The last thing you want to see on your favorite gun is patches of orange rust. Gunmetal is very susceptible to rust and needs protection.
There is no point in cleaning the gun daily and then keeping it in a poor environment. A dirty and damp storing place will kill your gun without delay.
As maintenance is necessary, a suitable place for storing is also important. Ignorance regarding storing facility will take your gun down the hill.
That’s why you must act as per the recommendations of how to store guns to prevent rust effectively.
How To Keep Guns From Rusting?
You must know how to keep the gun from rusting so that it does not get rusted even though being in a suitable place.
Rust is a common issue for guns. The chances of getting rust are always high. You need to take precautions so that you do not face the hard consequences of a rusted gun.
Instead of cleaning the infected gun, it is better to prevent it in the first place. Learning about how to keep your gun from rusting can make it much easier for you to safeguard your gun.
Keep Your Gun Clean
The first and foremost duty after getting yourself a gun is to take care of it. Your gun needs attention to provide a smooth firing experience to you. Or else you will be facing a rusted gun in no time.
Every time you take your gun for a shooting session, it collects a lot of carbon and leads residues in it. The projected ammo leaves behind tons of carbon-lead particles that fill the barrel of the gun. Leaving them like that will cause them to harden there and form unwanted rust particles. You need to take your gun to a cleaning session after each shooting spree.
Even if you do not use your gun regularly, you still have to take your gun for routine inspection and maintenance. Your seated gun on the store needs to be taken out once in a while for cleaning and lubricating to avoid rusting.
After you take it out or handle it for a while, you should give it a quick clean. The sweat or oil from your hand can become the cause of rust on your gun. Make sure you keep it clean and free from moisture to avoid rusting.
Proper Lubrication
Proper lubrication is important for avoiding rusting and friction. The dry state of the gunmetal will attract moisture from the atmosphere which is a huge threat for the gun.
Lubrication makes sure water vapor cannot come in contact with gunmetal. It always guards the gun surface and thus saves it from rust infection.
You should always lubricate the gun after you clean it. It is better to make a routine for lubricating your gun. It is best to do it by maintaining a sequence. This way there are fewer chances your gun will stay dry and thus fewer chances of rusting.
Avoid Corrosive Ammunition
Corrosive ammunition is a huge threat to a gun. The problem is not the ammunition but the primer that cheap corrosive ammo consists of. Such primers are typically made of sodium perchlorate or potassium chlorate.
When the primer is burned during a shoot, it leaves behind salt of potassium and sodium in the gun barrel. These salts are water-absorbing components that attract moisture from the atmosphere. These create a favorable circumstance for rust formation.
The corrosive ammo is much low-priced than the non-corrosive ones. You can also buy them for your practice sessions. However, you must immediately clean the gun as soon as you are done shooting if you do so. You cannot be lazy after using corrosive ammo on your gun. And if it is not too much out of your budget, you should try totally avoiding corrosive ammo.
Avoid Contact With Water
Water is the enemy of gunmetal. The gunmetal oxidizes to ferric oxide in the presence of water. If you want to avoid rust, you must keep your gun away from water. Make sure your gun does not come in contact with water or even the moisture from the air.
In case you go out hunting on a rainy day or go deep diving fishing, you should take immediate action towards your gun after use. Leaving it as it is will cause severe damage to the weapon. You need to make sure the gun is dried appropriately and use water repellent to prevent the presence of any trace of moisture. You must store it in a dry place.
Best Rust Prevention For Guns During Storage
Being lazy and keeping your gun anywhere won’t do any good. It will come round as a disaster. So, it’s better to store it in the proper place avoiding trouble.
Leaving it over your work table or merely in a drawer is not the best way to store a gun. Dust and dirt can accumulate on the exposed gun making it vulnerable to rust formation.
And the main threat is humidity. Gunmetal tends to absorb moisture from the atmosphere which results in the formation of rust. To avoid it you must keep your gun stored in a controlled environment. A protective case or a place where humidity and temperature are maintained.
Cosmoline Rust Resistant Spray
The cosmoline is a petroleum-based rust resistor. It is like gooey wax that you can spread over the gun surface easily. It stays fixed on its state saving the gunmetal from the potential threat of rust. While taking your gun out of the store for use, make sure you get rid of all the cosmoline. And this is where things get a little messy. But it successfully keeps rust away from the gun and that’s what matters the most.
It’s a common option for the long-term storage of guns. Previously it was widely used in the military for storing rifles. It’s a really effective way to keep your gun safe from rust.
Cosmoline RP-342 Black Rust Preventive Spray (Military-Grade)
It’s a long-lasting rust resistor. It is an aerosol spray formula that can be sprayed on the gun easily without any help from other materials. The formula is strong enough to act efficiently even with one coating. After spraying it will be dry enough to touch it. This coating can protect the gunmetal from a hazardous environment. It does not crack open or come off. It stays on fixed to the gunmetal until removed.
Watertight Gun Case
Try to store your gun in a gun case. Keeping the gun in a gun case is the best way to safeguard it from potential threats. Well, keeping it, in any case, won’t do the job. You need to find a waterproof case that won’t allow the atmospheric moisture to come in contact with the gunmetal. The case will act as a defender against the oxidation process. The normal wooden chamber or metal cases won’t be a good idea to keep your gun in. Instead, the hard-cased foam-padded ones are more likely to defend your gun correctly.
Pelican 1170 Protector Case With Foam
An easily portable lightweight gun case. It has a large handle and double locks on the front. The casing seals efficiently not allowing even water to enter. It’s a full dustproof case that can save the gun from unwanted dust and dirt. The inside is lined with 3 layers of high-quality foam. It ensures the gun does not be a victim of any sort of friction.
Dehumidifier For Gun Room
The environment has to do a lot with the rust formation on a gun. The place you stay tells what precautions you need to take for storing your precious gun. And obviously, humidity is the main reason behind it. If you are staying in a humid area, you will need to take different steps than the time when you are staying in a less humid zone.
For dry environments, it is ok to stick with other rust-preventing options. But in the case of highly humid areas like the tropical ones, you need to use a dehumidifier. It’s a must to keep the humidity of the room under control to avoid harmful rust attacks. National Firearms Museum recommends keeping the humidity level around 50%. Higher than this creates risk for the gunmetal to be oxidized. Whereas, lower than the suggested extent can cause be a problem for the wooden embellishments of the gun. You can maintain the balance of humidity with the dehumidifier easily.
SEAVON 2,000 Sq. Ft Electric Dehumidifier For Home Basements And Large Room
As a humidifier, the electric ones do a very good job. You can customize the humidity level as per your requirements. It is much easier to control the moisture content using it.
It is a portable dehumidifier suitable for basements and garages. It exchanges moisture from the atmosphere with refreshing air. The compact design does not even take too much space. Plus, it’s a very quiet dehumidifier. It does not make any sort of wheezing sound while working. It has an auto shut-off facility that helps to avoid any water overflow hazards. The design is very convenient to understand the information regarding the machine.
Wisesorb 750 Grams Silica Gel Gun Safe Dehumidifier
Silica gel is the cheaper alternative to the electric dehumidifier. If an electric dehumidifier is out of your budget, you can stick to silica gel as a dehumidifier. Silica gel is effective in absorbing moisture from the atmosphere to keep it dry.
It’s a silica gel dehumidifier that comes in a tin can form. The size of the can is not so big or small. It is the perfect size for a medium gun storage area. It is capable of covering an area of 60 cubic feet. This will ensure no moisture lingering around the gun storage space within this limit. It is a reusable silica gel kit. Even after all the beads get saturated, they can be heated in a microwave oven to retain their capability of moisture absorbance.
Temperature And Humidity Monitoring device
As you store your gun in a safe place, you must keep it in check too. You need to make sure your gun is in an environment unfavorable for rust formation. It is not possible to keep it in check normally. That’s why you need a humidity tracking tool in your gun storage area. It will give you updates about the moisture content in that place and make it easier for you to act accordingly.
iPower Digital Hygrometer Indoor Thermometer
This digital hygrometer demonstrates the temperature and humidity rate of the place. The digital screen flashes all the necessary information to be aware of them at a glance. It has a convenient touch system control panel. It can be mounted on a wall or mounted using its magnetic attachment. The foldable option also lets you keep it over anything.
Final Words
Preventing the formation of rust patches on your gun should be your priority. Gunmetal is vulnerable to rust but you have the power to keep your gun safe from it.
There is no shortcut. You must spare some of your energy to keep your precious gun secured. It is not too much hard work. Consistency and correct utilization of information will make it easy for you to protect your weapon. As you now know how to store guns to prevent rust, you must act accordingly and make proper use of them.
Other Buying Guides You May Like:
- Cleaning A New Gun – Beginners Guide
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