some Vapor-Paper. The bags are made of a special "hard" plastic that won't pass moisture. The vapor paper is a treated paper that gives off fumes that surround the metal with a vapor that ABSOLUTELY prevents any rust, for at least 10 years. Best, you don't have to slather the guns with grease, which means you can take a gun out of the bag and put it into immediate use with no degreasing. This is what the military and industry now use to prevent metal from rusting. You can buy the special bags in rifle and pistol size, and sheets of the vapor paper from Brownell's. DO NOT use regular plastic bags, since these will pass moisture and allow the vapor to escape. To use, just wipe the metal off with something like CLP Breakfree to neutralize any fingerprints, wrap the gun in a couple of sheets of the vapor paper, and seal in the bag. You're covered for 10 years. Even with dehumidifiers and lights, basements and closets are damp and it's tough to keep things from rusting. |
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Sure, as long as the bags aren't torn or holed, and as long as the paper isn't allowed to "dry out" or dissipate the vapor. What many people do is remove the gun, put the paper back in the bag, squeeze the air out and seal it back up until they need it again. The paper is cheap enough to pitch if you're in doubt as to how good it is, and as long as you don't damage the bags, they're good forever. |
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Why basement? Go to this site. I use their products to store surplus (not needed in the near future) shotguns in PVC pipe in an unheated garage. Never had a problem. They have products for many applications- reloading tools, fishing gear, etc. www.theinhibitor.com |
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