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HELP!!! How do I protect my guns??

Frogdog
I'm kind of at a loss about what to do to protect my guns. I live in a coastal VA town. Summers are hot and quite humid. My home does not have AC, so the windows are open a lot. I have put a coat of wax on all metal surfaces and keep a box of silica gel in the gun cabinet (Amount of the silica is actually enough for a much bigger space than I have). Even so, I have begun to notice light rust forming on the barrels. What can I do to better protect them. Would a heavier coat of wax help? Or more silica? A light in the cabinet? I would really appreciate any suggestions as it is kind of heart-breaking to see your guns rust away.
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Comments

13 comments

Date Votes
  • Beeramid
    You might want to install a golden rod in your cabinet if you can. If not then you might try getting a safe and then adding a golden rod, and silica gel.
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  • MIKE WISKEY
    i'd forget the wax and use a good rust prevetative gun oil and a "golden rod" in the cabinet
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  • nmyers
    If by "cabinet" you mean a WOOD cabinet, you need to replace it with a steel gun safe. Moisture in the wood, plus humidity in the air, is too much for dessicant or a Goldenrod to counteract in this area.

    Besides, a wood cabinet won't stop a thief. The kids who committed the Columbine High massacre broke into a wood gun cabinet to get their guns.

    Neal
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  • gotstolefrom
    You might get by with grease and vacuum packing w/desicant for the bulk of them if you just can't spring for a safe right now.

    nmyers hit it. If you stay with your cabinet, and are not wiping everything down once a week, you ARE fighting a battle you cannot win.
    Yes, buying a gun safe is a chunk of change, but you probably have at least that much invested in your guns. After you make that leap and get a safe you will be MUCH more comfortable about safe and preserved guns.

    Don't worry about size, you can't get one big enough. Get one that is from a good company, bolt it down, add a goldenrod (and descicant if you want). When you outgrow it, you just buy another one.



    If we do not hang together,
    We will most certainly hang separately.
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  • Cornflk1
    quality gun safe and "golden rod"

    I store mine in a basement, with, however, a de-humidifer. "golden rod" excellent tool.
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  • northern militia
    a golden rod is ideal, but a member told me a 60 watt light bulb would work too.

    first rule of northern militia is that we don't talk about northern militia.
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  • rsnyder55
    When I was in Okinawa, we put light bulbs in the bottom of our closets to fight the humidity and keep our clothes from molding. It should work with your guns except that the cabinet may have too much of an airflow to allow the light to work. Also, if it is a wood cabinet, it may cause warping or cracking by reducing the moisture in the wood. I almost lost a Yamaha guitar I brought back to the US that I had purchased in Okinawa due to the lower humidity here.
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  • bobski
    i live in a coastal va. town too. the good old 100 watt light bulb left on 24/7 will do the trick. keep em oiled and keep the door shut. it gets nice and toasty inside and i never have had a problem yet in 18 years.

    former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, former navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction. NRA certified instructor.
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  • Frogdog
    I figured I'd get a lot of responses telling me to get a safe. I do plan on doing so eventually when finances permit. I've got the lightbulb going and the silica still in there. Just need to get a good seal on the door. I also put a few guns in the hard foam-lined cases. Will keeping them closed up in there be better than leaving them in the cabinet?
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  • Contender Man
    Might want to look into this technology/product ...

    http://www.corrosioncontrol.ca/


    2470103-S.gif

    If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!
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  • muss
    dbv If there is any moisture in your hard plastic cases, your guns will rust. I lived in va beach for 15 years and never had a moisture problem. Just clean them regularly and put a light coat of oil on them. However, if you are having problems with rust, try the light bulb thing. Another thing is go to wa;lmart and buy a bucket of damp dry, they sell it in the laundry dept area, it works well and is very cheap.

    muss
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  • Salvage33
    Use cat litter in a pan or bucket. Lots cheaper and works well too. Combine that with a golden rod and/or a light bulb (I used to use a 25 watt bulb before the safe arrived) and caress them frequently with a lightly oiled cloth. Guns like that, you know? LOL

    John


    The original point and click interface was made by Smith & Wesson
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  • rsnyder55
    Do not leave guns in foam cases. I almost ruined a Python doing that due to the moisture in the foam.
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