help with keeping guns stored

[trevor87bikes]

hi i am new to the hobby of ww2 gun collecting ...i have always loved them but now im 20 i have started to get a few ..i mainly collect helmets ...

this might sound silly but i have a luger,radom and a thompson deacts.(our crappy laws) and have been forced to keep them in the attic /loft ...could the cold weather and constant change of temperature be bad for them ...theyre in a old toy box wrapped in sheets but they still feel frozen when i touch them hope you can steer me in the right direction regards .............matt

[ChrisCook]

Storage

If it's that cold I would be worried about condensation, freezing/thawing, etc. Also, I imagine you have high humidity..... I'm sure that you'll get some good ideas here, but whatever you decide to store them in throw in some of those silca desicant packs, that might help with the humidity issue, also having the weapons lightly oiled and free of fingerprints, etc before storing them might be advisable. Chris....

[trevor87bikes]

cheers chris.......what do the fingerprints do ....regards .........matt

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Matt, finger prints are acid and will etch themselves into the metal. The loft is really not a good place to store them.

Cheers, Ade.

[stevezz1]

Hi Matt,
I think it is the acid in the sweat in finger marks that can do some damage to the bluing.
But why do you keep them in the attic?
I have mine on the wall, and have done for the last ten years.....

Steve.

[trevor87bikes]

my mum aint happy about them being about ..........im sure she think i can get nicked for having them i will get them down right away .thanks .....fellers

[pitts duncan]

storing guns

I would recommend you store your guns in the enviornment of your home. this way the temperature will stay usually between 69 and 79 degrees. This keeps you at a constant temperature range and you avoid the guns getting 30 degrees colder than the surrounding air and sweating like a glass of iced beverage does . humidity should be around 50 percent which is also seldom a problem in an airconditioned and heated house. guns should be wiped down with oily rags periodically and bores swabbed out and oiled. some folks store in the cases and some store out of the cases. i do both and both seem to work well . i store mine in a safe and you have to consider the likelyhood of theft, verses insurance ,verses being displayed to enjoy at a moments notice. Your mom shouldn't have a problem if you can make her understand what deactivated means. good luck on a great hobby.

[pitts duncan]

storing guns

I would recommend you store your guns in the enviornment of your home. this way the temperature will stay usually between 69 and 79 degrees. This keeps you at a constant temperature range and you avoid the guns getting 30 degrees colder than the surrounding air and sweating like a glass of iced beverage does . humidity should be around 50 percent which is also seldom a problem in an airconditioned and heated house. guns should be wiped down with oily rags periodically and bores swabbed out and oiled. some folks store in the cases and some store out of the cases. i do both and both seem to work well . i store mine in a safe and you have to consider the likelyhood of theft, verses insurance ,verses being displayed to enjoy at a moments notice. Your mom shouldn't have a problem if you can make her understand what deactivated means. good luck on a great hobby.

[Lon]

I have usually found that unless you will be firing your weapons, keeping them dry is important. If on display in open air, oil tends to attract dirt. Your best bet is to keep them in a safe with a heating stick to prevent condensation. I once had pistols wrapped in cloth to prevent scratches and ended up with rust forming because of absorbing condensation. I would also avoid storing pistols in holsters due to chemical reactions. The bags of chemicals to absorb moisture I found to be a real pain. A good safe will eliminate a host of problems. Good luck!

[Josh Beckett]

Try to keep them in a dryer place, I keep mine in a case or a safe.

[trevor87bikes]

cheers fellers ...i thought about getting holsters as a safe option its lucky you let me know not to lon regards ...........matt

[Andy B.]

I have usually found that unless you will be firing your weapons, keeping them dry is important. If on display in open air, oil tends to attract dirt. Your best bet is to keep them in a safe with a heating stick to prevent condensation. I once had pistols wrapped in cloth to prevent scratches and ended up with rust forming because of absorbing condensation. I would also avoid storing pistols in holsters due to chemical reactions. The bags of chemicals to absorb moisture I found to be a real pain. A good safe will eliminate a host of problems. Good luck!

Good advice given by all!!
I have one question (for Lon), what is a heating stick? I haven't heard of that.
Sincerely Andy B.

[Lon]

Andy-

A heating stick is slang for an electric dehumidifier rod. They come in different sizes, usually from 12 to 18 inches in length depending on the size of your safe. Mine is 12 inches long x 1/2 inch in diameter, sits on the safe floor and plugs into an outlet through a small hole in the back of the safe. They are not very hot to the touch, but generate enough heat to dry up moisture in a good sized safe. I had a small home safe that a bag of desiccant was needed to absorb the moisture. Once a month or so the bag had to be put in the oven to dry out. An electric rod is 1000% better and can be bought at most safe stores. I live in Maryland and humidity can be quite high, my safe queens are all dry and rust free. Hope this helps!

Lon

[Tomt]

storage

Hi Andy The brand name of the heat sticks used to be called "Goldenrod". Whether that is the name now I don't know. I've had the same one in my safe for at least 18-20 years and it has definitely done the job. Tomt

[Andy B.]

Thanks Lon and Tom I really appreciate the help

Andy