Hey, Yes I am wondering exactly how long I can store my brand new AR in an SKB case without oiling it.  I have moved and I do not want it shipped to me (security purposes) for maybe a year.  Before I left I pretty much covered everything with lots of break free "collector" oil, thick stuff.  The case may be airtight or close, Im not sure.  

The gun is my baby a brand spanking new Colt M4 and I love it, I want to make sure that it gets whatever it needs!

I don't know I mine never stays in the case longer than a week or two. :)

As long as it is not humid you should be able to for a long time.

if your planning on leaving it in a case with foam lining, don't.  The foam can act as a spone holding moisture against your rifle.  Slather in in CLP wrap it in a t shirt, or gun paper, the brown stuff that brownells sells, put in in something that is fairly airtight with some desicant or some of that treated paper (VPC?) and you should be fine as long as its not exposed to high humidity or big temperature swings.

Simply storing a firearm in a closed case is a bad idea since moisture in the air can condense on the firearm and cause rust.  As curt mentioned, a desiccant or treated paper can prevent this.  

If you use a case with foam, the foam can also act like a sponge and soak up any lubricant on the rifle – after which it rusts.

Depending on how much trouble you want to go to, you could coat the AR with RIG grease (which is similar to cosmolene), but it's really messy.  IMHO, RIG is too much trouble if you’re only going to be storing the AR for a year and you’re not going to be storing it in a hostile environment (say a damp basement).  Brownells sells RIG.

If it was me, this is what I’d use:  [url]www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1116&title=TRIPLE+TOUGH+RUST-BLOX+STORAGE+KIT[/url].  Incidentally, you can get the components of this kit separately – if you only want to store one rifle, this might be a little cheaper way to go.

I keep mine slid under the bed, combat lubed in the original Bushmaster case.

You wont have any problems as long as you leave the case cracked open, like with a magazine turned up on its side. And of course the case, the rifle and the foam need to be completely dry.

Thanks for the info, I wish I had posted this before I left.  The gun is already stored and I am gone, I may be able to get someone to go oil it for me or wrap it in that paper.  

It is a foam case and was very dry, but now Im getting worried.  I didnt consider that the foam would suck up the oil in the long run.

If you buttered her up USMC style with CLP and placed it in your gun case then you will be good to go. Now if you have people periodically finger banging her while your away and puting her away with pecker tracks then you might have a problem.

Semper-Fi, DD out!!  [sniper]