Long-term storage techniques.

G

Gewehr98

New member
Ok, gang, this may be a rehash, but my situation here has changed dramatically in the last 48 hours. In addition to me finally serving my wife with divorce papers, the Air Force saw fit to give me a 36-month assignment to Hickam AFB, Hawaii. The new job there will take me off flying status (bummer), but I will get a civilian clothing and long hair waiver for the three years, plus a $500/month Cost-of-Living allowance. I will also be traveling the Pacific Rim on temporary duty for about 180 days per year.

Now, I am well aware that Hawaii ain't a gun-friendly state, I have browsed the NRA state-by-state guide, and have decided I can live without firearms for this assignment. With me being on the road so much, I won't be able to shoot often anyway, so I'm ok with that as long as I know my current collection of 60+ pieces is well protected from the elements and soon-to-be-ex-wives. I've decided to basically take everything up to my parents in Wisconsin, and "inter" the collection for the 3 years until I get back to the CONUS.

I've purchased some RIG, and want to protect both the guns and my Dillon presses (heck, all my gear, including dies, primers, powder, brass, etc.) from the heat and humidity changes that are the norm in Wisconsin. The guns will probably be kept in either a closet or the basement rafters, I'm debating whether I want to buy a bunch of those silicon impregnated gun socks to keep them well-protected after I grease them up with RIG inside and out.

Any of you folks have some words of enlightenment for the process, I'm all ears, this is new to me. I've even considered Cosmoline for the GI pieces like the 1903A1, 1903A4, Garand, M14NM, No1MkIII, No5Mk1, Schmidt-Rubin, etc.

On a similar vein, I'm taking my 22 year-old Harley up there for storage, too. Anybody ever pickle one of these for long-term storage?

Thanks in advance!
 
Aloha,
I am not real sure where you got your information on Hawaii gun-laws but I would suggest that you check with a FFL here in Hawaii. I own and shoot my AR’s, Ruger’s, and Kimber’s on a regular basis. Do me a favor, don’t put down Hawaii until you come over here and do at least one pig hunt.

Thanks
 
Robert, I didn't mean to knock Hawaii, heck, I'll be assigned there for the next three years. The pig hunts sound fun!

The information I got on Hawaii's gun laws was straight from my copy of State Laws and Published Ordinances - Firearms, 2000-22nd Edition, ATF Publication 5300.5, provided to me by the BATF since I already AM an FFL license holder. The 5 pages of Hawaii's Title 10 Chapter 134 lists necessary firearm registration, as well as permits to acquire and even transfer or sell. Sorry, I left Kalifornia in 1999 just before I had to register my AK-47, BM-59, AR-15, VZ-52, M14NM, and the like. I'd much rather store them in the CONUS than go through all that registration BS again.
 
I understand the registration concern. To tell you the truth I don't like it either. What I do like is the hunting, fishing, and shooting here in Hawaii. With the registration, I guess that is the down side. As far as the laws go, ten round magazine for any firearm that the magazine fits into a pistol. An example would be AR’s. There is a pistol that uses the same magazine so it is limited to ten rounds. Think about bring at least a pig gun and person side arm.

Aloha,

Robert
 
I am not saying this is the best way but this is what worked for me.

1. Disasemble and pack with rid
2. Put in rust prevenitive bags from brownells
3. Throw in a bag of decisent
4. Put in vacuum pack bags and vacuum pack (bought at walmart)

This is expensive, but face it you have allot of money tied up in your guns. Make sure you get the bore covered nicely. I used stealth instead of rid on trigger groups etc. I wrapped things in butcher paper before vacuum packing to prevent the bag from being pucntured.

I have had no loss of vacuum seal, so presumably no rust for over three years.
 
Ex-Wives......UGGHH!

Originally posted by Gewehr98:

so I'm ok with that as long as I know my current collection of 60+ pieces is well protected from the elements and soon-to-be-ex-wives. I've decided to basically take everything up to my parents in Wisconsin, and "inter" the collection for the 3 years until I get back to the CONUS.
Click to expand...

In addittion to the above suggestions, with a 60+ gun collection, if it was me I'd be thinking gun safe with electric dehumidifier rod. You could buy a mid-sized econo grade safe without the interior that should hold most, if not all of your collection for under a grand. Much safer and secure from weather/temp extremes and ex-wives.

As for the Harley, pull the plugs and give the cylinders a few squirts of 30wt and kick over the engine a couple of times to coat the cylinders and replace the plugs. Fill the crankcase with fresh oil. I'd back off the pushrod adjusters to relieve the valve springs of any tension. Give all the paint and chrome a good coat of wax and block up the frame to keep the tires from cracking under the weight of the bike.

If you can swing a vacation to visit the folks once a year, you can keep an eye on the condition of everything.
 
I like the idea of sealed plastic bags with a dessicant pack, but I was wondering about the effects of the moisture trapped inside the bag. Even with the silica packs, would the water go through absorption-evaporation-reabsorption cycles induced by outside temperature changes?

How does one minimize the amount of moisture trapped in the bag to begin with? How about gently heating up the bag and the well-oiled gun in the oven prior to sealing? I know it sounds obsessive, but we expect our guns to last a lifetime at least, so why take any chances?
 
The vacuum packing would get rid of almost all air and almost all moisture. Coating the surface with the stealth or rid would prevent any remaining moisture from contacting the surface (the the decisent doesn't absorb). Additionally you could use a hair dryer to fill the bag with warm dry air before you vacuum pack so any air left inside is dry when it cools will contract more.
 
Years ago there was a spray we used on our offshore oil platforms that was called "LPS 3" it was in an aerosol can and sprayed like WD-40 but was actually a grease. When it dried it left a coating of grease on whatever was sprayed. Even in the harsh salt enviroment of the Gulf of Mexico it protected steel. I think it is still made but not sure. I had a few cans that got "liberated" and they did a wonderful job of protecting things like bullet moulds etc. Of course it took a good dousing of acetone before casting with them but that stuff sure prevented rust.
 
I was in similar situation few years ago and here is what I did with my guns:

I removed all plastic and wood stocks from rifles and shotguns and cleaned the hell out of each gun. Then, I sprayed the entire gun inside and out including the bore with EZZOXX (I think the spelling is correct). For handguns I removed all plastic, rubber or wood grips and did the same. Each gun was placed inside a carboard box lined with newspaper and placed in the gun safe. Inside each safe, I placed 5 pounds of dried rice (I think 2 or 3 hours in 250 degrees oven) in 3 separate coffee cans with nylon stocking on top to prevent spilling. I used rice instead of decisent because I was told that dried rice works better and longer. All metal magazines were cleaned and sprayed with EZZOXX and placed in a cardboard box with some newspapers to prevent scratches. Wood stocks and grips were cleaned and lightly brushed with isopropal alcohol and then wiped with stock oil and put in a cardboard box. All my loaded ammos, powders and primers were placed in clean steel GI ammo cans with a small sox full of dried rice. I did put some silicon grease on the rubber gasket of each ammo can. Finally, I cleaned all the Dillion presses and put a coat of EZZOXX on all metal parts and put back in their original package.

This stash was put in a spare bedroom of my parents home in South Florida for almost 4 years.

When I returned everything was just as I had left them. There were no rust and it only took about 10-15 minutes to clean each gun.

As for your Harley... get a case of EZZOXX and... :)
 
A gunsafe with the dehumidifying rod was a good idea, you'll have peice of mind that your babies won't rust and that they will be hard for a crook to take. Hickam is supposed to be a really nice assignment, long hair and civies sounds like an OSI job to me.
 
I've been in the same situation for the lst 10 years, keep my guns in a safe with golden rod, ones I shoot each summer vacation, just a light coating of oil, others that I don't shoot, just RIG coated and inside ordinary plastic bags.

YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY INVEST IN A SAFE!!, The peace of mind is worth the money.
 
A buddy of mine is from Hawaii and his old man and he used to do a lot of shooting. I'm not sure how you'd be able to get by there, i don't know the laws for non-residents or residents for that matter.
Do you think you could get your folks to go in there and check up on everything, like once a year or so, otherwise most of the suggestions seem to be pretty well on the mark.
As for the Harley, i'd say when you drain the gas tank coat the inside with something that will keep it from rusting, pull the carbs apart and clean them thoroughly. Pour oil down the cylinders, change out all the fluid. Remove the battery and put dielectric grease on all the electrical contacts. Also, you will need to do something to keep the mice from making their home in the tailpipes and from chewing up the seat. In the winter i stick bounce dryer sheets in the tailpipes and all around my bike, supposedly its suppose to keep those little buggers out.
Also block up the frame like GoodGuy said and i think that you would probably be pretty well off. I got ahold of a bike that hadn't been run in 9 years and hadn't been stored properly either and i somehow got it to run. Good luck.
 
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